In a heartfelt video shared on Facebook, a Cuban mother recounts her harrowing ordeal as she and her young son battle intense chills and tremors after contracting what she describes as a "virus."
The woman reveals her son's uncontrollable shaking and explains that they are both bedridden, unable to rise due to the overwhelming pain.
"The pain stretches from my big toe to my head. It brings aches with chills and tremors," she expressed, her voice heavy with frustration and concern.
Despite the mystery surrounding their illness, she outlines symptoms including swollen hands and feet, severe shaking, and an inability to move.
She mentions that neither of them has had a fever and rules out mosquito-borne infections, as they haven't been bitten.
"This must spread from person to person... It has an incubation period," she speculated.
The most poignant moment of her account comes when she reflects on the dire scarcity of medication in Cuba.
"I'm fortunate to have medicine, but what about those who don't have a single pill?" she remarked, aware that their temporary relief hinges on something millions of Cubans can no longer access: a basic painkiller.
The desperation in her voice underscores the dire reality of a nation where falling ill feels like a curse.
Unveiling an Uncontrollable Epidemic
This mother's testimony comes as Cuba grapples with an unchecked epidemic of chikungunya and dengue, a crisis affecting nearly the entire country. Authorities have been forced to acknowledge their lack of control over the situation.
Over a hundred individuals are in intensive care due to complications from these diseases, with a significant number being children, including infants, though the Health Ministry cannot even specify their ages.
Despite the severity, Deputy Health Minister Carilda Peña García admitted the government lacks precise figures on the number of infected individuals.
Diagnoses are being made clinically, as PCR tests are reserved for "selected cases" only. The nation remains in the dark about the exact number of infections or the true magnitude of the outbreak.
What is apparent is the rising number of people with fever symptoms, the virus's relentless spread, and Cuba's inability to halt its advance.
A System in Disarray
The Deputy Health Minister also confessed that the government can no longer conduct fumigation as before, due to fuel shortages, scarce insecticides, and nearly inoperable machinery.
In some provinces, even minimal vector control coverage is unmet due to a lack of workforce. Authorities acknowledge that "without killing the mosquito, it will be very difficult to control the epidemic," yet simultaneously announce their incapacity to do so.
This results in hospitals inundated with thousands of fever cases, lacking essential supplies, while dozens of severely ill children are treated in deteriorated, overcrowded wards.
The threat of dying from a treatable disease becomes a grim reality in a healthcare system that can no longer guarantee medication, lacks diagnostic capabilities, and has no resources to prevent contagion.
Meanwhile, the government continues to urge personal responsibility.
Their message to the public is to cover water containers and eliminate breeding grounds. However, the mosquito advances faster than any Cuban armed with a bucket of water lacking chlorine and without medicine to reduce a fever.
A Nation Paralyzed by Illness
The video of the mother and her bedridden son is not just a snapshot of two individuals suffering. It mirrors an entire nation: immobilized by disease, trembling with pain, and begging for basic medications that are now out of reach for most.
Her question—"but what about those who don't have a single pill?"—encapsulates the inequality, neglect, and hopelessness that define the lives of millions of Cubans today.
As viruses spread unchecked, the government admits its inability to combat them. And in this admission, what is exposed is not just the epidemic but a crumbling healthcare system with no one to support it.
In Cuba, falling ill is no longer a risk; it's akin to playing Russian roulette.
Key Questions on Cuba's Health Crisis
What are the symptoms described by the Cuban mother?
The mother describes symptoms such as severe pain from head to toe, swollen hands and feet, intense tremors, and an inability to move.
What is the government's current stance on the epidemic in Cuba?
The government has acknowledged that it lacks control over the chikungunya and dengue epidemic, with hospitals overwhelmed and essential resources scarce.
Why is fumigation no longer effective in Cuba?
Fumigation is hampered by fuel shortages, scarce insecticides, and nearly inoperable machinery, making vector control efforts insufficient.