US HOSPITALS are on alert for mass infections, including deadly viruses, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Infectious disease experts in New York and New Jersey, where eight soccer matches are being held, have been in training for the influx of visitors for years.
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Hospitals are on high alert for infectious diseases ahead of the FIFA World Cup (stock) Credit: EPA
The influx of people mixing from all across the globe increases the risk of infectious outbreaks (stock) Credit: AFP or licensors
Up to 10 million people from around the world are expected to descend to watch 48 teams play soccer this summer.
While many are looking forward to the competition, doctors are warning that the “huge migration event” poses serious health risks.
On top of standard medical emergencies and mass casualty incidents, the sheer number of people coming from across the globe heightens the risk of the spread of highly infectious and sometimes deadly diseases.
These include measles, hepatitis A, typhoid, malaria, SARS and even more life-threatening diseases like cholera and Ebola.
Greater New York alone is expected to see over 1.2million visitors this summer with people not only going to the MetLife Stadium, but also attending viewing parties in places like Central Park.
“The whole health care system in New York City will be a bit on alert for all of these events,” Dr. Vikramjit Mukherjee, chief of critical care and the special pathogens program at Bellevue Hospital told Health Beat.
“We’re looking at it as if it’s a huge global migration event.”
“Because of what we’ve seen in the last few years — Ebola, Covid, and mpox — we feel that we will be the ones who will be affected first for the next outbreak, and therefore have an additional responsibility of keeping prepared,” Mukherjee added.
Healthcare experts in New York and New Jersey have revealed they are doing rigorous drills to prepare for the summer tournament (stock) Credit: Getty
Up to 10 million people are expected to descend to watch the World Cup (stock) Credit: Getty
He explained that hundreds of health care professionals have been undergoing rigorous drills which include actors and even commercial planes ahead of the tournament.
They are training not just to know what to do and how to treat different patients, but also to spot signs and symptoms of these “high consequence” diseases.
While health officials want people to be vigilant, they also want soccer fans to feel safe.
Dr. Gregory Sugalski, chair of emergency medicine at Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey, the closest Level 1 trauma center to the MetLife Stadium, has a two word message for visitors.
“We understand the concerns sports fans might have when it comes to attending an event with so many others, from the US and from other countries,” he told The New York Post.
“But I want to say two words to them: ‘No fear.’
“Our staff at Hackensack Meridian has been training and drilling for two years for this event.
“We’ve been on the frontline of care for major NFL games for the Giants and Jets, alongside high-profile concerts for celebrities like Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Bruce Springsteen, and major entertainment events like Wrestlemania.”
Meanwhile, the tournament is facing a crisis with arguments erupting between host states and FIFA over ticket, travel and transport.
