Most people with Oropouche symptoms do not seek medical attention
14ymedio, Yoani Sánchez, Generation Y, Havana, 22 August 2024 — A few months ago we didn’t even know how to pronounce its name, but the Oropouche virus has already become an uninvited guest in Cuban homes. In the neighborhood where I live, in Havana, every day we hear about a neighbor who has isolated themself because of high fevers and weakness. They are almost always elderly people who live alone, because their children and grandchildren have emigrated; they almost never go to hospitals for treatment.
After months of hiding the numbers, Cuban authorities have recently confirmed that, as of early August, more than 400 people have been infected with the Oropouche virus throughout the country. The official statement, however, does not mention the alert issued by the United States for those traveling to the island. The alert from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asks visitors to take extreme precautions.
But beyond statistics and tourism, the Oropouche virus is becoming the final straw in an epidemiological situation that is deteriorating every day. While the mountains of garbage pile up in the streets, due to the lack of fuel and vehicles to transport it, there is no water due to the deterioration of the pumping equipment and the countless breaks in the distribution pipes. The lack