The Olympics are something almost everyone watches, even if it’s just one event. This year the 2016 summer Olympics are going to be held in Rio, which has caused some controversy due to the Zika virus.

Zika is a virus that is only harmful to women. It affects their babies if they are pregnant. The babies will come out with smaller heads, which means smaller brains, which means they are more likely to develop at a slower rate than other kids both mentally and physically. They currently have no cure or vaccine yet but they are working on it.

Zika is affecting the Olympics because it is prevalent in South America, where Rio is located. Due to this virus people are talking about moving, rescheduling, and even canceling the Olympics. Some people think they should just leave it alone and others think they should do something about this.

When asked if they think the Zika virus will effect the Olympics, Westhampton Beach High School senior Kristiana Berisha said, “Yeah it probably will, but what could we really do about it besides relocate?” Other students such as Brooke Cotter and Jason Ostie said, “No I don’t think it will affect the Olympics, they aren’t going to change the date or location at this point.”

We will see what happens closer to the Olympic date whether or not Zika will affect the Olympics or not. Hopefully, Zika won’t put any of Olympic players in harms way.