Neither Snow, Nor Rain, Nor Anthrax ...

NY Times ^ | October 13, 2008 | LAWRENCE M. WEIN

[neverdem]

IMPORTANT planning for responding to a future anthrax attack has quietly been under way since the last attacks seven years ago. A key part of this effort has been figuring out how best to deliver prophylactic antibiotics quickly to the people living in the city that is attacked.

This is at least as difficult and complicated as it might seem. First, an attack must be detected, either by one of the BioWatch air monitors that have been placed in many cities or by finding symptoms of anthrax poisoning in a victim. Either way, this can take at least 12 to 30 hours. Next, an adequate supply of antibiotics must be sent from the Strategic National Stockpile (held at 12 sites around the country) to the affected city, ideally within 12 hours.

Finally, the city must get the drugs out to its population. This third step is potentially the most time-consuming of all. But it can be speeded up — and made twice as effective in preventing deaths — by strategically involving the United States Postal Service and by greatly increasing the amount of medicine initially sent out to the affected city.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has directed 72 major American cities to devise plans to distribute anthrax antibiotics to all their residents within 48 hours of receiving them. So far, few of these cities are able to meet that goal. The traditional approach to dispensing medical supplies to a large population is to place the medicines...

--snip--

After the mail carriers have finished their routes, the next police shift can be assigned to PODs, opened up to serve anyone who may have fallen through the cracks and to supply additional antibiotics so that each citizen can ultimately be given enough for the full 60-day course of treatment...

[neverdem]

I'd like to know how they determined that a 60-day course of treatment was necessary.

[valkyry1]

sounds like overkill

[Cindy]

Resource Link:

http://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/anthrax/index.asp

[Cindy]

http://www.acponline.org/clinical_information/resources/bioterrorism/anthrax_facts.htm

[Wonder Warthog]

“First, an attack must be detected, either by one of the BioWatch air monitors that have been placed in many cities or by finding symptoms of anthrax poisoning in a victim.”

Autonomous Pathogen Detection System

http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/systems/apds.htm

One hour time lag.

[Cindy]

Thank you Wonder Warthog for the feedback.

Science is great and progressive.

[FDNYRHEROES]

After the mail carriers have finished their routes, the next police shift can be assigned to PODs, opened up to serve anyone who may have fallen through the cracks and to supply additional antibiotics so that each citizen can ultimately be given enough for the full 60-day course of treatment...

Of course they wouldn't want all the undocumented illegals or prison populations to fall through the cracks...

[ASA Vet]

The increased work load on the carriers by a saturation mailing of parcels will result in the meds being put in the carriers rented storage shed or basement.

[neverdem]

Thanks for the links.

[Cindy]

You’re welcome neverdem.