Anthrax Concerns Send Postal Workers Home (11 workers sick at National Repair Facility in Topeka)

KCTV Channel 5 Kansas City ^ | Ocotber 23, 2001 | Dr. Gianfranco Pezzino

[umbra]

The people working in the building (National Post Office Repair Facility, Forbes Field) employed by either the postal service or a private contractor, ASI Inc. had all been encouraged to contact either their own doctors or the county health department to begin precautionary treatment with anti-biotics.

10 or 11 people had exhibited flu-like symptoms Dr. Gianfranco Pezzino the state epidemologist, said his department had recieved many calls from people around Kansas expressing concern that they might be exposed to anthrax, but no cases had been confirmed.

[umbra]

And the numbers keep growing...

[umbra]

I can understand why the guys in New York and Florida are considering walking out if anthrax equipment was sent without warning to the National Facility in Topeka.

[formernyer]

Is this the # that used to be 9 that was cropping up a few days ago (without a location on the ill people)?? I hope so. B/c I don't think I could handle any more! Hope these folks, and all the others who are affected, get well.

[umbra]

They were saying on the radio news that the mail had already been sterilized!

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Can't say as I blame them.

Gotta say, if I were a postal worker I'd be getting pretty upset right now, regardless of where in the country I worked. We always thought the government and media were on front lines, but in truth its really the post offices.

[6ppc]

I suspect that the postal system is in for a major punch.

Look for postal rates to rise dramatically. Hopefully that will lead to less junk mail. Also, online billing and payment will take off.

Secondary effects will be rapid decentralization of the work force with telecommuting becoming common leading to a huge increase in demand for high speed internet service.

Might take five years to really take off, but these are things that will happen soon.

I've been wondering...what is the temp required to kill anthrax. Would it be possible to sterilize the mail in large ovens? Keep the temp under the flash point of paper but high enough to kill the bug? Does anyone know?

[Clinton's a rapist]

I suspect that the postal system is in for a major punch.

It's just the second in line, after the airlines. Want to hazard a guess what's next?

[6ppc]

Yeah, that had occurred to me. I was just think of using ovens as a cheaper alternative to nuking it, assuming the paper can stand the heat. Lots of changes coming in the mail system.

[pgkdan]

I've been wondering...what is the temp required to kill anthrax. Would it be possible to sterilize the mail in large ovens? Keep the temp under the flash point of paper but high enough to kill the bug? Does anyone know?

had a guy on a local radio talk show that said you'd need to get about 180 F to kill the bugs...water boils at 212 F so steqam might work and paper doesn't flash until around 460F.

[maestro]

your# 10)

WARNING

1. Do NOT open your mail 'in' your home, office, church, school, or around children.
2. Have plastic trash containers ready for 'dumping' all your mail.
. 3. Your mail includes booklets, magazines, newspapers, letters, packages, and various ads.
4. Open your mail ONLY in Direct SUNLIGHT.
IMHO

[Clinton's a rapist]

Many things will change after the first clusters start appearing. They aren't going to be delivering this stuff with a nice cover note for much longer. That's passé now.