On August 24, the trip of US Vice-President, Kamala Harris, from Singapore to Vietnam was delayed due to a mysterious syndrome that has affected hundreds across countries till now. This has caused a stir in the entire US and neighboring countries. While US officials referred to the mysterious symptoms as a “possible anomalous health incident”, it is commonly called “Havana syndrome”.

Here is all you need to know about Havana syndrome.

The syndrome was first detected in 2016 among spies and diplomats working at the American embassy in Havana. Even after five years, Havana syndrome is still a mystery to the world. Harris is not the only person affected by it. Havana syndrome has severely affected several other spies and diplomats so much so that some of them even retired from their jobs due to this “illness”.

WHY IS HAVANA SYNDROME MAKING NEWS?

It has been recently said by US officials that there were two separate cases of unexplained health incidents reported by US personnel in Vietnam within the past week. Though it was not clear who got impacted by the syndrome, officials cleared that it was not someone who worked for the vice president or the White House.

With the case of “unexplained health incidents”, US officials found it safe for Kamala Harris to make her scheduled stop in Vietnam. Since then, the term ‘Havana syndrome’ his making headlines.

WHICH OTHER COUNTRIES REPORTED CASES OF HAVANA SYNDROME?

There have been some reported cases of Havana syndrome in several counties. According to a New York Times report, dozens of “spies and diplomats in Havana now encompasses more than 130 possible cases”. Other reports claim that over 200 US officials have been hit by this syndrome.

These “unexplained health ailments” have also been reported by Americans working in other countries like Germany, Austria, Russia, and China. Apart from US officials, some cases of Canadian citizens falling ill due to similar symptoms in Havana have also been reported.

WHAT CAUSES HAVANA SYNDROME?

The cause for Havana syndrome has not been identified yet. However, investigations are on, the US agencies are still not sure of what causes Havana syndrome. Initially, it was considered a “psychogenic illness” but now the syndrome is believed to be caused “intentionally”. Many theories on the same are still floating.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF HAVANA SYNDROME?

There is a range of symptoms exhibited by a person suffering from Havana syndrome. This includes nausea, headache, hearing loss, memory loss, dizziness, and tinnitus. Some cases also reported hearing a loud piercing sound and feeling intense pressure in the face.

In the first of the cases of Havana Syndrome, officials complained of having the feeling of being “bombarded by waves of pressure in their heads”. One of the most shocking revelations came when the brain scans of some affected people showed tissue damage similar to the one caused by a car accident or a bomb blast.

WHAT DOES RESEARCH SAY ABOUT HAVANA SYNDROME?

According to media reports, some scientists proposed theories that tagged the syndrome as a “psychological illness”, possibly caused by the stressful environment of foreign missions.

However, in December 2020, a report from the National Academies of Sciences (NAS) revealed directed and pulsed radiofrequency energy as the most “plausible” cause for this syndrome. Besides this, some researchers also considered microwave weapons to be “a main suspect” for the syndrome.

IS HAVANA SYNDROME REAL?

Many people are suspicious whether this mysterious syndrome even exists or not. With the news of Kamala Harris’ delayed trip breaking out, many netizens broke into laughter and started questioning if Havana syndrome is indeed real or just a made-up phenomenon.

CIA Director, William Burns, in an interview, said that he is seriously considering the “very strong possibility” that Havana syndrome is the result of intentional actions.

WHAT ACTIONS IS THE US TAKING TO PROBE HAVANA SYNDROME CASES?

There are vigorous investigations conducted in the US regarding reports of possible new cases of Havana syndrome in Vienna.

“We’re throwing the very best we have at this issue because it is not only a very serious issue for our colleagues, as it is for others across the US government, but it’s a profound obligation, I think, of any leader to take care of your people,” Burns was quoted as saying.

Let’s just hope to get a piece of strong evidence on the same. Till then, stay tuned for more updates.