"Chikungunya Outbreak in Cuba: An Expert's Controversial Confidence"

Amidst an escalating health crisis and overwhelmed hospitals, Dr. C. Osvaldo Castro Peraza from the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK) downplayed the chikungunya epidemic, stating on the Mesa Redonda program that it “will pass” and soon become a “story to tell.”

This statement, made while thousands of Cubans remain confined to their homes, has sparked frustration among those enduring the crisis without access to medicine, clear information, or resources to combat it.

The remarks stand in stark contrast to the alarming figures acknowledged by the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP). Dr. Francisco Durán reported that Cuba has more than 31,000 suspected cases, with 95 patients in intensive care. The epidemic has hit children particularly hard, with 63 minors in serious condition, of which at least 34 are in critical care.

In his address, Castro Peraza conceded that the outbreak’s scale in Cuba is “significant,” drawing comparisons to the impact witnessed in countries like Brazil and Colombia, where the disease “swept through entire populations.”

He explained that the Cuban population was entirely “naive” to the virus, unlike dengue, as chikungunya causes symptoms in nearly all infected individuals.

Despite this, he urged Cubans to “remain calm” and assured that within three months, “most will recover.” “We will have a year-end,” he stated, reiterating that “this will be a story to tell.”

For those immobilized by pain or parents watching over a child in intensive care, his message feels disconnected from reality.

Debilitating Pain and Real Risks

The expert acknowledged that the early days of the illness are incapacitating. “Those with chikungunya are virtually bedridden,” he noted, highlighting that some are unable to cook or perform basic activities. When entire families fall ill, he added, “the situation is serious.”

Castro Peraza also spoke of severe complications such as meningoencephalitis, myocarditis, arrhythmias, organ failure, severe bleeding, and skin lesions resembling burns. The most vulnerable, young children and the elderly, currently fill intensive care units.

Healthcare System Strained and Public Distrust

Castro Peraza and Durán agreed on a critical point: many Cubans are avoiding the healthcare system. However, the reasons were not candidly discussed. Hospitals lack supplies, there are long queues, and a shortage of painkillers, compounded by growing distrust, drives thousands to self-medicate at home, risking their lives.

Durán admitted that numerous fumigation teams are not operational due to staff or equipment shortages, and that official figures “do not always reflect reality.”

As MINSAP calls for calm, the epidemic continues to advance. For many Cubans enduring pain, fear, and institutional silence, the IPK expert’s words offer little reassurance, instead underscoring that once again, the public bears the brunt of the crisis alone.