Doctor Investigating 'Havana Syndrome' Comes Down with Symptoms

Havana, Cuba (WorkersCompensation.com) – A CIA physician is speaking out about his experiences with “Havana Syndrome,” even as top officials within the intelligence community are casting doubt that the syndrome even exists. 

Dr. Paul Andrews says he was one of the first people sent to Havana, Cuba to investigate a series of strange “attacks” affecting American intelligence and diplomacy personnel at the embassy there. Andrews, who used a pseudonym in order to speak publicly, told CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta Sunday, during the television news network’s special report "Immaculate Concussion: The Truth About Havana Syndrome." 

“Havana Syndrome” refers to a mystery illness officially known as “anomalous health incidents,” or AHIs. Andrews was sent to Cuba by the CIA to investigate after physicians in Florida recorded a series of symptoms that seemed to indicate their patients had brain injuries impacting their balance, cognitive abilities and other faculties. 

But, he said, on his first night there, shortly before 5 a.m., he woke to severe pain in his right ear, nausea and an intense headache. He also started hearing a clicking noise, he said, similar to what other victims had described hearing when they first started experiencing symptoms. 

"This can't be happening. And I sat on the edge of the bed for a minute, and things were getting worse and worse and worse," he told Gupta. "I'm really in disbelief. And I start to think, is this a dream? I had no idea."

At the time, officials suspected that the symptoms were caused by sonic attacks. To counter the symptoms, Andrews said he went into the bathroom of his hotel room and sat with headphones on for 45 minutes. But the symptoms didn’t go away. Andrews said he decided to leave the room. 

Unfortunately, the symptoms persisted to the point that it hindered Andrews from packing. Moreover, it hindered his ability to express to others that he may have been injured. Andrews said for the rest of the day, he was in a fog, struggling with basic tasks and disoriented. 

His experiences were similar to those experienced by nearly 1,000 employees within the intelligence and diplomacy community. One panel looking into AHIs said the illness could be caused by “pulsed electromagnetic energy” emitted by an external source.

So far, however, no one seems to know what causes the incidents. Earlier this year, a CIA task force investigating the AHIs found that it was unlikely that Russia or another foreign adversary that was to blame, as had been widely speculated.

But some high-ranking officials within the U.S. State Department said recently there’s no evidence that the syndrome is linked to any external attacks – even as the U.S. government is preparing to make payments of up to $189,000 to CIA and State Department employees stricken by Havana Syndrome. 

Brian Nichols, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, said in an interview with Yahoo News’ “Conspiracyland” podcast, that most of the claims of AHIs could be attributed to environmental causes.

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