Minimised SARS-CoV-2 transmission during Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games: insights from enhanced integrated surveillance, Japan, July to September 2021.
8 affiliations
- 1Center for Public Health Action in Applied Epidemiology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan Institute for Health Security, Tokyo, Japan.
- 2Center for Emergency Preparedness and Response, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan Institute for Health Security, Tokyo, Japan.
- 3Department of Infectious Disease Surveillance, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan Institute for Health Security, Tokyo, Japan.
- 4Project for Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis Phase 2, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Tokyo, Japan.
- 5Medical Policy Division, Bureau of Public Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo, Japan.
- 6SEKIZUKA Industry Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.
- 7Center for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan Institute for Health Security, Tokyo, Japan.
- 8Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Kumamoto Health Science University, Kumamoto, Japan.
Abstract
BACKGROUNDAmid the COVID-19 pandemic, stringent public health measures were taken during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020).AIMWe describe SARS-CoV-2 transmission among Games participants and in-person contributors (GPIPC)s.METHODSTokyo 2020-related SARS-CoV-2 infection cases were individuals linked to the event, testing positive for the virus between 1 July-19 September 2021, reported to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Attack rates among athletes and team officials were determined. Enhanced case-based surveillance integrating genomic sequencing data supported viral spread investigations among various GPIPC groups.RESULTSA total 804 cases (median age: 35 years, interquartile range (IQR): 27-45; 194 female/610 male) were reported. Among athletes and team officials, attack rates were 0.6% (65/11,400) in Olympic Games and 0.6% (30/4,800) in Paralympic Games. These 95 infections concerned mainly overseas travellers (n = 92), 85 of whom were diagnosed within 14 days of arrival in Japan. Among the 804 cases, whole-genome sequencing data were obtained for 304 (median age: 38 years, IQR: 29-47; 67 female/237 male) with sufficient viral load (as indicated by RT-PCR Cq ≤ 32), including 79% (75/95) of athletes and team officials cases, 74% (131/176) of Games' organisers and media cases, and ˂ 20% (98/533) of remaining cases. Delta variants dominated (94%; 285/304), with domestic (AY.29 lineage) Delta strains prominent among Delta-variant-affected resident cases (96%; 104/108) and Games' organisers and media cases diagnosed ≥ 15 days after entering Japan (97%; 63/65). Overseas Delta strains mostly affected travellers within 14 days of entry, particularly athletes and team officials (97%; 66/68) and Games' organisers and media (29/34).CONCLUSIONMultilayered-risk-reduction measures likely minimised SARS-CoV-2 transmission to athletes.
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BibTeX
@article{fukusumi2026minimised,
title = {{Minimised SARS-CoV-2 transmission during Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games: insights from enhanced integrated surveillance, Japan, July to September 2021.}},
author = {Munehisa Fukusumi and Keiko Tsukada and Kanako Otani and Masato Yamauchi and Yoshiyuki Sugishita and Chiaki Ikenoue and Tsuyoshi Sekizuka and Tomoe Shimada and Taro Kamigaki and Motoi Suzuki and Tomimasa Sunagawa and Makoto Kuroda and Tomoya Saito},
journal = {Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.2807/1560-7917.es.2026.31.42.2600009},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42921684},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Minimised SARS-CoV-2 transmission during Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games: insights from enhanced integrated surveillance, Japan, July to September 2021.
AU - Munehisa Fukusumi
AU - Keiko Tsukada
AU - Kanako Otani
AU - Masato Yamauchi
AU - Yoshiyuki Sugishita
AU - Chiaki Ikenoue
AU - Tsuyoshi Sekizuka
AU - Tomoe Shimada
AU - Taro Kamigaki
AU - Motoi Suzuki
AU - Tomimasa Sunagawa
AU - Makoto Kuroda
AU - Tomoya Saito
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin
DO - 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2026.31.42.2600009
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42921684
AB - BACKGROUNDAmid the COVID-19 pandemic, stringent public health measures were taken during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020).AIMWe describe SARS-CoV-2 transmission among Games participants and in-person contributors (GPIPC)s.METHODSTokyo 2020-related SARS-CoV-2 infection cases were individuals linked to the event, testing positive for the virus between 1 July-19 September 2021, reported to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Attack rates among athletes and team officials were determined. Enhanced case-based surveillance integrating genomic sequencing data supported viral spread investigations among various GPIPC groups.RESULTSA total 804 cases (median age: 35 years, interquartile range (IQR): 27-45; 194 female/610 male) were reported. Among athletes and team officials, attack rates were 0.6% (65/11,400) in Olympic Games and 0.6% (30/4,800) in Paralympic Games. These 95 infections concerned mainly overseas travellers (n = 92), 85 of whom were diagnosed within 14 days of arrival in Japan. Among the 804 cases, whole-genome sequencing data were obtained for 304 (median age: 38 years, IQR: 29-47; 67 female/237 male) with sufficient viral load (as indicated by RT-PCR Cq ≤ 32), including 79% (75/95) of athletes and team officials cases, 74% (131/176) of Games' organisers and media cases, and ˂ 20% (98/533) of remaining cases. Delta variants dominated (94%; 285/304), with domestic (AY.29 lineage) Delta strains prominent among Delta-variant-affected resident cases (96%; 104/108) and Games' organisers and media cases diagnosed ≥ 15 days after entering Japan (97%; 63/65). Overseas Delta strains mostly affected travellers within 14 days of entry, particularly athletes and team officials (97%; 66/68) and Games' organisers and media (29/34).CONCLUSIONMultilayered-risk-reduction measures likely minimised SARS-CoV-2 transmission to athletes.
SN - 1025-496X
SN - 1560-7917
ER -