By Dustin Slaughter
A report from The Inquirer‘s Melissa Dribben sheds light on a very disturbing example of the irrational fear gripping some healthcare providers in the Philly metro region: racial profiling of Africans.
Dribben reported on Sunday that Roselyn Gray, a Liberian American who last visited her native country in March of this year – despite not having a fever or exhibiting any of the symptoms associated with Ebola – was isolated for 30 minutes while visiting Spectrum Community Health Center for an allergic reaction, before being transported to University of Pennsylvania.
Throughout the region, stories like Gray’s are being reported, said Caroline Johnson, director of the division of disease control at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.
“I have heard about patients coming to clinics complaining of a toothache being suspected of Ebola,” Johnson said. “We shouldn’t be profiling anyone based on country of origin.”
Read “Profiling of Africans for Ebola in Philly is Real” by Melissa Dribben at The Inquirer.