AT HOME Taking practical steps (By Alice Dembner, Globe Staff) Forget the gas mask and hold off buying antibiotics. Unless your work puts you directly in the line of danger, common sense and vigilance may be your best defense.

AT WORK Staying safe on the job (By Diane Lewis, Globe Staff) Companies can help anxious employees feel more confident by listening to workers' concerns, developing contingency plans, and providing security measures.

Protection: What works and what doesn't

C O P I N G ANXIETY Handling a new kind of stress (By Patricia Wen, Globe Staff) Just how do Americans, hit with 'round-the-clock news flashes about terrorism threats and anthrax cases, keep their psyches in a healthy emotional balance? Signs you need help PARENTING Talking with kids (By Barbara Meltz, Globe Staff) Figuring out how to help children is complicated, not just because adults themselves are confused but because children's signals can be tricky to read. What you should say

I N F E C T I O N Although millions weather it just fine, the flu is mostly a danger to the elderly. (Globe Photo/Getty Images) SYMPTOMS Is it just the flu? How anthrax is diagnosed TREATMENTS How the body fights back Inside a bacterial invasion PUBLIC HEALTH Assessing hospital readiness

B I O W A R F A R E

BEYOND ANTHRAX Are there other threats? (By David Abel, Globe Staff) Unlike nuclear weapons, which require a lot of money, material, and expertise, many bioweapons are easily produced. They can also be used stealthily.

ASSESSING DANGER Not all threats are equal (By David Abel, Globe Staff) There's a certain logic to terrorism: maximizing destruction, provoking panic, and killing as many people as possible. Using that logic, certain targets are of more concern.

T H E    M A I L

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A microbiologist tests a suspicious package for anthrax in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo)

PROCEDURES What to do if in doubt (By Beth Daley, Globe Staff) Overwhelmed with thousands of phone calls and items to be tested for anthrax spores, authorities have outlined a specific set of questions you should run through before dialing 911 if you are confronted by a suspicious package or letter. Identifying a mail threat

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