Anthrax scare in my hometown

Erik Johnson · #1 10-27-2001, 04:20 PM

I'm glad to be here in Connecticut right about now. The post office in my hometown in suburban Boston has been closed indefinitely with no explanation. The only reason I can think of is that there was some kind of anthrax discovery there. This is really starting to hit close to home and I have to admit that I'm scared.

Andy Rathe · #2 10-27-2001, 04:28 PM

I know it's easy for me to say with living over here, but the vast majority of anthrax scares so far have been sand, biscuit crumbs, bits of potato crisps, and 1001 other things that are perfectly harmless.

The chances of being infected are very small, and even then not all types of anthrax are fatal. I think only 4 or 5 people have died in this outbreak, which is obviously tragic for them, but this is in a country where the population is about 290 million.

coasterguy1 · #3 10-27-2001, 04:58 PM

Andy is right. Only 15 people have been exposed to Antrax. It would take forever to kill everybody in America. I think that Cipro is giving everyody this drug. I mean, they didnt actually sell the drug like wildfire until now. so, they might want to make a profit. (that was intended to be a joke)

Aaron · #4 10-27-2001, 11:14 PM

On the West Coast, everyone is a little jittery and no one is very trusting of white powder. We have had a couple of materials suspected to be anthrax that were harmless. I doubt our city would be a target; there's nothing major here. But just in case, we do have a full biohazard response team ready.

Andy Hodgson · #5 10-28-2001, 09:02 AM

My dad went to JC Penny's the other day to get some new dress pants. When he went in the mall JC Penny's was close due to "An Anthrax Scare." So he decided to go and check out the other department stores. Well, they decided to close their store for another Anthrax Scare. And that was 2 weeks ago, and JC Penny's is still closed.

Joe17123 · #6 10-28-2001, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by coasterguy1
Andy is right. Only 15 people have been exposed to Antrax. It would take forever to kill everybody in America. I think that Cipro is giving everyody this drug. I mean, they didnt actually sell the drug like wildfire until now. so, they might want to make a profit. (that was intended to be a joke)

15 people didn't get exposed to anthrax. It's more like 45 cuz 30 or so got anthrax just in the Capitol Building.

Erik Johnson · #7 10-28-2001, 11:52 AM

I know that the possibility of actually being infected is very slim, but just the fact that this has moved into a small insignificant suburb of Boston which also happens to be my town is pretty unnerving, that's all.

DyingDutchman · #8 10-28-2001, 12:04 PM

i see what you mean. i live in westminster, maryland a mid sized town with millions of fast food places a mall and like 5 strip malls and a bunch of offices, not a city but still pretty big. but that scary part is, theres nothing significant around and like soemone said, a freaking J C PENNY FOR GOD SAKES even had an anthrax scare. it could be your post office, your gorcery store, all that. but still, the chances are slim but realize that the chances ARE REAL.

Aaron · #9 10-28-2001, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Joe17123

15 people didn't get exposed to anthrax. It's more like 45 cuz 30 or so got anthrax just in the Capitol Building.

I think he meant that 15 people have contracted the disease, and about 45 or so have been exposed to the bacteria.

MST3K_FREAK6666 · #10 11-02-2001, 07:02 PM

As some ppl who live in w. mass would know, there was an anthrax hoax at amherst high school. Amherst is 15 miles away from where I live. Some a-hole put baking powder in an envelope in the boys bathroom. Everyone in the High School had to evacuate the building and they got the next 2 days off of school to make sure there was no anthrax in the building.

Pretty distressing, huh?

Ben Rathe · #11 11-03-2001, 05:12 AM

The problem is that people are very jumpy due to the anthrax scares, and rightfully so. I think I would be jumpy if I was over there, but i heard a story of woman who called the fire brigade because she found powder on her keyboard, she thought that someone had come in her house put anthrax on her keyboard and left, it turned out to be biscuit crumbs. It is very difficult to know wheteher or not you are safe where you are