Family Alleges Kin Who Succumbed To COVID-19, Was Denied Tests At 3 Hospitals

Gary Fowler, a 56-year-old Michigan resident, was reportedly denied coronavirus testing at three different hospitals because he was black, his family alleged. Michigan state officials had earlier stated that there might be “medical bias” in COVID-19 testing in the state. According to Fowler’s stepson, Keith Gambrell, his stepfather reportedly failed to get tested for COVID-19 at three Detroit-area emergency rooms despite experiencing lots of symptoms related to the disease.

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In an interview with CBS This Morning, Mr. Gambrell said his stepfather was already begging for his life but did not find anyone who could help him. “They just kept sending him away,” Gambrell said. The stepson also expressed his opinion saying that he believed the reason why his stepfather was denied the test was because he was black.

Mr. Gambrell also said that he feels the emergency rooms did not see the symptoms of his stepfather serious enough to test him. Mr. Fowler reportedly died in his home later. According to his stepson, before he passed away, he allegedly wrote on a piece of paper the words “heart beat irregular …oxygen level low.”

Multiple COVID-19 Cases

News reports say that the family faced several serious cases of coronavirus, including Gary Fowler’s own father, who succumbed to the deadly ailment just a day before his own demise. The wife of Mr. Fowler, Cheryl, was admitted to a hospital after she developed COVID-19 symptoms. She was put on a ventilator to help her breathe.

Due to great concern for what is happening to his family amid the pandemic, Mr. Gambrell contacted his cousin, Karen Whitsett, who happens to be a state representative. Ms. Whitsett had recently visited the White House to talk about how she survived after testing positive for coronavirus infection.

A Possible Medical Bias

Through Ms. Whitsett’s assistance, the entire family was tested for COVID-19. During the interview with CBS, the state representative said it “sickens” her that she had to make use of her position as state lawmaker “to get her family tested.”

State officials, upon hearing what happened, launched a task force focused on investigating racial inequalities amid the coronavirus pandemic. The chair of the state task force, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, told CBS that his team would address “the fact that there may indeed be medical bias present when it comes to testing.” The lieutenant governor added that aside from investigating a likely bias on who gets a test, they will also look into a possible similar prejudice on how the treatment is provided.