A norovirus outbreak in the Finnish ice hockey team has put athletes and doctors on high alert at the Olympic village in Milan. Katharina Blume, head of the German medical team, issued a slight all-clear on Thursday: There is one confirmed case and three more with symptoms, but no new positive cases today. She still urges maximum caution to prevent further spread.
The news of a confirmed norovirus case in a Finnish ice hockey player spread quickly through the Olympic village in southern Milan, according to Katharina Blume. As head of the German team's medical staff, she emphasized at a media meeting on Thursday afternoon that the virus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea, remains contained so far. "There is one confirmed case and three more players showing symptoms. But today no further positive case was added," Blume told the RedaktionsNetzwerks Deutschland (RND).
Athletes at major events like the 2026 Winter Olympics are particularly sensitized. "They carry disinfectant sprays. Some walk around outside their rooms wearing respiratory masks," explained the 41-year-old doctor, who works for the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) and as a cardiologist at BG Klinikum Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin. The German athletes, housed on the sixth and seventh floors of a high-rise in the village, will avoid using toilets outside their quarter for now.
An outbreak in the German team would be "naturally the worst case," Blume warns. The Finnish players likely brought the virus from home. Due to the case, the Finns' game against Canada was postponed from Thursday at 21:10 to next Thursday. In training, only ten players were available, with 13 in quarantine or isolation. Regulations require 17 players for a regular match.
