{"id":247542,"date":"2021-12-31T12:03:05","date_gmt":"2021-12-31T17:03:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/?p=247542"},"modified":"2021-12-31T12:03:05","modified_gmt":"2021-12-31T17:03:05","slug":"2021-in-cuba-the-other-year-of-the-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/coronavirus\/2021-in-cuba-the-other-year-of-the-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"2021 in Cuba: the (other) year of the pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a terrible 2020, in which the <\/span>coronavirus<\/span><\/a> pandemic shook the world and changed its dynamics and routines with a wave of illness and death, 2021 made its entrance between uncertainty and optimism.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the opinion \u2014 and desire \u2014 of many, nothing could have been worse than <\/span>what has already been experienced<\/span><\/a>. But it was. And not even the development, or the (very uneven) distribution of different <\/span>vaccines<\/span> and the immunization campaigns still underway against COVID-19, could prevent new waves around the planet, with millions of victims, and the emergence of new variants of SARS-CoV-2 that have strained health systems to the maximum and have forced more restrictions and confinements.<\/span><\/p>\n

The year has passed in much of the world between closures and reopenings, re-outbreaks and improvements, in exhausting cycles that have put human intelligence and will to the test and have imposed a forced coexistence with the virus. In addition, they have contributed to misunderstandings and inequalities, and have served as breeding ground for protests and conspiracy theories, denialist and anti-vaccine movements. And also, for apocalyptic clamors and \u2014 in the opposite extreme \u2014 irresponsible dissipation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus, 2021 comes to a close with an increase in cases in many countries and with the alarms set off by the new <\/span>Omicron variant<\/span><\/a>, clearly more contagious and evasive, which has shown the urgency of extending vaccination and maintaining measures against COVID-19, in a not very auspicious prelude to the next 12 months.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Cuba, the year that is ending has been especially hard for various reasons, including the impact of the coronavirus. The island, which closed 2020 with around 12,000 cases and 146 deaths from the disease, saw the number of infections and deaths grow exponentially over long months, reaching 965,002 and 8,321 at the end of December 27, according to official statistics. And even though recent weeks have been characterized by a marked decline in the pandemic, in recent days there has already been a slight increase, while the infections detected with the most contagious Omicron variant are increasing.<\/span><\/p>\n

The creation of the island\u2019s <\/span>own COVID-19 vaccines<\/span><\/a>, such as Abdala and the Soberanas, and their massive administration in the country, have been key in the improvement of the epidemiological situation, although the risk still persists \u2014 as evidenced by the most recent days \u2014 and also the call of specialists and authorities to comply with the established protocols to avoid new outbreaks and regrets in the coming months, especially after the large-scale reopening of the borders and the celebrations for the end of the year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hours before entering 2022, <\/span>OnCuba<\/b> then proposes approaching five moments that marked the pandemic on the island in the year that is ending, as a recount of what has been experienced, but also as a necessary warning for the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Re-outbreak and return of restrictions<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    2021 did not start well on the island, which since the previous December had experienced a sustained increase in cases. The reopening of borders, family reunions, end-of-year festivities and non-compliance with established protocols, gave rise to an explosive cocktail that multiplied infections in a short time and placed the country in an unprecedented scenario until then.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Just in January, a month that registered more than 15,500 new patients and 70 deaths from <\/span>COVID-19<\/span><\/a>, the total number of infections for all of 2020 was exceeded, and such figures would get worse as the months advanced. This would make it necessary to have new closures in the different territories of the country, the return of online classes, a boost to remote work, and the restriction of international flights and transportation in general, among other necessary measures, in the midst of an increasingly complex economic scenario.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The arrival in Cuba of new strains of the virus \u2014 particularly the Beta, detected in South Africa \u2014fueled even more the new wave, which already exceeded 30,000 infections in April and 50,000 in June, with a regrettable increase in deaths, which after the sixth month of the year had risen to 1,302. The note of hope was then provided by clinical trials and population interventions with Cuban vaccine candidates, steps prior to the mass immunization process.<\/span><\/p>\n

    2020: the year of the pandemic<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n