The U.S. government is taking preparatory steps in the event diplomacy fails. On Tuesday, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it was purchasing a supply of the drug Nplate, which has been FDA-approved to "treat blood cell injuries that accompany acute radiation syndrome in adult and pediatric patients."
Acute radiation syndrome occurs when a person's "entire body is exposed to a high dose of penetrating radiation" — the kind resulting from a nuclear explosion or a dirty bomb. Nplate serves to reduce radiation-induced bleeding by stimulating the body's production of platelets. The drug can reportedly be used in both adults and children.