The province of Santiago de Cuba is facing a complex epidemiological situation with the confirmation of the circulation of four viruses: dengue, influenza, oropouche, and SARS-CoV-2, the latter being the cause of COVID-19, as official sources warned this Wednesday.
Aris Batalla, representative of the Red Cross in Santiago de Cuba, warned on Facebook that the presence of these viruses puts the population at risk, which must take extreme preventive measures amid an extreme shortage of medications such as painkillers and antipyretics.
Batalla insisted on carrying out the "weekly self-focus, sleeping under mosquito netting, not consuming questionable street food, boiling drinking water, using repellents, washing hands frequently, and wearing face masks," emphasizing that all of these illnesses are transmitted through various means.
However, the constant presence of power outages, prolonged water supply cycles in some parts of the province, and the lack of access to cooking methods make it difficult to comply with many of these measures.
The rescuer insisted on the importance of staying hydrated, and pointed out that "cilantro root tea is very good in these cases, but I call for prudence."
Regarding medical recommendations, he indicated that dipyrone or paracetamol should be used, although they are in short supply in some hospitals in the province, for fever, headaches, and joint and muscle pain.
However, he warned that in none of the cases can ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, or piroxicam be taken, much less aspirin, "due to their antiplatelet effects, which decrease blood plasma clotting and can increase the risk of bleeding in case of arbovirus infection."
In addition, she pointed out the usefulness of vitamins, as well as the consumption of gelatin desserts, which are only purchased in MLC stores or from micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, and the well-known chicken foot broth.
Finally, he emphasized that it is always advisable to consult a doctor, as they are the qualified person to make decisions, and under no circumstances should antibiotics be taken unless they are prescribed by a healthcare professional.
CiberCuba contacted a doctor from the Ambrosio Grillo Hospital in Santiago de Cuba, an institution that usually handles cases of patients with arbovirus diseases, who stated that in recent days they have warned about the arrival at the healthcare center of some patients with symptoms of Guillain-Barré Syndrome.
The peculiar thing about these cases, according to the anonymous doctor, is that the findings have occurred after the confirmation of the presence of Oropouche fever in the territory, which suggests a direct relationship between this disease and Guillain-Barré Syndrome.
Dengue is always present, and cases of Guillain-Barré were not being reported. However, since oropouche has appeared, some cases with this syndrome have been emerging," noted the doctor, who also warned that the government remains passive in the face of this situation.
Recently, the National Director of Epidemiology of the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP), Francisco Durán, acknowledged that the country does not have fuel to fumigate against mosquitoes, amid a growing presence of the Oropouche virus in Cuba.
In a press conference, the prestigious doctor said that this disease has been mainly identified in suburban and rural areas, citing the Juventud Técnica media outlet.
The Oropouche virus is transmitted by a mosquito of the Culex genus, present throughout the country and breeding in any body of water, which makes its control difficult.
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