Listen to article \u2022\u00a00:00 min<\/p>\n
On a muggy Friday days before the World Cup<\/a> began, a small team of medical emergency planners inspected the cavernous, air-conditioned tent erected for patients at Lemon Hill in Fairmount<\/a> Park, not far from the enormous screen where thousands can watch matches through July 19.<\/p>\n Near a FIFA tent already full of merchandise, and branded \u201cfan pavilions\u201d in various stages of construction, Philadelphia\u2019s host city medical lead, Patrick J. Brennan, paced what is now the medical home base for dozens of doctors, nurses, and EMTs over the next several weeks.<\/p>\n Brennan, who is also the chief medical officer of University of Pennsylvania<\/a> Health System, pointed out where the dunk tanks for heatstroke victims would go. He walked through tents with massive fans and misters and visited a smaller first-aid tent for minor medical issues.<\/p>\n Philadelphia is no stranger to large events, from a papal visit to the NFL Draft<\/a> to the annual Roots Picnic. But the World Cup fan festival at Lemon Hill <\/a>will be open for more than a month \u2014 and is taking place in a summer of high-profile events expected to bring more than 1.5 million visitors to the city. <\/p>\n Just as the international soccer clubs are packing up, visitors will arrive to mark the country\u2019s 250th anniversary<\/a>, followed closely by Major League Baseball\u2019s All-Star Game<\/a> and Home Run Derby in mid-July.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the difference \u2014 the duration of the event,\u201d Brennan said.<\/p>\n Preparing for the full range of medical emergencies got underway nearly two years ago for Philadelphia\u2019s public health leaders and largest health systems. They have prepared for heat-related illnesses<\/a>, injuries, mass casualties, and terrorism.<\/p>\n Infectious disease is a leading public health concern among host cities and national health agencies. <\/p>\n Measles<\/a>, a disease once considered eradicated through widespread vaccination and now on the rise across the country, is at the top of their list. An Inquirer analysis found that the Philadelphia region is pockmarked with vulnerable communities, where vaccination rates have fallen below the rate scientists say is necessary to prevent widespread illness.<\/p>\n \u00bb READ MORE: More than 200 Philly-area schools vulnerable to measles outbreak<\/a><\/p>\n Not far from the World Cup action, an outbreak in Lancaster, Berks, Dauphin, and Lebanon Counties<\/a> has sickened 52, as public health officials struggle to contain its spread.<\/p>\n Now thousands of people from all over the world will turn Philadelphia into a petri dish prime for the spread of infectious diseases. Yet another concern is an Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has a team participating in the World Cup games in Houston. <\/p>\n Public health leaders say their best strategy for preventing widespread illness, especially should a case of highly infectious measles arise, is to respond as quickly and efficiently as possible. <\/p>\n Hospitals have added questions about measles vaccination to their routine emergency department screening, with weekend and evening contacts on call at the city lab that would test potential measles samples. Newly posted flyers in local medical buildings explain how to recognize the early signs of measles \u2014 which many doctors have never encountered. <\/p>\n \u201cMy main concern with measles are the pockets where people are under-vaccinated, too few people are vaccinated to really stymie an outbreak,\u201d Brennan said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be hard to prevent it from coming into the country.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00bb READ MORE: What are the measles vaccination rates in your district? See how your school compares.<\/a><\/p>\n Preparing for public health risks<\/p>\n Public health preparations for the World Cup<\/a> began almost two years ago with meetings to identify health risks and develop a plan for protecting against them.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s health department, public safety units, and leaders from top health systems, including Temple Health, Penn Medicine, and Jefferson Health<\/a>, all had seats at the table. <\/p>\n They hashed out responses for potential public health emergencies ranging from bioterrorism, a mass casualty, and violence to routine heat-related health issues. Experts anticipate that the ongoing heat wave, paired with high levels of alcohol consumption, will lead many to experience heat exhaustion, dehydration, and potentially heatstroke. <\/p>\n The prep work built on efforts for past major events, such as Pope Francis\u2019 visit in 2015 or the 2016 Democratic National Convention. New this time around, Philadelphia and World Cup host cities across the country are paying much more attention to infectious-disease concerns. <\/p>\n Until recent years, measles was not \u201cimmediately on the radar\u201d for public health planning, said Jessica Caum, director of disease control for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re in a different place now with measles,\u201d she said. \u201cMore cases, increases in vaccine hesitancy, decreases in vaccination rates \u2014 all of these things are important to keep in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n The planners looked at staffing levels at medical tents and hospitals, including where surge staffing could come from. They developed a plan for where to quarantine a large number of people, in the event of an outbreak of measles or other infectious disease, but declined to provide details. <\/p>\n \u201cWe want to be as prepared as possible,\u201d Caum said. <\/p>\n \u00bb READ MORE: The World Cup arrives in Philly. Here\u2019s everything to know, either as a hardcore fan or just curious.<\/a><\/p>\n Game-day strategy for infectious disease<\/p>\n All that preparation still may not provide a firewall against weeks of sustained sports chaos.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s game-day strategy, should a suspected measles case crop up, is to react as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n Temple trained its emergency department staff to ask new screening questions about measles symptoms and vaccination status in an effort to quickly identify anyone who is at risk, said Daniel Feinberg<\/a>, chief medical officer for Temple University<\/a> Hospital Inc.<\/p>\n People whose vaccination status is unclear, or who say they are unvaccinated, will immediately be whisked to an isolation room if they show symptoms associated with measles, such as fever, cough, runny nose, and red eyes. <\/p>\n The telltale blotchy red rash does not typically appear for up to four days, though hospital administrators distributed photos of it to help medical staff recognize it.<\/p>\n Once isolated, people with suspicious symptoms will be tested, with the sample rushed to a city lab on call for such emergencies.<\/p>\n Administrators lined up contact information to reach the lab in the evenings or weekends, when it is typically closed, and discussed the fastest way to get a sample to the lab \u2014 potentially to have someone with good sneakers run. <\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t want any time wasted,\u201d said Carlene Muto, vice president of infection prevention and occupational health services at Temple Health. <\/p>\n