This blog has mentioned the difference between “radiation” and “contamination”, hasn’t it? Sure feels like it has.
Oh, right. Last post. And many before it. It’s grimly amusing in good times, when there’s luxury to be ignorant.
This is not one of those times.
Hundreds of people evacuated from towns and villages close to the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant are being turned away by medical institutions and emergency shelters as fears of radioactive contagion catch on.
Medical personnel turning them away.
Hospitals and temporary refuges are demanding that evacuees provide them with certificates confirming that they have not been exposed to radiation before they are admitted.
Do you readers see the error here? If not, this blog is failing you.
The eight-year-old daughter of Takayuki Okamura was refused treatment for a skin rash…
Oy vey.
The article goes on to quote some medical experts–i.e., non-insane people.
“If someone has been contaminated externally, such as on their shoes or clothes, then precautions can be taken, such as by removing those garments to stop the contamination from getting into a hospital,”
But what if it’s on the person?!
In my trade, we have a secret special decontamination technique. I’m violating all kinds of unwritten laws by sharing it, but this is an emergency, right? When a person needs general decontamination we always do this first, and it almost always works. Are you ready?
Soap and warm water.
I’ll probably be drummed out of the National Registry of Radiological Protection Technicians for revealing that.
UPDATE–Linked by Don Surber. Thank you.
I’d love to read the original stories — the part about “contagion” sounds like some of the more squirrelly commenters at PJ have been writing news.
Oh, I’d meant to belittle that too. Dang. So much to mock, so little time…
Interesting. Apparently the nuclear plant in Onagawa is being used as an emergency shelter for the general public.
http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/post-tsunami-some-japanese-890741.html
Excellent link, thank you. Also, welcome!
“Secret decontamination”
Gosh. I thought the special plastic tent with airlock, and technicians in moonsuits forcibly stripping the victims, especially the womenfolk, before blasting them with either goo or live steam was the only way.
I mean, I’ve watched this happen in the movies. Are you telling us Hollywood doesn’t do its homework?
In the biz we always referenced the Silkwood “scrubbing-with-wire-brushes” technique, because it’s so intuitively obvious.
But the others are good too.
Can’t remember the last time I blasted any womenfolk with goo…er, that was too much information, wasn’t it?
Dammit, I know ‘Murricans are effing stupid this way – I expected better of Japanese.
Ha, ha, silly me.
We’re screwed. Wish I had something useful to add, but I don’t have a prescription for fixing the stuck-on-stupid, sorry…
Until that article I wasn’t aware of the level of rejection of the A-bomb survivors.
Hmmm, price has gone up:
With experienced engineers close to exhaustion after working around the clock, TEPCO is reportedly offering up to Y400,000 (£2,995) per day for anyone willing to brave the rigours of the plant
Yeah, saw that. I think that’s around $4,800 ‘Merican dollars. But what’s the half-life for picking up 25 rem?
Offer them a deal for less exposure and bring your own dose meter. I am sure they would spring the $800-1000 for the ticket to Tokyo.
Some people will always be jerks. Interestingly the Guardian doesn’t tell us what kind of clinic this was. The Japanese system is different. “Clinic” can be a family owned practice as well. One doctor, three nurses, four beds, that’s a “clinic”.
We also don’t know why the treatment of the girl has been refused. Maybe because of rad-fear? Maybe. But there has been a rise in hospitals refusing to treat patients because they feared that they were lacking the proper equipment and crew. And Japan is suffering a severe lack of pediatricians (nurses, too).
As for the A-bomb survivor rejection, personally I feel this is partly overhyped by the media. The grandmother of my ex-gf survived Hiroshima by sheer dumb luck. Everybody in the family knows it, she eventually got married, her husband learned about it and nothing changed because of it.
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Never had a wirebrush. There was once a “tape press” procedure performed using some all purpose green ducktape on my calf. Got the the crud and a large portion of hair off my leg.
Yeah, at first for “soap and water” I put “contamination”, then changed it to “general”. With “hot particles”, tape’s used to capture the critter for analysis and make skin dose calculations.