COVID-19 and Heat Illness in Tokyo, Japan: Implications for the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2021

The 2020 summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo were postponed to July–September 2021 due the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. While COVID-19 has emerged as a monumental health threat for mass gathering events, heat illness must be acknowledged potentially large maintaining services. We examined number of admissions rule emergency medical care, Tokyo, from March September 2020, investigated weekly transportations averages daily maximum Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) (2016–2020). peak overlapped resurgence an increase patients WBGT been observed. Respect robust science is critical decision-making process events during pandemic, science-based countermeasures implementations will warranted. Without urgent reconsiderations sufficient countermeasures, double burden heat-related illnesses overwhelm healthcare provision system, essential services challenging Games.