"Speaking from working right now in the middle of our flu season, where we haven't been able to handle a surge in acute care need anywhere in Canada it seems, I would be concerned going forward about having a surge in need for hospital resources, said Varner, CMAJ's deputy editor and an emergency doctor in downtown Toronto, in an interview with CBC News."
"Her concern is supported by years of research showing that health issues like infectious disease outbreaks, food-borne illnesses and alcohol overconsumption can strain emergency rooms during or after mass gatherings. For example, researchers found that a strain of measles was introduced to Vancouver during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and resulted in an outbreak of 82 cases three months after the event."
"There's also the possibility of large-scale attacks that can send many to hospital, like the one that took place early last year at Vancouver's Lapu-Lapu festival. Catherine Varner, an emergency doctor in downtown Toronto, wrote an editorial for the Canadian Medical Association Journal about how mass gatherings like FIFA World Cup soccer matches can expose vulnerabilities in health-care systems. (Mark Bochsler/CBC)"
Canada's health-care system is operating in a constant state of surge capacity. The addition of hundreds of thousands of visitors for co-hosted FIFA World Cup games could overwhelm hospital and emergency resources. Research shows mass gatherings can increase infectious disease outbreaks, food-borne illnesses, alcohol-related harms, trauma, substance-abuse cases, and cardiac emergencies. Past events saw measles introduced during the 2010 Olympics and increased emergency visits during the Calgary Stampede. Seasonal pressures such as flu season already limit surge capacity across provinces, reducing ability to absorb sudden increases in acute care need.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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