<p>Former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury in the UK on March 4. According to police, they were exposed to a nerve agent that also affected police detective sergeant Nick Bailey. The incident made international headlines and soon, everyone heard another name -- 'Novichok'.</p>.<p>The Novichok class of agents were reportedly developed in an attempt to circumvent the Chemical Weapons Convention (chemical weapons are banned on the basis of chemical structure and so, a new chemical agent is not subject to past treaties).</p>.<p>These agents are designed to be undetectable by chemical detection equipment and they are believed to be safer to handle.</p>.<p>Novichok was first developed by Russia in the 1970s and according to scientists, they are the most dangerous nerve agents ever created.</p>.<p>Novichok is reportedly five to eight times more toxic than the VX nerve agent and the effects are rapid, usually within 30 seconds to two minutes. Novichok agents are typically stored as two separate less toxic ingredients that, when mixed, react to produce the active toxic agent.</p>.<p>The main exposure route is likely to be through inhalation, though they can also be absorbed through the skin. Novichok, like other nerve agents, causes the collapse of body functions. Death can occur by asphyxiation or cardiac arrest.</p>.<p>Helping a person exposed to a Novichok agent requires concentration upon basic life support measures and decontamination in order to remove the agent and prevent additional exposure, according to ScienceDirect. Antidotes like Atropine, Pralidoxime and Diazepam can be given but many agents are specifically designed to be resistant to nerve agent antidote therapy.</p>
<p>Former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury in the UK on March 4. According to police, they were exposed to a nerve agent that also affected police detective sergeant Nick Bailey. The incident made international headlines and soon, everyone heard another name -- 'Novichok'.</p>.<p>The Novichok class of agents were reportedly developed in an attempt to circumvent the Chemical Weapons Convention (chemical weapons are banned on the basis of chemical structure and so, a new chemical agent is not subject to past treaties).</p>.<p>These agents are designed to be undetectable by chemical detection equipment and they are believed to be safer to handle.</p>.<p>Novichok was first developed by Russia in the 1970s and according to scientists, they are the most dangerous nerve agents ever created.</p>.<p>Novichok is reportedly five to eight times more toxic than the VX nerve agent and the effects are rapid, usually within 30 seconds to two minutes. Novichok agents are typically stored as two separate less toxic ingredients that, when mixed, react to produce the active toxic agent.</p>.<p>The main exposure route is likely to be through inhalation, though they can also be absorbed through the skin. Novichok, like other nerve agents, causes the collapse of body functions. Death can occur by asphyxiation or cardiac arrest.</p>.<p>Helping a person exposed to a Novichok agent requires concentration upon basic life support measures and decontamination in order to remove the agent and prevent additional exposure, according to ScienceDirect. Antidotes like Atropine, Pralidoxime and Diazepam can be given but many agents are specifically designed to be resistant to nerve agent antidote therapy.</p>
