In Havana, cemeteries and funeral homes face unusual activity from a surge in dengue and chikungunya deaths, hitting the elderly and those with prior illnesses hardest. Families question official death causes amid a public health crisis echoing the COVID-19 pandemic.
In recent days, Havana's cemeteries like Colón, Guanabacoa, and Regla, along with funeral homes in those areas and at Calzada and K in El Vedado, have seen steady streams of hearses and grieving families. Dozens seek answers on death causes amid a dengue and chikungunya epidemic overwhelming intensive care units.
Maritza, 38, described her 89-year-old diabetic grandmother's illness starting like a cold, then rapidly worsening with fluid retention, swelling, and appetite loss. The medical certificate listed a heart attack, but the family blames the virus, with no treatments or plans available. The whole household got infected.
A doctor at La Beneficencia hospital confirmed they record the failed organ, not the infection, though these viruses worsen existing conditions and hasten deaths, especially among the elderly. A Guanabacoa funeral home worker reported days with 10 to 20 deaths—unusual months ago—and said families attribute most to viral complications due to negligence and lack of aid.
Frank, a night watchman, shared how his aunt died a month ago after deteriorating in 48 hours, having survived COVID but not these viruses. The crisis exposes a structural health collapse, with overcrowding and grief without resources, akin to the pandemic's worst moments five years ago.