OSHA Says Terrorist MIGHT Have Gotten Their Hands On Nerve Agent Stock Piles
I hate when government sites publish big news silently. Almost as much as I hate that they do so without providing details and dates. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a warning that warrants some attention. According to their reports, terrorists may have gotten their hands on US stockpiled nerve agents.
According to the site, "Because of recent terrorist events, many workers have expressed concern about the possibility of a terrorist attack involving nerve agents. In 1995, twelve people were killed when the nerve agent sarin was released in the Tokyo subway system. The following frequently asked questions will help workers understand what nerve agents are and how they may affect their health and safety.
The site goes on to list what to do if you are exposed and why we should worry:
Why are we concerned about nerve agents as a terrorist’s weapon?
There are large stockpiles of nerve agents which, if obtained by terrorists, could be released using bombs, explosives, spray tanks, or rockets.
How do nerve agents affect people?
Nerve agents are highly toxic and rapidly affect exposed individuals. Nerve agents enter the body primarily through the respiratory tract, although they may be absorbed through the eyes or skin. In the liquid state, nerve agents are hazardous via skin or eye contact and through ingestion. Generally, all nerve agents are highly toxic and fast acting.
When a person is exposed to a nerve agent, the nerve agent, upon entering the body, inhibits the normal actions of acetylcholinesterase; a chemical within the body whose normal function it is to break down the chemical acetylcholine. Acetylcholine causes muscular contraction. What nerve agents do to acetylcholinesterase is inhibit it from breaking down acetylcholine which in turn causes violent muscle spasms.
What are the symptoms of nerve agent poisoning?
When an individual is exposed to low amounts of a nerve agent (as a gas or aerosol) the initial symptoms are a runny nose, contraction of the pupils, deterioration of visual accommodation, headache, slurred speech, nausea, hallucinations, pronounced chest pains, and an increase in the production of saliva. At higher doses, these symptoms are more pronounced. Coughing and breathing problems also begin to occur. The individual then may begin to go into convulsions possibly progressing to coma or death. At even higher doses, an exposed individual would almost immediately go into convulsions and die from suffocation because of the simultaneous shut-down of the nervous and respiratory systems."
How do I protect myself from nerve agents?
If you are exposed to a nerve agent attack, move away from the impacted area quickly without passing through the contaminated area. It may be necessary to "shelter-in-place" if you can’t get out of a building or if the nearest place with clean air is indoors.
If available, a good way to protect yourself from nerve agents is to wear appropriate chemical protective clothing and respiratory protection. However, protective equipment does not always work against nerve agents. The effectiveness is determined by the materials of construction, the type and level of exposure, and duration of exposure.
What does it mean to "shelter in place?"
"Shelter in place" means to go indoors, close up the building, and wait for the danger to pass. If you are advised to shelter in place, close all doors and windows; turn off fans, air conditioners, and forced-air heating units that bring in fresh air from the outside; only recirculate air that is already in the building; move to an inner room or basement; and keep your radio turned to the emergency response network or local news to find out what else you need to do.
What should I do if I have been exposed to a nerve agent?
If you have been exposed to a nerve agent, remove all clothing immediately and wash with copious amounts of soap and water. Seek emergency medical attention.
Is there any treatment for persons exposed to nerve agents?
Because nerve[s] act rapidly, treatment must begin immediately after exposure or death may occur. A general antidote to nerve agents is a combination of atropine and a reactivator. Atropine protects against the excess of acetylcoline formed during nerve agent poisoning. The reactivator's job is to restore acetylcholinesterase to its normal functions. The degree of difficulty in combating the nerve agent depends greatly on the quantity and type of nerve agent.
Health care professionals use an auto-injector to inject a mixture of atropine and the reactivator into patients exposed to nerve agents. The auto-injector consists of the two active components which are injected into an exposed individual through the use of a very long needle. The auto-injector is usually injected into an individual's thigh or another area where the antidote can reach the heart relatively quickly.
The site goes on to explain that there are tests but doesn't explain where to get them. I highly doubt my doctor has nerve agent tests just lying around—I could be wrong. Also not helpful, they didn't explain when or how terrorists might have gotten their hands on these dangerous chemicals.
Leave it to the government to publish non-specific warnings. What a time for this to start circulating. US Border Patrol agents are stretched beyond their capacity and Biden plans to drop Title 42 which will almost certainly have them too busy playing catch and release to be on the lookout for potential nerve agents.