Incidence Of Illnesses Among Team Usa Athletes Competing In The Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games

PURPOSE: To characterize the illnesses that occurred among Team USA athletes competing in the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games. METHODS: A retrospective review of electronic medical records for all medical encounters of Team USA athletes competing in the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games (February 26 - March 16, 2022) was conducted. All encounters were reviewed by the research team to identify new illnesses that occurred during the Paralympic Games based on the guidelines outlined by the 2020 International Olympic Committee. Illnesses were categorized using the Orchard Sports Injury and Illness Classification System. Details of the athlete (sex) and injury (anatomic location) were examined and illness proportions (IP), and incidence rates (IR) with 95% confidence intervals per 1000 athlete days (AD) were calculated. RESULTS: Of the 63 US athletes (male, n = 49 male; female, n = 14) who competed in the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games, 14 presented for evaluation of a new illness (IP, 22.2%). The overall illness rate (IR) was 16.5 [95% CI; 8.6, 24.3] per 1000 AD with males (22.4%; IR, 17.7 [8.4, 27.0]), which was higher than in females (21.4%; IR, 12.4 [-1.6, 26.4]). The highest rates of illness occurred in the following body systems: respiratory conditions (7.9%; IR, 4.8 [0.6, 9.1]), infections (4.8%; IR, 3.9 [0.1, 7.7]), genitourinary conditions (3.2%; IR, 1.9 [-0.7, 4.6]), and gastrointestinal conditions (3.2%; IR, 1.9 [-0.7, 4.6]). Athletes competing in biathlon/Nordic skiing (57.1%: IR, 33.9 [10.4, 57.4]), sled hockey (23.5%; IR, 24.2 [6.3, 42.3]), and alpine skiing (11.8%; IR, 8.5 [-3.3, 20.3]) sustained all reported illnesses. CONCLUSIONS: Twenty-two percent of athletes competing in the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games sustained an illness during the competition period with males sustaining a higher rate of illnesses than females. Respiratory conditions and general infections were the most common illnesses among Paralympic athletes. Continued surveillance in elite Paralympic winter sport athletes is important to gain a better understanding of illness epidemiology in this population, and to inform the development of future illness prevention programs.