Some Olympians test positive for COVID, but it's business as usual for many athletes

Simone Biles isn't the only one making a comeback at the 2024 Olympics. COVID-19, the virus behind the pandemic that led to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics being postponed to 2021, is once again infecting athletes and influencing athletic performance.

But COVID's impact seems to have dropped significantly since Tokyo.

The Paris Olympics continue to operate normally — spectators gather in the stands, and athletes congregate freely at mealtime.

But a closer look shows masks are slowly popping up on athletes, and a few faces are missing from the start lines.

More than a dozen athletes in Paris have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, including British swimmer Adam Peaty, who tested positive on Sunday evening after winning silver in the 100m breaststroke, the Guardian reported Tuesday.

Another swimmer, Australia's Lani Pallister, withdrew from the 1500m freestyle on Tuesday after a positive COVID test.

Since athletes who test positive are still allowed to compete in Paris, it was decided that Pallister would rest and prepare for the 4x200m freestyle, according to the Australian Olympic Committee. That decision paid off when the team won gold in the event on Thursday. 

But another athlete's 2024 Olympic dreams were crushed altogether.

German decathlete Manuel Eitel made a statement on Instagram about withdrawing from the Paris Olympics due to a COVID infection.

"Today is and will be one of the worst days of my life," he said in a post written in German. 

"How many times I've fought, how hard I've worked to earn these games, few people know."

There are limited protocols and restrictions in place at the Olympics, Reuters reported on Tuesday. 

"We have a protocol [that] any athlete that has tested positive has to wear a mask, and we remind everyone to follow best practices," said Anne Descamps, Paris 2024 chief communications director. 

Beyond those protocols, individual athletes and their countries have been left to make their own decisions about preventing and dealing with the virus.