I woke up to news coverage of a passenger plane being held on the tarmac at SeaTac (Seattle airport)(I think it was Friday or Saturday)because there was a report of a man on board who had smallpox. From what they said, he has symptoms, but they could be symptoms of other things too. There were a couple of nurses and the blood drawer in my room at the time watching it and getting a little freaked out.
I haven't heard anything else about it. Has anyone else?

-- Cherri (jessam5@home.com), December 12, 2001

Answers

Yeah, I heard that the plane was detained but then there was no follow-up one way or the other. The whole story just vanished into the mist. In view of the latest rumor that the U.S. will be hit with biologicals by the end of Ramadan, I gotta' put on my tinfoil hat and wonder what's really going on that no one is telling us.

I also thought it interesting that Sunday's local paper had a list of things to have on hand in case of an emergency. It was just a small blurb and wasn't associated with any particular story. Maybe it was just "filler". Maybe it was a subliminal hint. I guess we won't have long to find out since Ramadan ends Sunday and the incubation period for smallpox is an average of 12 days.

-- News (Hound@New.com), December 12, 2001.

"From what they said, he has symptoms, but they could be symptoms of other things too."

This sounds very familiar. They told some of the people who had anthrax that it was just a flu, and a short while later they were dead.

-- (hmmm@very.reassuring), December 12, 2001.

All I know was the nurses were glued to the report and ran out in a hurry. Guess they aren't going to let us know where he was taken or what the results were.

-- Cherri (jessam5@home.com), December 12, 2001.

Cherri:

What they said is that he has a bad cold. No evidence of small pox. Since I didn't do the tests myself, I will just have to take their word. All of the passengers were allowed to proceed. I am told that they have information on the person that called them and that is being pursued.

Best Wishes,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), December 12, 2001.

Cherri:

Under the new law a hoax like that can get you life in front of a firing squad. ;o)))

Best wishes,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), December 12, 2001.

"Since I didn't do the tests myself, I will just have to take their word."

Wow! Those are the exact words the guy who had anthrax said about 3 hours before he croaked!

-- truth (stranger@than.fiction), December 12, 2001.

Cherri, Komo 4 news reported that the man who allegedly was infected with smallpox was going to visit a woman who is the ex-girlfriend of the hoaxter.

-- bogsworth (running@on.8cylinders), December 15, 2001.