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A Cuban shared on social media her experience with chikungunya, describing it as a disease that "not only causes pain in the body, but also affects the spirit." The account was shared by journalist José Luis Tan Estrada, who posted on Facebook the testimony of a follower suffering from the virus.
"I had the chance to get to know chikungunya up close, not through news or testimonies, but through my own experience. I am suffering from it, and I can say, without exaggeration, that these are the most intense pains I have ever felt. Not even the pains of childbirth compare to this sensation that immobilizes you and completely drains your energy. It is an illness that not only causes physical pain but also takes a toll on your spirit," the woman wrote.
In the comments, dozens of people shared similar experiences and confirmed they were suffering from the same symptoms. One user recounted: "Today marks 21 days, and the pain is unbearable. I am a strong woman; no pain has ever overcome me, not even my three natural births, and this virus has me on the floor. It has incapacitated me physically and emotionally; I cry out of helplessness for not being able to take care of myself."
Another person pointed out: "That virus is the worst thing one could experience. I'm going through it, and just when I thought I was getting better, I've been getting worse for three days."
Among the testimonies, descriptions of intense pain and inflammation are also repeated: “I can assure you that the pain is indeed stronger than childbirth. It affects you emotionally; I spent the first three days crying for no reason.” Another user wrote: “I have been suffering from horrible pain in my hands and feet for a month. When I wake up in the early morning, it is a desperate pain; I can’t close my hand or lift a bucket.”
Others affected reported that they still suffer from lingering effects weeks later: "I’m almost two months post-chikungunya and my life still hasn’t returned to normal. The muscle pain and feeling down are really exhausting." They also mentioned that the pain persists for months: "It’s been nearly three months and I still have pain and swelling in my hands and feet, it’s terrible," said one woman, while another summarized, "I’m on day 46 and the pain continues as if nothing has changed."
Amidst the despair, some criticized the country's health care conditions: "They don't suffer anything, because they are well-fed, their garbage is collected, and they lack neither water nor electricity." Another person added, "My family in Cuba has been unwell for over a month." One user summarized the seriousness of her situation: "Oh my God, this is how I am—red skin, inflammation in my joints, it's been over a month and there’s been no improvement."
An escalating health crisis
The testimonies come as Cuba faces an epidemiological emergency due to the rise in cases of dengue and chikungunya. The Ministry of Public Health reported 33 deaths, of which 21 were due to chikungunya and 14 were minors. The lack of insecticides, medications, and hospital resources worsens the situation in most provinces.
Independent citizen records raise the number to at least 87 deaths, according to a report from the Cuban Observatory of Conflicts and the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba. The document indicates that many victims died without access to serums, antibiotics, or sufficient staff in overwhelmed hospitals.
In the midst of the crisis, the television statements of the Deputy Minister of Public Health, Carilda Peña García, who claimed that the Cuban healthcare system is “better than that of many countries,” sparked outrage among citizens who report hospitals lacking resources and pest control.
The internal concern is compounded by international alerts: the Canadian government has warned travelers about the outbreak on the island and the limitations of the healthcare system. Canadian authorities advise caution due to the rising number of infections and the lack of adequate medical attention.
Meanwhile, the Cuban doctor Lázaro Elieser Leyva García publicly requested international health assistance due to the rise in deaths without diagnosis and the coexistence of respiratory viruses such as influenza H1N1 and COVID-19. In his message, he warned that the country is facing serious clinical cases without the necessary resources to treat them.
The official confirmation that viruses such as H1N1 influenza and COVID-19 are circulating simultaneously in Cuba further worsens the situation. In total, authorities acknowledge 33 deaths from arboviral diseases and nearly 39,000 suspected cases of chikungunya across the country.
In this context, the testimony of this woman reflects the suffering of thousands of Cubans who face, with no resources or relief, an illness that paralyzes, exhausts, and leaves long-lasting repercussions amid a collapsed healthcare system.
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