FIRST ON FOX: The World Cup tested not only the players on the pitch, but the Trump administration’s large public health operation to safeguard the public as fans from all over the world moved across the United States.
Amid the fandom, as 11 American cities hosted 39 teams and 78 matches, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) operated largely behind the scenes to detect emerging threats and to respond to public health emergencies.
“Readiness is not only measured by how we respond to emergencies, but by the work we do every day to prevent them,” acting CDC Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“The FIFA World Cup demonstrated the strength of CDC’s partnerships, preparedness and commitment to protecting the health of every community we serve.”
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In total, the FIFA World Cup hosted 48 teams across 16 cities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with more than 5 million tickets sold.
An estimated 6.5 million fans from around the world converged in the three host countries, bringing their passion, enthusiasm and, possibly, germs. Overlapping with Independence Day celebrations, large gatherings were common, as well as the backdrop of concurrent international disease activity, including the Ebola and Hantavirus outbreaks.
Infectious disease can easily spread in large crowds, and experts were already looking at wastewater, a possible uptick in hospital visits and social media for any signs of a potential outbreak.
Diseases like measles are always a top concern. As of July 16, there were 2,260 confirmed measles cases in the U.S., according to the CDC.
“The matches drew the world’s attention. The work that kept them healthy did not — and that was the point,” the CDC said in a news release Sunday.
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The CDC’s effort included a World Cup data dashboard that provided health departments with real-time data on disease trends across multiple cities as fans and teams traveled throughout the tournament, as well as around-the-clock health operations at U.S. ports of entry in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to monitor international passengers.
The agency also deployed its experts to strengthen disease surveillance, laboratory capacity, wastewater surveillance and preparedness planning in host cities.
In all, the agency coordinated across a broad network, including multiple CDC divisions, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and the White House FIFA World Cup Task Force.
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In March, the CDC released guidance providing health officials with a framework for preparing for a broad range of threats, including biological, chemical, radiologic/nuclear, environmental and mass casualty incidents.
The guidance encouraged every jurisdiction to approach the tournament through a risk-based lens, recognizing that travel between venues connects communities far beyond the host cities.
The tournament is over, but the work is not. The same preparedness, surveillance and partnerships that supported the World Cup are part of CDC’s readiness and response mission every day of the year, continuing through the close of the activation on July 31 and well beyond.
