In the article titled 'Drug-resistant TB stain raises ethical dilemma' published by Associated Press, Robert Daniels, a 27-year-old man diagnosed with a rare form of tuberculosis, was subjected to isolation because of his threatening condition. He suffered from an incurable and drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis called XDR TB (Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis). All alone in a four-walled cell with no escape, Daniels was detained against his will. Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR TB) is a rare type of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) that is resistant to isoniazid and rifampin, and some second-line drugs namely, amikacin, kanamycin, or capreomycin. The root of MDR TB is an organism that is immune to isoniazid and rifampin. Rifampin and isoniazid is a combination of antibiotic and anti-infective medicine used to treat tuberculosis. It is spread in a similar way to drug susceptible TB. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, the TB bacteria are released into the air and are dispersed onto another person when they breathe the same air. .
Daniels lived in solitude in Ward 4, a section of the hospital where criminals were detained, with no access to any form of multimedia. He cleaned himself with wet wipes, since he was not permitted showers, and was only visited by the medical staff members who would come with his medications. The bacteria-laden droplets released from his cough was drawn out from the air and filtered. The filters were then burned (Associated Press, 2007). Robert Daniels was locked in a room meant for criminals who were sick, despite the fact that he was not a criminal and had not been charged with a crime. He was simply kept there because he was 'judged a menace to the public health' (Knox, 2007). He couldn't shower for months and got no exercise and fresh air. Daniels' mistake of not wearing a mask cannot be justified by his subjection to inhumane conditions.
