While the buzz about yesterday’s release of Team USA’s Olympic closing ceremony outfits was mostly fashion-based, South Korea has gone a different direction, tailoring their Olympic uniforms to ward off the Zika virus.
Zika virus disease has become a concern for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. The virus, transmitted by mosquitoes, can cause some ailments like fever, rashes and joint pain, but is most dangerous for pregnant women as it can cause serious birth defects. The most prevalent is microcephaly, a condition where a baby’s head is smaller than it should be, with the brain often not developing properly.
The Associated Press reports that South Korea’s Olympic uniforms are specifically designed to fend off mosquitoes, featuring long sleeve shirts and jackets, long pants and even mosquito-repellent chemicals added to the outfits themselves.
The South Korean Olympic Committee showed off the uniforms on Wednesday, saying the outfits would be used during various ceremonies, in the athlete village and during some training periods as well, according to the Associated Press report.
