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Havana Syndrome

posted by Fnord666 on Friday July 10 2020, @11:58AM   
from the overworked-and-underpaid dept.

AnonTechie writes:

Authors of the new Springer book identify mass psychogenic illness as the likely cause of Havana Syndrome, a mysterious condition affecting American and Canadian diplomats stationed in Cuba between 2016 and 2019.

Dozens of embassy staff reported an array of complaints that have baffled the medical community, the most prominent being concussion-like symptoms without head trauma. U.S. Government physicians have promoted the theory that the diplomats and their families were the victims of a sonic attack. Studies of the embassy patients have been inconclusive. In their book Havana Syndrome: Mass Psychogenic Illness and the Real Story Behind the Embassy Mystery and Hysteria, the authors Robert W. Baloh and Robert E. Bartholomew observe that the outbreak is notably similar to the appearance of 'shell shock' and other combat syndromes. The two medical experts conclude that neurological complaints from an overstimulated nervous system have been misdiagnosed as concussions and brain damage when the real cause is stress.

Havana Syndrome

[Source]: Springer Book

However, I think this mystery is far from solved. For example: Why were diplomats & embassy staff, predominantly from the US and Canada, affected?, Why not other American citizens? Why only between the years 2016 and 2019? Why not before or after? What do you guys think about this?

[Ed Note: Fixed date in last paragraph. Thanks c0lo!]

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Original Submission

• doesn't explain the MRI scans doesn't explain the MRI scans (Score: 4, Informative) by datapharmer on Friday July 10 2020, @01:00PM (2 children)

  by datapharmer (2702) on Friday July 10 2020, @01:00PM (#1019040)

  I have trouble believing mass hysteria as a singular explanation for this. I'm not saying that there isn't a psychological component or that for some it was psychosomatic, but the evidence just doesn't line up with that as the only conclusion.

  There were MRI studies that concluded there were brain differences in those that were affected that were consistent across the individuals that claimed they were exposed: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2738552 [jamanetwork.com]
  diplomats in China have also been affected, so you also can't just blame it on one bad boss: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/07/sonic-attack-fears-as-more-us-diplomats-fall-ill-in-china [theguardian.com]

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• Re:doesn't explain the MRI scans (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 10 2020, @04:59PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 10 2020, @04:59PM (#1019153)

  That was back when the story was that Cubans were bad and would steal your freedumbs. Now the bad guys are Russian. Or Chinese. Or Iranian. I can't keep up.

  Parent

• Re:doesn't explain the MRI scans (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 11 2020, @02:20PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 11 2020, @02:20PM (#1019507)

  Couldn't it have been a EM attack (e.g. microwave or some other)? Just because people hear stuff doesn't mean it's a sonic attack - especially the brain is getting damaged.

  Parent