Talk about timing!

I was sitting at my desk printing off the syllabus for one of my classes in Biosecurity and looking at FEMA's website a little bit earlier when Fox News had a News Alert. What is known at this point is that a couple of John McCain's campaign workers were opening mail at an office in Denver when they came across an envelope that contained "white powder" and a threatening letter. Not long after that another campaign office in Manchester, New Hampshire reported the same thing.

So I'm sitting there with my jaw hanging open looking at some of the assignments on the syllabus while listening to the news. This is for my Public Health and Disasters class: For the final we are to write a paper in which we assume a scenario about a bioterrorism attack in an office building and describe the roles and responsibilities of various levels of Public Health authorities. I'm watching what could be the real thing playing out in real time. It seems likely that the white powder will turn out to be something innocuous and not anthrax as is feared but of course emergency personnel have to assume the worst. So I'm watching this whole thing unfold with an interest as to how officials go about investigating the area, taking care of those who came into contact with the powder, and how the building is cleared.