Haiti still awaits COVID-19 vaccine while it experiences worse virus wave

Since the pandemic began, Haiti confused experts by displaying a seemingly low infection and the death rate from COVID-19, despite the poor public health system, a total lack of vaccines and a great disregard for safety measures such as masks and distance.

But, in recent days, reality has come up with the few Haitian hospitals treating COVID cases have been so overwhelmed that they are turning away patients, while plans to open another hospital for the treatment of the infected have been delayed.

Official figures remain comparatively low for a nation of more than 11 million people: Only 2,271 cases and 62 deaths were reported in government data obtained by Johns Hopkins University in the past month. At the same time, a total of 15,700 COVID-19 and more than 330 deaths have been reported since early last year.

But authorities are joined in saying that the figures miss the true scale of what they say is the largest increase in cases since the new coronavirus landed for the first time.

The government announced a health emergency on May 24 and introduced a curfew and security measures - although few Haitians appear to be following suit. Most avoid, or cannot afford, face masks, and it is almost impossible to keep a distance while shopping in busy marketplaces or driving in the busy, colourful buses known as crane cranes on which most Haitians rely to get around.

"There's no time to waste," said Carissa Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization, which works with the government to scale up tests to recognise and quarantine affected people. A challenging task in a country where few people think they can afford to be sick.

Sanorah Valcourt, a 27-year-old mother and hairstylist, said she felt sick for two weeks last month with fever and symptoms, including loss of taste. But she has got herself tested or even taken measures such as wearing face masks that she finds uncomfortable.

"I did not feel good enough to jump on a crane and spend hours in a hospital being tested," she said.

The lack of cases early this year has led authorities to reduce the number of beds available for COVID patients to around 200 - more than half of those at the St. Luice Foundation for Haiti in the capital Port-au-Prince.

But earlier this month, the clinic was on its turn and announced it would turn away patients.

"Many people die on arrival in ambulances," the foundation said. "We received several nuns as patients; a certain sign (COVID-19) is in the impoverished areas."

Marc Edson Augustin, medical director of the St. Luke Hospital, stated he was particularly concerned about the deaths he had seen under the ages of 17 to 22, and that groups of up to seven people were arriving at the same time to seek treatment for COVID.

"The condition is real, and we want to tell the public that the condition is getting more serious," he stated. "We work to keep people alive as much as possible."

The Haitian Ministry of Health planned to have another 150 beds elsewhere for COVID-19 patients, but the effort was suspended. Meanwhile, Bruno Maes, representative of UNICEF in Haiti, announced the agency was operating to support hospitals in getting oxygen and fuel.

"It's clearly not enough," he said. 'We need to be available for a bigger turnaround. It can get out of control. '

So far, Haiti has not gotten any vaccine, although officials say they expect to receive 130,000 doses of AstraZeneca this month.

The U.S. government has also said it will donate a portion of six million doses to Haiti, but they have not defined how much or when they will arrive.

Some 756,000 doses of AstraZeneca shots were due to arrive in May via the United Nations' COVAX program for low-income countries, but this has been delayed due to government concerns about possible consolidation as a side impact and a lack of support to maintain the ideal vaccines temperature.

PAHO said it would help Haiti's health ministry solve the problems, giving preference to vaccinating health workers.

The medical system is also struggling with other problems, including unpaid wages for some workers. President Jovenel Moise recently asked the Ministry of Economy and Finance to ensure that they are paid.

Even when vaccines arrive, experts are worried that many people will not get a slap in the face - some for fear of going through crime-ridden neighbourhoods to reach a clinic.

Valcourt cites such dangers as one reason why she did not test. Like many Haitians, she turns to a home remedy _ in her case, a tea made with parsley, garlic, lime, thyme and cloves.