IAAF London 2017: Hotel Says Not Responsible For ‘Poisoning’ Of Athletes

The London hotel at the center of an outbreak of sickness that has struck down scores of competitors at the World Athletics Championships said on Tuesday it was not the source of the illness.

The local organizing committee of the IAAF contests had announced on Monday that 30 people were initially affected as a result of gastroenteritis, but Britain’s National Health Service officials said on Tuesday that laboratory tests confirmed two cases of norovirus among approximately 30 illness victims.

Norovirus is easily acquired from contact with an infected person, contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces. The virus causes your stomach or intestines or both to get inflamed. This leads you to have stomach pain, nausea, and diarrhea and to throw up.

Tower Hotel near the Tower Bridge, used annually as the base for the London Marathon, said in a statement: “We have worked collaboratively with the EHO (Environmental Health Officer) and the IAAF to investigate the origins of the illness and can confirm that the hotel was not the source.

“We have followed strict hygiene protocol, ensuring that those affected are not in contact with other guests and all public areas have been thoroughly sanitized.”

Several athletes from Botswana, Canada, Ireland, Germany and Puerto Rico staying at Hotel had taken ill over the last few days, with some put in isolation units and quarantine facilities while, others were forced to miss their events.
“I was one of the athletes in quarantine,” Canadian sprinter Aaron Brown said. “I was in my room the entire day in the dark. I was like a vampire. I was holding my stomach the entire night.”