Thomas Eric Duncan’s mother and nephew Josephus Weeks
By Isseu Diouf Campbell
Thomas Eric Duncan’s decision to come to the US after knowingly or unknowingly being exposed to the Ebola virus in his home country Liberia has changed the fate of countless citizens not only living in the US but also coming from the Ebola affected countries Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Getting an American visa in Africa will not get any easier and travelers coming from these nations now have to go through a rigorous entry screening at their arrival in the five US airports covering 95 percent of the arrivals of travelers from West Africa.
The security measures implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs & Border Protection (CBP) will, according to the director of CDC, Tom Frieden, “further protect the health of Americans.”
Still, House speaker John Boehner joined yesterday the long list of republicans calling for a travel ban.
The White House thinks otherwise.
“Shutting down travel to that area of the world would prevent the expeditious flow of personnel and equipment into the region. And the only way for us to stop this outbreak and to eliminate any risk from Ebola to the American public is to stop this outbreak at the source,” White House Press Secretary John Earnest explained.
Since the death of Thomas Eric Duncan on October 8, two health workers who were in contact with him at Texas Presbyterian Hospital have contracted the virus.
While all the efforts are now concentrated on stopping the spread of the virus in the US, the fear of Ebola is causing stigma.
“People are hesitant to say that they just came back from Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone because there is an automatic negative perception,” lamented Charles Cooper, president of the African Advisory Council of the Bronx.
“I have heard about a Liberian citizen living on Staten Island who was asked by his employer to stay home and not to come to work,” Cooper said.
According to Ahmed Kargbo, former president of the United States Sierra Leonean Association, stigmatization started way before the screenings at American airports.
“When people see an African now, the first thing they think of, is Ebola. They either think you have it or you are the carrier of the disease.”
“As a result some members of the African community don’t feel safe anymore. They are afraid of being targeted,” added Ahmed.
In an op-ed published in the Dallas Morning News, Josephus Weeks insists that his uncle Thomas Eric Duncan has never helped a pregnant woman with Ebola and he “would have never knowingly exposed anyone to this illness.”
Meanwhile the NYC Department Health is trying to reassure New Yorkers by providing the most up-to-date and accurate information about Ebola. Will it be enough to stop the systematic stigmatization of Africans? Only the future will tell.
For more information about Ebola, visit the link below.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/cd/ebola.pdf
