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March 2022 • DALLAS MEDICAL JOURNAL | 11
ceived my negative COVID-19 test result and clearance documents
to exit the airport and be transported to the Olympic facilities.
As I was transported in private Tokyo 2020 Olympic/Paralympic
vehicles (because we were not allowed to take public transportation
for the fi rst 14 days in Japan) to my diff erent work sites or as I walked
around the city of Tokyo, I remember being in disbelief that I was in
Tokyo. The city was so empty and isolating. I learned quickly not to
wear my Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games uniforms out in
public, either, as Tokyo’s decision to host the Games over the summer
was quite controversial among residents in Tokyo. However, once I
met the rest of our international medical team on my fi rst workday, I
no longer felt isolated. Our international medical team was incredible
with the diversity of experiences and perspectives represented,
which in turn improved the quality of medical care the Games
athletes, coaches, staff , and volunteers received. Through mutual
respect, we worked with
the Japanese local medical
team to provide diff erent
recommendations for the
COVID-19 protocol and policies
based on each of our
diff erent experiences. It was
also an amazing experience
talking with other team physicians,
athletes, coaches,
staff , and volunteers from
around the world and learning
about how their countries
or regions of the world
were managing the COVID
19 pandemic, including
the global variety of medications
and supplements
used to treat symptoms from
COVID-19 infection, diff erent
styles and recommendations
of PPE, and diff erent screening
and testing protocols for
COVID-19. These diff erences
in perspectives and experiences could have led to barriers and challenges
in creating one international protocol that everyone supported,
but as our international team of visiting physicians worked closely
with the local Japanese medical team, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and
Paralympic Games were successful in maintaining low COVID-19
positivity and transmission rates.
With an understanding of the importance of cross-cultural exchange
and sharing of thoughts, recommendations, and ideas, we
were able to provide more humanistic aspects to the care of the
Olympic and Paralympic participants who had tested positive for
COVID-19 and/or were in quarantine. Among the multiple articles
published related to hosting the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic
Games during the COVID-19 pandemic, our international medical
team also worked together to publish an editorial in the British
Journal of Sports Medicine discussing the lessons we had learned
from our experiences at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic
Games and the importance of incorporating humanism in medical
protocols for sporting events. We hope our lessons learned will be
taken into consideration by future medical committees if they face
the challenge of hosting a large international sporting event during
a pandemic.
While watching the
Beijing 2022 Olympic and
Paralympic Games, it is
exciting to cheer on and
have pride in the athletes
representing our own
countries as they compete
against other countries. But
as I watch the Beijing 2022
Games, I have a diff erent
perspective this year: it’s not
just about competing and
winning the medals for our
own countries. The Olympic
and Paralympic Games also
bring the world together
and foster international
collaboration, cross-cultural
exchange, and mutual
respect of people around
the world. It would not be
a successful or respected
sporting competition
without this. In a sense, it reminds me of Senator J. William Fulbright’s
mission for his Fulbright program, “to bring a little more knowledge,
a little more reason, and a little more compassion into world aff airs
and thereby increase the chance that nations will learn at last to live
in peace and friendship.” DMJ