Caring in Crisis: Self-Care
Excerpted from Cuba Platform short doc, A Journey to South Africa
April 24, 2020
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Our hearts are heavy this week with new losses and new cases of COVID-19.
Nonetheless, we continue to look for hope in positive stories of Cuba’s response to the virus and in the examples of resiliency and solidarity that many individuals and organizations are demonstrating.
In the sixth edition of Caring in Crisis (#COVID-19), we report the latest news from Cuba, share notes on international medical cooperation, and feature three special messages from Havana on the importance of self-care and visibilizing women’s care work, especially during the era of coronavirus.
Cuba and COVID-19
After 45 days, Cuba counts 1,285 confirmed cases of Covid-19, 3,393 admitted patients with possible cases, 6,727 under observation in their homes, 416 recovered patients, and 49 deaths. Still facing challenges with food shortages and long lines, the government announced that it will be selling special food bags this weekend in Havana to citizens over 65. Several additional measures to reduce lines through app or ticketing systems have also been announced. The country has broken the record of electricity consumption due to confinement and high temperatures, and people are urged to save energy in order to avoid blackouts. The province of Pinar del Rio has implemented a curfew, banning people from being out between 8pm and 6am, and is requiring vehicles to transport no more than half of their typical passenger capacity. Cuba’s national airline (Cubana de Aviacion) will continue to suspend national and international operations through May 31, but two Delta flights will depart Havana today to repatriate US citizens and permanent residents.
Cuban Doctors and Medicine Around the World
On Thursday, the government of South Africa sent a donation to Cuba including protective equipment and hospital supplies. The flight will return to South Africa with a Cuban Medical Brigade of more than 200 Health Professionals to assist their sister nation in the fight against Coronavirus. A group of 20 Cuban health care workers also arrived this week in the African nation Cabo Verde.
In Cuba, doctors have begun using plasma from recovered patients to treat current patients. This treatment is also being promoted in the United States by a Cuban American doctor at the Johns Hopkins University. Meanwhile, recombinant interferon alfa-2b, an antiviral drug developed by Cuban scientists with a US collaborator continues to be used in various countries, and a petition is circulating that calls on the FDA to expedite a review so that it might be used in the US, as well.
Save the Date
Watch out for an announcement about an upcoming Cuba Platform webinar and watch party about the Cuban family doctor system and response to COVID-19.
Direct from Cuba – Reflection on women, caregiving, and self-care
Last week, we shared recommendations from Cuban experts for caregivers looking out for the physical and psychological well-being of elderly loved ones. This week, we feature three special messages from collaborators in Havana that shine light on the gendered dimensions of care during crisis, the ongoing value of self-care (with collective support) and mothering during social isolation.
Stay tuned next week for more updates and another look at food security, sovereignty, and sustainability.
Take Care,
Sarah, Justine, Mariakarla
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Teresa Lara Junco, PhD in economic sciences, is a retired statistician and researcher of the National Office of Statistics in Cuba, an expert in gender, and a consultant. She offers this analysis on the impact of caregiving responsibilities on women:
Women live in one third of their lives. The rest of their time is for others: children, spouses, family, community, and the planet. They dedicate most of their lives to the development of society. The naturalization of care and domestic work for women helps support measures of “staying at home” (associated to the containment of COVID-19), which are necessary for public health. However, now is a time to make care visible as the work that is necessary for sustaining life, but is un-remunerated, and also containing an aspect that is affective and irreplaceable.
During this pandemic, solidarity in the family and in the community must be developed, and we must use it as a moment to recognize co-responsibility as the right of the whole family and the social responsibility of the state. In Cuba, the country has taken on this situation as a national problem, and different associations from civil society are incorporated into the work, generating actions in the community to prioritize the most vulnerable populations. For example, young social workers are bringing food and medicine to the elderly who live alone, and women are sewing masks. Within the home, actions to avoid violence against women are being promoted. Despite all of these actions, the most time dedicated to care comes from women.
Daybel Pañellas, PhD is a social psychologist who teaches and leads research at the University of Havana. She is also a mother. She shares:
This is a difficult time, but my first and most important thought is: it will pass, so right now, it's time to manage it. It's a challenge to work from home with my kid, who also has school assignements that requires a parent to be present to help. Plus, there are domestic demands and home conditions that are not prepared for this new adventure. I am very aware of my needs, so I take care of me, too. I am a person that needs others and open spaces, so... I go to the balcony everyday, several times, to see the sun and the neighborhood. I call friends on the phone, and on WhatsApp. I've begun a research project on impacts of the coronavirus and I conduct interviews using phone and WhatAapp. From time to time, I take showers using baby oil and sugar cane (as a scrub), and it really relaxes me. With my son, who is 7, I am more flexible with time, and I don't talk about coronavirus all the time. He has his own space to watch tv, play, and exercise, and we spend time together to read and play traditional table games, and I share with him WhatsApp messages I've seen that are interesting or funny. I also encourage him to create and to be in touch with family and friends. We continue planning the future.
Magia Lopez is a musician and part of the Club de Ependrú in Havana, which celebrates AfroCuban identities. Through the ESPACIO DE AUTOCUIDADO CON MAGIA the Club is creating a space to focus on self-care. While they cannot get together in person, they are staying connected virtually. She explains why maintaining this space is important:
We decided to create such a space because there is an important group of activists who have not had access to these kinds of healing tools... we often did not even think that we deserved to stop and take time for our own health. There are many of us who reach older age with an irreversible deterioration from carrying so much weight without an opportunity to unload. Also, because we deal with a number of social problems, learning to manage our emotions, to keep our body and mind healthy and balanced, and to understand ourselves and each other better is vital for our everyday lives. So, it is important for us to open this space to raise awareness about the importance of self-care.