Communicable Disease and Immigration Fears
Sonal S. Munsiff, MD
Case
Joseph had been feeling sick for a few weeks, with a severe cough and poor appetite. He even started losing weight. Despite his condition, Joseph did not seek medical care because if he called in sick at the construction company where he worked (either to visit the doctor or to stay home after being diagnosed) his paycheck would be docked. Joseph had a family of five to support: himself, his wife, and three small boys. A few years earlier with the help of some distant relatives, the family had managed to cross the border from Mexico—where Joseph had worked as a farmer and earned a few dollars a day—to California.
In America Joseph was earning nearly 10 times the amount of money he made in Mexico. Still, he couldn't afford a loss in his daily pay. One morning, Joseph woke up coughing violently and eventually spit up blood. He decided to go to work anyway. When he arrived at work, his condition drew the attention of his boss, who sent him to the community health clinic where he saw Dr. Monroe. After hearing how long Joseph had had the cough, Dr. Monroe ordered a chest X-ray which showed that Joseph had active tuberculosis (TB).
https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/communicable-disease-and-immigration-fears/2007-12
