Anthrax in New York!

[Whistlejacket]

Hey You Nags,

No you are not the only one worried about the widespread misuse of Cipro as a panic response to these cases of Anthrax.

As a physician, I have witnessed the devastating results of the misuse of antibiotics - specifically the development of resistant strains of previously treatable bacteria and the inevitable death of people who have contracted an infection of one of these resistant strains. All of this could have been prevented if the antibiotics were used appropriately.

Yup, I am with you with your concerns.

As for the question someone raised about public access to an Anthrax vaccination…My understanding is that the current stockpile of Anthrax vaccination is not sufficient to for there to be a vaccination effort of the general public. The current supplies will be earmarked for the military personnel.

A fact to keep in mind when concerned about the current lack of public access to the Anthrax vaccine is that in general, a vaccine takes at least one year to manufacture. Often times this process cannot be sped up because the time frame is set by the biologic process of micro-organism growth. Neither the devotion of more money nor more personnel will hasten this process.

[Erin]

Anne, the latest on cnn.com says the woman has been taking antibiotics since 10/1, so presumably authorities were told immediately… I guess? Although I don’t understand why they’re sealing off parts of the building today…

Here’s the latest CNN article:

http://www.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/conditions/10/12/nyc.anthrax/index.html

It says powder fell from a package at a Post Office in Colorado, and postal workers are currently being tested at a hospital… hospital and PO both sealed off.

From the Washington Post:

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
Also late this morning, the 42nd Street headquarters of the New York Times was locked down after a reporter there received a letter containing an unidentified powder. In a noon press conference on the anthrax discovery at NBC, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said the powder at the Times was being tested by authorities.

The street near the Times was blocked off and employees were told they could not leave the building, according to an editor there who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“They want people to stick around, not because they’re afraid of spreading deadly microbes but so they can tested if needed,” the editor said of the lock-down. She said the Times has emergency facilities located offsite from which it could produce the newspaper if it became necessary to abandon the building.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[findeight]

Home grown wackos like the Unibomber or Tim McViegh are a dime dozen here. Terrorists would like to bring down a building or bridge not 3 people in media buildings, two of which will recover.
Try hard not to let these things change your life but do be careful. If it does not look or seem right it is not-act accordingly.
Remember most of the people killed on the 11th were sitting at their desks not on airplanes, most of the possibly 20,000 at the WTC at impact did get out. Many of the ones who lived trusted their own instincts and not what they were told. when you are in doubt GET OUT. A good maxim for any time.
If you are not in doubt screw these as%#*les and get on with your own life.

From Allergy Valley USA

[AHC]

Emmet, I am with you. That should be posted all over the place…

If we panic, the terrorists win. If our economy gets worse, the terrorists win. If we give up our civil liberties, the terrorists win. We can’t and shouldn’t let them win!

[coco]

OK I just heard the details…3rd floor and basement of NBC now closed off. They received a letter 10 DAYS AGO!!! with a suspicious powder in it. They alerted authorities immediately and the lady who opened it was put on antibiotics immediately.

She now has “skin lessions”.

That’s all I know now.

[Jennasis]

Just now it was reported that the NY Times has had a section quarantined as a result of a suspicious pkg they recieved with a powder in it.

[Jennasis]

20/20 did a thing on the lab that makes the vaccine last night. Apparently it is available to military personnel only. In the future (3 years+) it may be available to the public. Nice huh? They also say that their lab doesn’t meet FDA standards, not the product.

Only 18 cases of Anthrax in the entire 20th century.

Don’t handle any unsolicited mail…or do so with rubber gloves.

[FairWeather]

At the Center For Biologics Evaluation and Research. (FDA) We are responsible for visiting the labs and ensuring their safe handling of all drugs/vaccines and blood. If they were “closed down” they must have had some serious infractions
FW

[FairWeather]

Has actually been pretty “on the ball” about this…
See the following…lots of info here:
http://www.fda.gov/cber/cntrbio/cntrbio.htm

Always,
FairWeather
If you ever reach total enlightenment while you’re drinking a beer, I bet it makes beer shoot out your nose. - Jack Handy

http://www.fairweather.bizland.com/entrance.html

[Leesa]

Thanks findeight, I work on Wall St., we have been subjected to all kinds of new security measures. We will just have to adapt.
As for all the new scares, I say what you can’t do anything about you can’t worry about. If we worry about every possibility we will not have any time left to live our lives. I will not let them win. Several of my friends were killed on 9/11 I will not let them take anything else from me.
I hope others, as you said will use their heads logically, but will get on with their lives.
Time to go ride my horse.

[M_O_Connor]

panic at maximum rates…

On the other hand, it doesn’t take MUCH imagination to approach panic mode once you observe the relative simplicity with which all this has been carried out…I guess it’s a good thing that panic is an emotion that can’t be maintained for extremely long periods…after awhile (scary thought) this sorry state will become normal.

[rockstar]

i was coming here to post this… was beat to it.

it’s tom brokaw’s assistant.

the same tom brokaw, who coincidentally, lives above my grandparents.

[slugger]

“Cipro” is a potent brand name antibiotic available by prescription; a third generation cephelosporin (sp?). Used most commonly for severe bacterial infections, it is taken orally.

[Seven]

It’s pretty unnerving, to say the least.

Although it seems we’ve managed to avoid widespread panic for the moment.

It’s bad enough that yesterday was the one month anniversary (and the weather in NYC was nearly identical to Sept. 11th - sunny, bright, beautiful) and that I have to trek past St. Patrick’s Cathedral each day and see the huge funeral processions with police, fire, and EMS personnel. And at least two times each day, the sounds of bag pipes wanders up to my window from the Cathedral more then 400 feet below – meaning yet another funeral just ended. Now this too. Sometimes it’s just so overwhelming.

I keep finding myself wishing things were normal – until it occured to me today that fear, uncertainty, and sadness is what normal is for me now.

=^+^=

[Waterwatch]

Tom Brokaw just confirmed on TV that it was someone who worked for him that has been infected with Anthrax.

[This message was edited by Waterwatch on Oct. 12, 2001 at 02:08 PM.]

[gwen]

PLEASE…WILL THIS STOP??? IT’S GETTING SCARY!!!

Barb

[Justbay]

Cipro vs. Anthrax is #1 choie,but CDC also says that Doxycycline is #2 choice. Also, Anthrax Vaccine is NOT being given to all military as there is NOT ENOUGH to go around. Doctors at my husbands hospital were making a “run” on Cipro prescriptions a few weeks ago and the entire Naval Hospital were repremanded. NO Cipro for them and their families and no Anthrax vaccine either.

[Canter]

I agree M. O’Connor. And then what? A state that best resembles that of a middle eastern country?
I sincerely hope the American media can overcome the kind of hysteria that accompanied some of the reporting of Sept. 11th. Simplicity is always more frightening.

[Everythingbutwings]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> BREAKING NEWS from CNN.com

– An NBC employee in New York has tested positive for anthrax. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[findeight]

Effected media member probably was at the building in Del Ray Fla.
Lots of home grown wackos might have a bone to pick with the media, especially those rags like the Globe, Sun etc. I notice their editors swearing they were targeted by terrorists, probably this is as accurate as the other stuff they say is true, like the alien abductions.

From Allergy Valley USA