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NBC Anchor Says He May Have Been Exposed to Anthrax WASHINGTON (Reuters) - NBC television nightly news anchor Tom Brokaw said Monday he might have handled hate mail containing anthrax, which has already afflicted his assistant and possibly another NBC employee.

``I actually saw it (the letter) and I think I even picked it up at one point and so I may have been exposed. I'm not sure but I'm confident that cipro is going to get me through this,'' said Brokaw, shaking a bottle of antibiotics.

Hundreds of people have been tested across America for anthrax. People in three states have been exposed to the bacteria. The targets were NBC in New York, a supermarket tabloid newspaper company in Florida and a Microsoft Corp. office in Nevada.

U.S. officials say terrorists sent the bacteria in the U.S. mail, but have not linked the letters to the Sept. 11 hijack assaults on America.

Brokaw said his assistant was recovering physically but that it was an emotional time for her and her family.

``There is a lot of emotion in the family and I think, some anger, probably,'' he told NBC's ``Today'' show.

Brokaw said a second NBC employee who came into contact with the contaminated letter had shown possible anthrax symptoms but that she was also recovering well.

Initially, investigators believed a letter containing white powdery material, sent from St. Petersburg, Florida, contained the bacteria. However, the source of the anthrax was later found to be letter containing a brown, granular material.

That letter, said Brokaw, sat around for about a week along with a pile of other hate mail addressed to the news anchor, before it was finally tested last Friday. Brokaw was informed Saturday that the letter had tested positive for anthrax.

``I will never, ever again take mail casually. I saw this letter, read it, and one of the reasons I noticed it was that there was a misspelled word in it,'' said the anchorman.

``We have been immune to this over the years. That immunity has come to an end.''

Brokaw declined to say where the letter was post-marked. ''It's impossible for me to know where it came from. I don't, in my gut, think it's random. I just don't,'' he said.

More than 500 people at NBC have been tested for anthrax.

``I don't diminish the fact that there has been both emotional and psychological scarring that has gone on here and we are going to have to work to heal those,'' said Brokaw.

OFFICIALS SAY DON'T PANIC

Health authorities took to morning television shows on Monday to appeal to people not to panic over anthrax.

``We know from experience with anthrax, that it doesn't widely disperse itself,'' said Stephen Ostroff, chief epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta.

``And in all of the current situations that we're aware of, it's really mostly been confined to people who've had direct contact with these contaminated envelopes,'' Ostroff told ABC's ''Good Morning America'' program.

Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher urged the public not to rush out to get antibiotics as a preventive measure, saying it would do more harm than good.

``We would seriously discourage people from taking cipro unless, in fact, it is indicated, which means they have been exposed or think they have been exposed,'' Satcher told NBC.

``If that happens we are going to really use the best weapon we have for preventing the development of a serious anthrax disease,'' he added.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

Answers

Two thoughts.

First, I think the media will have a hard time spreading the administration's mantra that the sheeple mustn't hoard antibiotics.

Also thinking how personal this has been to the media, and wondering if that is what was missing during y2k. You won't have much luck getting a message across unless the messenger takes it seriously.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

I have to ask myself if I would be as bothered if it was Peter Jennings instead of Tom....

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

The main point that should stand out in all of our minds is that the substance that tested positive was the brown granular material not the white powder.

You'll all have to excuse me if I'm not coming thru to clearly, as I've had less than 12 hours sleep in the last 4 days.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

Yes, I notice that, apoc. (It's the only brown material reference I recall, but perhaps I haven't been paying attention.) I have been assuming that the anthrax is disseminated on some carrier, so that knowing it is baby powder or corn meal or whatever is irrelevant to knowing whether it also contains anthrax. I haven't heard that distinction made.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

sugar is brown until it is refined.

Same with cocaine.

Well, brownish, not necessarily dark brown like brown sugar.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

Barefoot,

And you would know these cocain facts because....?

*kidding ya*

apoc

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

Come on, apoc, the easiest reason to believe that you would get results from swabbing someone's nose weeks after they received powder is that the idiots were actively snorting it. (No, didn't have our beloved Barefoot in mind, but I can imagine that postal workers need to know this stuff.)

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

Brooks,

I know. I was trying to take a mild mannered jab at Barefoot. Guess I shouldn't do such things when I'm about 99/100 dead tired.

I do understand that this isn't a joking matter, but I'm well beyond the goofy stage at the moment. I'm sure you know the feeling from complete lack of sleep/food.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

sorry, apoc, I was trying to kid both of ya. too early in the week for that??

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

I was a teenager once. LOL

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

Brooks,

It's just me. Currently I don't know white from black, right from wrong. I'm more or less a zombie that is trying to fix a problem. [it appears to be an oracle problem and the DBA's are currently trying to locate a patch.] I've just been here way to long. Haven't seen my son other than him sleeping since Friday. Got to see hubby for about 3 minutes this morning.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

Hey, ya big lunks. It's not only that "life" has changed. Sense of humor has changed too. It's not just jokes about crashed planes or tall buildings, it's the whole damn thing. Think about it. Things that were funny before September 11 are not funny any more. And they have nothing to do with terrorists or anything. They're just not funny and we don't know why, and that's very unsettling. It's okay. Long as we recognize it, it's okay.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

"Got to see hubby for about 3 minutes this morning."

I had lost track whether he was home. Guess he is. I'm sure that must be a great relief at the moment.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

Well, I just came across something that made me smile. Posted separately.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

The Brown Powder had the anthrax?! It was Brown Powder that was unloosed at the Commission on Aging in downtown Columbus.

Blah.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

Probably gravy mix or something. Maybe Nestle's Quik. Hot chocolate mix? Whatever people have on hand. With Arabs, maybe falafel mix? I think the powder at American Media was white, wasn't it?

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

Yes, OG, American Media got the white powder. I'm actually more concerned about what Barefoot might get exposed to than I am about the powder scares in Ohio. I know some postal workers around here are on edge and mumbling "strike" if more precautions aren't implimented.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

What kind of precautions are you thinking about? I can't seem to come up with anything that would work and still let mail be delivered. A whole new meaning to "the check is in the mail".

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

Those in sorting jobs have been shown wearing surgical masks and latex gloves.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

USPS to Warn Public on Biohazards in Mail Postal Service Reassigns Inspectors to Handle Threat, Creates Security Task Force

By Spencer S. Hsu and Ellen Nakashima Washington Post Staff Writers Tuesday, October 16, 2001; Page A7

The U.S. Postal Service announced yesterday that it will send a warning to 135 million U.S. homes, businesses and other addresses cautioning them about the threat posed by biological hazards moving through the U.S. mail, and it will provide gloves and masks immediately to all mail-handling employees.

The Postal Inspection Service has reassigned the vast majority of its 1,900 inspectors nationwide and 1,400 postal police officers to the threat. The inspectors will be at postal facilities to isolate suspicious packages and to be a visible presence to reassure the public.

U.S. Postmaster General John E. Potter, at a trade convention for mailing companies in Denver, also announced the formation of a new federal mail security task force that is focusing on potential biological and chemical hazards.

The measures came as federal agencies quickened their response to reports of anthrax-contaminated letters sent to Florida, New York, Nevada and possibly to Washington. Mail industry officials also sought to reassure the public of the general safety of the $900 billion-a-year industry that is vital to the national economy.

The task force will work to help secure business mailrooms as well as post offices, to come up with contingency procedures to address the hazards of biological and chemical agents in the postal system and to educate employees and customers about how to handle the threat. With 800,000 employees and 40,000 facilities, the Postal Service is the nation's largest employer after the federal government and Wal-Mart.

"This risk will be reduced to an infinitesimal level compared to other risks that we face every day in the world," pledged Michael J. Critelli, chief executive of Pitney Bowes, which operates 1,300 corporate mailrooms. Critelli is co-chairman of an industry task force set up with the Postal Service.

Postal Service spokeswoman Kristin Krathwohl acknowledged "great concern" among postal officials that the threat of anthrax or other dangerous agents could disrupt operations or public confidence. But postal and mailing industry officials stressed that there was no known systemic threat.

"The mail is a huge underpinning of the economy," she said " People shouldn't stop using the mail because of these isolated incidents."

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the Postal Service has delivered 15 billion pieces of mail. Even if one new anthrax attack were lodged a day through the mails, the odds of receiving a contaminated letter or parcel would be 680 million to 1, higher than being struck by lightning, Critelli said.

Nevertheless, the government began mobilizing new defenses for potential mail targets, even before a staffer in the office of Senate Majority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) yesterday opened a letter that is thought to be contaminated with anthrax spores.

On Capitol Hill, the House and Senate informed lawmakers that their mail would be subjected to a new, 24-hour holding period. The delay will allow mail to Congress to undergo more intensive screening, including for biological agents, by Capitol police, a House aide said.

Elsewhere, the Department of Justice tightened its security by preparing to ban delivery by private firms such as FedEx, Airborne Express or United Parcel Service to offices within the main Justice building. All commercial deliveries will be diverted to a private contractor that now screens and delivers regular mail, a contract supervisor said.

The Department of Transportation also implemented new handling procedures for incoming mail, in coordination with the White House and other agencies, department spokesman Lenny Alcivar said. He would not elaborate, citing security.

The Postal Service notice, expected to go out in 10 days, will tell the public to watch for mail that is unexpected; that bears an incorrect or outdated address; lacks a return address or has an address inconsistent with a postmark; is of unusual weight, shape or consistency; is stained or is heavily taped.

"Don't shake it, sniff it or handle it more than necessary. Call local law enforcement and wash your hands thoroughly," Krathwohl said.

© 2001 The Washington Post Company

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

The Postal Service notice, expected to go out in 10 days, will tell the public to watch for mail that is unexpected; that bears an incorrect or outdated address; lacks a return address or has an address inconsistent with a postmark; is of unusual weight, shape or consistency; is stained or is heavily taped.

This is quite similar to what they told us last week. I'll have to type up the notice to post it.

I heard last night that a supervisor had called up the Postal Police about a powder incident with a piece of mail, and was told to put it in the trash. No one came to handle it or check it out. [I don't know the whole story on that, and have no idea whether it was true, but it sure sounds about right.]

On Friday, 10/12/01, we were given the talk about suspicious mail, and what to look for. After that talk, I was looking, really looking, at every envelope. I found two.

One had a return address to the bahamas, but was postmarked in our building, had a 34 cent stamp instead of a bahama stamp, and was headed to a woman in California. May have been nothing but it fit some of the parameters they told us to watch for like 1. return address did not match postmark. 2. had a metallic object poking out of the envelope.

the second envelope fit more parameters. 1. no return address. 2. addresses to Proctor & Gamble [a large company]. 3. postage was insufficient for return receipt so it could only be tracked for delivery and not back to the sender. 4. was unusual in its shape, having a bulking item iside that was a third the size of the envelope and could slide back and forth from end to end. Was 'squishy' in that you could squeeze it and it would return to its original shape. 5. it was sufficiently taped so that it would not open while in the mail stream.

I set these two envelopes aside and went to the supervisor and told him. He didn't want to come see them. As per our instructions we were to alert the supervisor to such items and the supervisor would call the appropriate people to come and examine them. Another supervisor came and looked at them, gave me a hard time about why each was suspicious [evidently he hadn't read the alert we were given] then picked tem up and took them away.

I asked last night what had been done with them. My supervisor said he mailed them. "They were okay."

Our facility management has steadfastly refused to supply us with gloves and masks. We can go to the nurses station and get gloves from them, but they do not have a lot of them, and not in the various sizes needed so some workers have gloves that are too big and some have gloves that are too small. They are not 'one-size-fits-all' you know. Masks are not available. Some workers have taken to wearing long sleeves at work to limit exposed skin. Wish I could do that but the majority of my wardrobe is in storage or ashes.

The maintenance of the automation equipment is such that each night, after the 'barney' the sorter'facer'canceler' [it's big and purple] is cleaned after we finish with the local mail, or hot mail as it is called. To clean this huge machine, the maintenance workers come in with compressed air hoses and blow all the dust and debris out of the machine. The resulting cloud of dust particles is then disseminated around the general area [can you guess where I work???]. This procedure is then implemented on the next set of machines after they are finished. The maintenance workers are allowed to wear masks during the cleaning procedure, but no one else is offered a mask.

The unions have been requesting for some time now that the machines be cleaned by vacuuming instead of blowing air into them. Management has refused to budge on this issue.

last night we were short on people to hand sort mail. This means that the hot mail was not finished when I left. Overtime was offered, and in some cases was mandated, but the majority of people there left instead because of the cleaning procedure that had just gotten underway.

Ain't it fun to work for people who claim publicly that they care, and yet privately they really show their level of caring to be considerably less?

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2001

Barefoot, if we can send you a care package of any kind, please let us know. (For instance, there are thrift shops and swap shops that could be checked for temporary clothing. I'll be passing one this Saturday.)

The more I read, the more I'm thinking that there is potential for full employment now in the field so both security and custodial services.

"...addresses to Proctor & Gamble..." Boy, that would be a joke. A few years ago I got to tour one of their manufacturing plants, where they made soaps like Ivory flakes, camay. They were closing down (our client was taking over the buildings), but you could get a sense for how disgustingly grundgy these places were. Glad I was in casual clothes. If I had slipped in the hydrolyser room, well, I would have had to throw those clothes out. Powder containing just about anything would have been an improvement.

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2001

Thanks for the offer Brooks, but we do have to go out and replace what was burned. Also, incidentals as a result of the displacement are covered. Or so I was told...

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2001