As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention weighs potential changes to a host of COVID protocols, Chicago Public Schools has announced the tweaks it will make to the district’s handling of the virus this fall.

According to Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, and CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, CPS will not require students and faculty to be vaccinated against the virus when they return to buildings this fall.

What’s more, students will also not be required to wear masks on a regular basis, but will have to do so in specific cases, according to officials.

“CPS and all schools around Chicago have been doing a lot of preparation for the upcoming school year, and there are a huge amount of resources that have gone into this at CPS,” Arwady said. “COVID continues to change, and it’s important that the protocols continue to evolve as we learn more, so I think we’re in a really good place heading into the school year.”

Here’s what we know about the district’s policies:

COVID Vaccinations

Under this year’s protocols, neither students nor faculty will be required to receive COVID vaccines, although the district still “strongly encourages” eligible individuals to get the shots.

“Close Contact” Procedures

According to officials, there will be changes to the district’s “close contact” protocols, including a step away from the “test-to-stay” program that the district had previously used.

Officials say that just 1.5% of people deemed to be “close contacts” of COVID patients ended up testing positive for the virus themselves, leading to the changes.

 Unvaccinated individuals will have the following three options when they are deemed to be a “close contact” of a COVID case:  

-Submit proof of full vaccination

-Learn/work from home for a period of five days, and then wear a mask in school for days 6-through-10

-Participate in “Test-to-Stay” protocols.

Under those protocols, students and faculty must

-Obtain two rapid tests from their school

-Test negative on the Monday and Thursday after exposure and submit the results to CPS

-Remain symptom-free throughout the following days.

-Wear a mask and refrain from participating in sports and extracurricular activities for 10 days after exposure

Masking Guidelines

According to CPS, masking will not be required in most situations, but is still “strongly recommended.” Masks will be available to those who request them, according to officials.

In certain instances, however, masking will be required:

-Students and staff who are returning from isolation after a positive COVID test will be required to wear a mask until they have passed 10 days since the onset of their symptoms.

-Individuals who are identified as “close contacts” of COVID patients will have to mask for 10 days following their exposure, regardless of their vaccination status.

-If there are three or more cases of COVID within a single classroom, students and faculty will be required to wear a mask for at least 10 days after the last positive result is reported.

Contact Tracing Changes

-In elementary schools, contact tracing will be done at the classroom level, meaning that if one individual tests positive for the virus, every other individual in the classroom will automatically be deemed “close contacts” and will be notified of the test result.

Those individuals would then be required to wear a mask for up to 10 days after the exposure.

-In high schools, contact tracing will be done at an individual level, and the response will vary depending on whether or not the student or staff member is vaccinated against COVID.

* Vaccinated students and faculty who are deemed “close contacts” will be allowed to remain in school as long as they wear a mask for 10 days after their exposure.

* Unvaccinated students and staff will be required to work or study from home for five days, and then to wear a mask for days 6-through-10, unless they opt to participate in “Test-to-Stay” protocols.

Additional Protocols and Policies:

-Air filters have been replaced in all CPS schools

-CPS will thoroughly clean and disinfect all schools prior to the school year.

-CPS will offer four permanent vaccination clinics at Clark, Roosevelt, CVCA and Richards.

-Students and faculty who wish to enroll in weekly COVID testing must do so prior to the school year with new consent forms. Those can be found at color.com/readycheckgo-cps

Unvaccinated students and faculty are encouraged, but not required, to enroll. Testing will begin on Aug. 29, with at-home tests offered the week of Aug. 22.

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INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis funeral home director has had his license suspended after allegations he left a body to decompose for days.

Court documents allege Benjamin Rawls of Rawls Mortuary and Funeral failed to properly care for a body prior to leaving town for a weekend earlier this year.

Tymee Stewart-Dorris passed away on July 14, 2022, and Rawls Mortuary was contacted to transport her body and embalm her for an open-casket funeral. That’s around the time Rawls left town.

When he returned, the body was in an advanced stage of decomposition, and an open-casket funeral was deemed impossible.

Stewart-Dorris was then cremated.

Court documents state her body was still in a body bag and found to be in an unusual position with the right arm raised above the head. No embalming incisions were found despite Rawls claiming to embalm her.

Stewart-Dorris’ mother told WRTV she is devasted.

“Our family and her children did not get to say goodbye,” she said.

According to court documents, on July 19, Indiana Professional Licensing Agency inspected the property and found

• Rawls’ funeral director license was not on display.
• The embalming room’s sink was cluttered and inaccessible;
• The trocar was unsanitary, and the area used to disinfect the trocar-contained items were not accessible and his certificate of authority expired on March 1.

As a result, the mortuary failed inspection.

After the Attorney General’s Office filed two petitions to suspend Rawls’ license, he agreed to a summary suspension of his license and of the funeral home’s license.

According to the terms of the voluntary summary suspension agreements, Benjamin Rawls and Rawls Mortuary will be suspended from practicing until October 6, the next date that the State Board of Funeral and Cemetery Service meets.

The Board voted to accept the voluntary summary suspension agreements at its Aug. 4 meeting.

“The investigation is ongoing and depending on how things develop between now and then, our office may file to extend one or both of the summary suspensions before they lapse in October,” Kelly Stevenson, press secretary for the Attorney General’s office said.

This story will be updated.

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TV cook and former Great British Bake Off star Nadiya Hussain will be speaking at Good Housekeeping Live in partnership with Dyson, a two-day event at Carlton House Terrace, London on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 October in celebration of our 100th anniversary.

There’s not a lot that Nadiya doesn’t know about baking – and, lucky for us, she’s letting us in on a few expert tips this autumn. The queen of GBBO will be live in conversation with one of Good Housekeeping’s senior editors, discussing what she’s learned in and out of the kitchen, as well as giving us an insight into her upcoming book, Nadiya’s Everyday Baking.

Taking place on Friday 14 October at 11.50am-12.35pm, those attending Nadiya’s talk will take home a signed copy of Nadiya’s Everyday Baking, as well as a special 100th anniversary GH goodie bag. Book before August 31 and tickets are only £27.20, thanks to a 20% early bird discount.

BOOK HERE

All ticket holders can also enjoy a full day relaxing in the beautiful surroundings of Carlton House Terrace, grab light refreshments in the GH Cafe, browse the GH Bookshop and have the opportunity to attend the following free workshops and experiences:

• FREE fashion talks – browse the latest looks and learn how to style them with the help of GH fashion director Oonagh Brennan.
• FREE tablescaping demonstrations from the GH Homes team.
• FREE cake and biscuit decorating demos from professional bakers.
• FREE flower-arranging workshop from the experts at Bloom & Wild.
• FREE guided taste test with the Good Housekeeping Institute team.
• FREE guided tour of the Dyson Healthy Home exhibition area, plus floor-care demonstration by experts from Dyson and the GHI.
• FREE mini treatments in The Beauty Parlour in partnership with Absolute Collagen.
• FREE talks by the fragrance and cleaning experts at Zoflora on how to create a beautiful-smelling home.
• FABULOUS live music.
• THE CHANCE TO meet and chat to the GH team about life behind the scenes of your favourite magazine.

Book before the end of August and you can take advantage of a 20% discount on the cost of all full-price Good Housekeeping Live tickets. Tickets for Nadiya’s talk are just £27.20.

BOOK HERE

Good Housekeeping Live in partnership with Dyson is a two-day event at Carlton House Terrace, London taking place on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 October in celebration of our 100-year anniversary.

We’re delighted to offer you the opportunity to join the Good Housekeeping team for a packed programme featuring some of our favourite stars, experts and authors, which encompass live talks, masterclasses and cookery demonstrations.

Other guests at our two-day event include Monica Galetti, Shirley Ballas, Fern Britton and Lucy Worsley.

FULL LINE UP

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

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As students return to the classroom on Aug. 10 amid the latest COVID-19 resurgence due to the BA.5 variant, there’s guaranteed to be students coming home with the tell-tale signs of infection. 

Collier County has been labeled as having a medium rate of community transmission by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one of only two counties in the state under a high transmission rate.  

Collier County reported 824 new COVID-19 cases the week of July 22 to 28 and a positivity rate of 25.1%, according to state Department of Health data released July 29. 

Back to school:Fast facts about Collier County teachers, schools and students

Back to School 2022-23:12 schools have new principals in Collier County School District

And:Here’s what parents, students need to know about Collier bus routes

BA.5:COVID-19 hospitalizations ticking up in Southwest Florida, part of statewide trend

The Collier County School District provided the following information on protocols related to COVID-19 for the 2022-23 school year:

If a student is exposed to COVID what do they, or their parents, need to do? 

Collier County Public Schools suggests students monitor their health daily and stay home when sick; however, students are not required to isolate or quarantine if exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.  

If a student tests positive for COVID what do they/parents need to do?

The district will continue to follow the guidance from the Florida Department of Health and the Florida Department in Health-Collier, which state all positive cases must isolate for five days from a positive test result or first symptoms and may return on day six if fever free for 24 hours and symptoms are improving.  

Will the district be tracking COVID positive students or staff this year? If so, when and where can those reports be accessed?

The district will work to follow the Florida Department of Health guidance for students who test positive for COVID-19. On a case-by-case basis, CCPS works collaboratively with the Florida Department of Health-Collier regarding notifications to parents of students who have tested positive for COVID-19. This includes daily reporting of positive cases to the Department of Health in Collier. 

The number of COVID-19 positive cases will not be available publicly this school year. For historical context, CCPS previously allocated tremendous staff effort the previous two school years to provide the COVID-19 case information online — given the unique circumstances surrounding the pandemic — in order to assist parents in deciding whether to choose in person instruction for their student or the virtual teaching and learning options.  

What do teachers need to do if exposed, or if they test positive for COVID?

Employees are encouraged to reach out to their principal to report their medical absence if they receive a positive test for COVID-19, and CCPS will continue to follow the guidance from the Florida Department of Health and the Florida Department in Health in Collier, which state all positive cases must isolate for five days from a positive test result or first symptoms and may return on day six if fever free for 24 hours and symptoms are improving.  

What are the cleaning protocols this year for COVID? 

Collier County Public Schools prioritizes the cleanliness of its school campuses. Specific to learning environments, daily custodial services include disinfecting all hard surfaces in classrooms, with deep cleaning attention to clusters of illness as defined by the Florida Department of Health.  

School health staff receive routine and specialized training and monitor for communicable diseases to minimize the spread of illness.  

Will there be any shields, dividers, social distancing, masking requirements or recommendations this year?

Plexiglass installed at front reception areas will remain at schools to minimize the spread of illness. Additionally, as a best practice, students are encouraged to stay to the right in hallways and staircases in order to ease foot traffic flow and minimize face to face crowd interaction.   

If a student tests positive for COVID, how will they get school work or catch up?

In the event of a quarantine, students are able to continue at-home learning with their courses and assignments through the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) and the district-provided laptop. This allows students to continue learning whether at school or at home.  

Where can parents get the most updated information on school COVID protocols, announcements, changes etc.?

School staff and the district use a variety of ways to communicate the health services offered and health-related information.  

Nikki Ross covers education for the Fort Myers News-Press and Naples Daily News. She can be reached at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @nikkiinreallife.

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Aug. 8, 2022 – Is your laundry a way to spread monkeypox?

As monkeypox cases rise globally, health officials have warned that the virus mainly spreads through direct skin-to-skin contact with a monkeypox lesion. But according to the CDC, poxviruses like the monkeypox can survive in linens and clothing, and live particularly well in “dark, cool and low humidity environments.” Indeed: The federal agency pointed to one study where live virus was found 15 days after a patient had left their home.

Keeping your laundry clean is good for your health and might be especially important if you or someone close to you has monkeypox. Read on for expert advice on how to keep your laundry monkeypox-free.

Cleaning Clothes With Monkeypox

The CDC says the virus can spread to clothing when it touches the rash or bodily fluids of someone with monkeypox. Other common household fabrics like bedding and towels can also potentially spread the virus.

Robert Glatter, MD, an emergency medicine doctor at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, says monkeypox may live in clothes for so long because materials like cotton are more porous and breathable than plastic or metal surfaces.

“It’s advisable for persons with monkeypox to do their own laundry, assuming they feel well enough,” he says. “Persons who do laundry for those who are infected should wear gloves, gown, and a mask to reduce potential for transmission.”

Glatter recommends using hot water when washing clothing that has encountered someone that has monkeypox. The CDC also notes that if you do not have your own washer and dryer in your home, you should contact your local public health department for help with laundry that has come into contact with monkeypox.

But it’s important to note that while monkeypox can spread from touching clothing and fabrics, Glatter says that the risk of this happening is “minimal,” compared to the risk from skin-to-skin contact. He says that washing your hands with soap and warm water or using hand sanitizer after direct contact with someone with monkeypox is strongly recommended. TheEnvironmental Protection Agency als has an online list of disinfectants that it recommends for killing the monkeypox virus.

Best Practices for Clean Clothes Overall

Monkeypox aside, it’s important to know how to keep laundry clean and free of things that can make you sick in general. Mold and mildew are two usual suspects that can make you feel under the weather if not taken care of.

Preeti Arya, PhD, an assistant professor of textile development and marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, says mold and mildew can travel from anywhere in your house to your laundry. Molds create cells called spores that they use to spread to other places and grow.

“Even if one spore sticks, they start growing,” Arya says. She says mold and mildew grow in laundry because it’s a “favorable environment”; they love warmth and humidity, which are easily found in washing machines. (The CDC also says that common spots in the home for mold include roofs, pipes, walls, and potted plants.)

Besides the unpleasant smell, mold and mildew in laundry can trigger allergy symptoms if they’re not dealt with.

John Costa, MD, an allergy and immunology doctor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, says people can be allergic to common molds found in households. Molds can cause allergy symptoms in the eyes, nose, and lungs, similar to pollen or animal dander allergies.

That said, it would be “very unlikely” for mildew in clothing to make you sick, Costa says, as “the amount of mold exposure for those toxins to make you sick has to be massive and overwhelming.”

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Originally Appeared Here

Cara Murez

MONDAY, Aug. 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Cat owners should not feed their pets certain lots of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.

Some lots of the raw cat food tested positive for salmonella and were associated with illness in three kittens, the agency said in a news release.

Salmonella can cause illness and death in both humans and animals and is especially risky for those who are very young, very old or have weak immune systems. Symptoms of infection with this bacterium include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

People are also reading…

The FDA alert is for two lots of the products.

The first is Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain Free Chicken Recipe for Cats, Lot 9116, with a manufacturing date of May 2. The other is Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain Free Turkey Recipe for Cats, Lot 9121, manufactured on May 4.

These products are sold inside white and clear plastic packages with blue and green labeling. They each weigh 2 pounds and have four separate units. They are sold and stored frozen, so many may still be in consumers’ freezers.

Consumers can find the lot code on the front lower left unit of the package, the FDA said.

Throw away any products that have these lot numbers. If you can’t be sure of the lot code, throw those products away. Do not put them where wildlife can access them.

Before issuing the warning, the FDA collected and analyzed unopened samples of products from the two lots after three kittens from a single household developed diarrhea. A stool sample from one of the kittens tested positive for salmonella. A fourth kitten did not eat the food and did not become sick.

In doing genetic sequencing of the salmonella in the two products, the FDA found the turkey product contained Salmonella typhimurium, while the chicken product contained Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella Kentucky.

The FDA is involved in the investigation because pets who are sick with salmonella can pass the bacteria to their human companions, even if they don’t appear ill, the agency said. In past cases, humans and animals have gotten sick from exposure to salmonella-contaminated pet foods.

Some people who have salmonella will need to be hospitalized, though most recover without treatment. Pets do not always have symptoms when infected, but signs can include vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite and decreased activity level. Pets can shed the bacteria in their feces, even if they don’t appear sick, the FDA said.

These products are manufactured by Arrow Reliance Inc. The company does business as Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, selling the pet foods online to consumers.

Although the FDA has recommended Arrow Reliance Inc. voluntarily recall these products and notify the public, the company has not, the agency said.

If you have had these products in your home, clean any refrigerators or freezers where the product was stored. Clean and disinfect all bowls, utensils, food prep surfaces, pet bedding, litter boxes, toys, floors and any other surfaces that the food or pet may have had contact with.

Clean up the pet’s feces in places where people or other animals may become exposed. To prevent spread from an infected animal, it’s particularly important to clean up the animal’s feces in yards or parks where people or other animals may become exposed, in addition to cleaning items in the home.

After handling the product or cleaning up potentially contaminated items and surfaces, it is important to thoroughly wash your hands, the FDA said.

If you are showing signs of salmonella infection, contact your health care provider. If your pet is showing signs, contact your veterinarian.

Veterinarians can have pets tested for salmonella through the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN Network) if the pet is from a household where someone is infected with salmonella.

Report complaints about pet food products electronically through the Safety Reporting Portal or by calling your state’s FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinators.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on salmonella.

SOURCE: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, news release, Aug. 5, 2022

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Guidance Released in Response to Strong Demand for DIY use of Clear Vinyl Tarps

ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES, August 8, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Tarps Now® is pleased to announce the release of a new informational circular focused on the use of Clear Vinyl Tarps and Clear Vinyl Curtains for use in a variety of residential, business, commercial, industrial, warehouse, and construction applications.

Vinyl Tarps are highly effective and popular, due to the relative ease in installation, as well as being 100% waterproof, thus making them very easy to clean and disinfect in a wide variety of applications.

Made from extremely durable vinyl that generates crystal clear views of what is outside, Clear Vinyl Tarps and Vinyl Curtains are perfect for porches, patios, decks, entryways, and outdoor eating areas. It’s important to note their use in outdoor consumer based businesses. For example, wine and beer gardens where these areas can be happily utilized without the issues and unpleasantness of rain, snow, cold, and wind. The clear protective products are also ideal for creating partitions, temporary walls, and other barriers for home, businesses, special events, construction, and manufacturing settings.

In addition to the mentioned uses, Clear Vinyl Tarps are great for camping, fishing, and hunting expeditions along with creating a temporary shelter or shield during emergency situations. Their clear views are excellent for purposes of covering equipment, materials, and supplies that you need to keep an eye on for safety and security reasons. The applications are almost endless.

Clear Vinyl Tarps are waterproof and anti-microbial while also resisting UV rays, cold weather, chemicals, grease, rot, and mildew making for reliable and safe usage. Popular thicknesses for these products are 20 Mil (18 ounces per square yard material weight) and 30 Mil (27 ounces). There is also a 20 Mil Fire Retardant version. Clear Vinyl Tarps are fitted in double stitched hems with sturdy brass grommets equally spaced around the entire perimeter to quickly, easily, and securely tie them down. For areas subject to wildfires, there are even fire retardant vinyl tarps that can be used in a wide variety of ways to protect home and property.

Product Information:

https://www.tarpsnow.com/vinyl-tarps.html
https://www.tarpsnow.com/clear-vinyl-tarps.html
https://www.tarpsnow.com/custom-clear-vinyl-curtain.html
https://www.tarpsnow.com/clear-vinyl-strip-doors.html
https://www.tarpsnow.com/clear-vinyl-fabric-by-the-yard.html
https://www.tarpsnow.com/18-oz-camouflage-heavy-duty-vinyl-tarp.html
https://www.tarpsnow.com/clear-vinyl-porch-curtains.html
https://www.tarpsnow.com/awning-canopy-vinyl-tarps.html
https://www.tarpsnow.com/custom-vinyl-tarps.html
https://www.tarpsnow.com/outdoor-movie-screen-tarp.html
https://www.tarpsnow.com/fire-retardant-vinyl-tarps.html
https://www.tarpsnow.com/clear-vinyl-fabric-by-the-yard.html

About Tarps Now®

Tarps Now® features an extensive online catalog of heavy duty tarps, canvas tarps, poly tarps, custom tarps, vinyl tarps and industrial divider curtains. As specialists in custom canvas and vinyl tarps, they are the low-price leaders in their category. The company offers the convenience of fast, easy, online ordering as well as a knowledgeable staff to guide customers through the specification process insuring their project will be completed on time and in budget. Tarps Now® has the experience and scale to insure customer specifications are carefully followed and expectations exceeded for every project, large or small.

Michael Dill
Tarps Now, Inc.
+1 8888001383
[email protected]

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Originally Appeared Here

What You Need to Know

• Monkeypox (also known as hMPXV or MPXV) is a disease caused by the monkeypox virus.
• It can cause a rash that can look like pimples or blisters and can also cause a flu-like sickness (fever, cough, headache, body aches, chills, feeling very tired, etc.).
• Monkeypox can spread to any person – most likely through close, skin-to-skin contact with someone with monkeypox, or through saliva or other body fluids.
• It can also spread through touching things or surfaces, especially clothes, bedding, and towels, that have been used by someone with monkeypox and not disinfected.
• Symptoms start within 3 weeks of being exposed to the virus.
• If you start having flu-like symptoms, a rash will usually come 1-4 days later.
• The rash can be on the face, inside the mouth, chest, hands, feet, genitals, or anus and starts as small, reddish spots. It then develops into blisters that fill with pus (liquid from infected tissue).
• Monkeypox can spread from the time a rash starts to the time a rash has fully healed with a new layer of skin.
  • This usually takes two to four weeks

ANYONE can get monkeypox, but there are some groups at higher risk:

• Men who have sex with men
• People with weaker immune systems
• Babies and children
• People who are pregnant or breastfeeding

If you think you are sick, at high risk, or want to prevent getting monkeypox:

• Be aware of how close in skin-to-skin contact you are with others (hugs, kisses, etc.), especially with your partner
• Wash hands with soap and water and use hand sanitizer
• Clean and disinfect surfaces at home and work
• Avoid or be mindful of contact with pets (since they can spread it as well)
• Isolate yourself if you think you have symptoms and tell your healthcare provider

There is a FDA-approved vaccine for monkeypox (JYNNEOS), but it is not recommended for the general public yet.

• It is 2 doses that are given 4 weeks apart, and you are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after the second dose. You can also get vaccinated within 4 days of exposure to monkeypox to prevent the disease or how severe it will be.
• The only people who can get the vaccine right now:
  • People who have had close contact to someone that tested positive for monkeypox within the past 14 days
  • People who are at higher risk of getting monkeypox (see higher risk groups above)
• If you believe you have been exposed, contact your health care provider and then your local health department to see if you’re eligible for the vaccine.

Vaccination Clinics

Hyacinth AIDS Foundation/ Project Living Out Loud! (Jersey City)

Telephone: 201-706-3480

The Prevention Resource Network, a program of the Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey (Asbury Park)

Telephone: 732-502-5100

North Jersey Community Research Initiative (Newark)

Telephone: 973-483-3444

Cooper University Hospital, 300 Broadway (Camden)

At the intersection of Broadway and MLK Boulevard. Entrance off of MLK Boulevard. Follow the signs; do not drive into the parking garage.

Appointment only: Call 856-968-7100, Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., or go online at any time through MyCooper by clicking here.

Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, Annex 2 (white tent structure), 230 East Ridgewood Ave. (Paramus)

Appointment only online by clicking here

Stay up to date with all monkeypox information and the community partners that offer the vaccine

Please visit nj.gov/health/cd/topics/monkeypox.shtml

Sources

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Photo: Breitformat (Shutterstock)

Wearing damp jeans is no fun because they are uncomfortable. Wearing jeans that were formerly damp is no fun because they stink. Fabrics that have gotten especially mildewy—whether because you didn’t hang them to dry fast enough or they’ve been in the hamper too long—can even continue to reek after a wash. However, you can easily zap that nasty wet odor out of your shirts, pants, and towels so you can wear your clothes without smelling them, too.

Why your clothes became stinky in the first place

Clothes often get smelly because they were left in the washing machine too long, or when the dryer hasn’t done its job well enough. Or your clothes could be stinky and damp for any of these reasons:

• You sweated while you wore them and they dried before you washed them, locking in the nasty aroma.
• You hung the item to dry but it was too humid for them to dry before mildew formed.
• Your climate is humid and your clothes, towels, or other fabrics are stuck in a cycle of becoming vaguely damp and drying off on their own.

• Your closet is poorly ventilated and dark, allowing mildew to grow.
• You rewear clothes or reuse towels too often without washing them.
• Your clothes are made of synthetic fabrics that hold in smells.
• Your washing machine is old and has a musty stink baked in, depositing that smell on everything you clean.

If possible, identify what is causing your clothes to stink in the first place. Dehumidify your home, clean your washing machine periodically, and stick to a schedule when it comes to washing your gym or outdoor summer clothes. You don’t need to overhaul your whole lifestyle or stop wearing synthetic fabrics—the best way to combat a stinky sweatshirt is not to let it get stinky in the first place. But if that doesn’t work…

How to get the mildewy smell out of fabrics

You have a few options when it comes to getting the stench out of your clothes. The most widely-touted is the use of white vinegar. Per Kelly’s Dry Cleaners, you can easily swap out your fabric softener with white vinegar during your rinse cycle. Just add one cup per load for top-loading washers and 1/4- to 1/2-cup for front-load washers. For serious smells, try washing musty fabrics in hot water with a full cup of white vinegar and no detergent.

Try these approaches, too:

• Sprinkle 1/4- to 1/2-cup of baking soda in your washing machine before washing a load, then rinse with the aforementioned white vinegar.
• Pre-treat musty fabrics with borax by soaking them in a tub of hot water and 1/2-cup of borax for an hour before a normal wash cycle.
• Try washing with a specialized product, like Bio Laundry Booster or Thornell Ordorcide Laundry Odor Eliminator Concentrate.

When you line dry clothes, towels, or other previously-musty fabrics, try to place them in direct sunlight. This tip comes from Apartment Therapy, which notes that ultraviolet rays have their own disinfecting properties that can help kill mildew. Plus, this will help your garments smell fresh, especially compared to the burnt scent you can sometimes get from a dryer.

If outdoor drying isn’t an option, follow the drying instructions for the type of fabric you’re working with, and simply double check it’s fully dry before you put it away.

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August 8, 2022 9:37 AM

Cara Murez

Posted: August 8, 2022 9:37 AM

Updated: August 8, 2022 11:45 AM

MONDAY, Aug. 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Cat owners should not feed their pets certain lots of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.

Some lots of the raw cat food tested positive for salmonella and were associated with illness in three kittens, the agency said in a news release.

Salmonella can cause illness and death in both humans and animals and is especially risky for those who are very young, very old or have weak immune systems. Symptoms of infection with this bacterium include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The FDA alert is for two lots of the products.

The first is Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain Free Chicken Recipe for Cats, Lot 9116, with a manufacturing date of May 2. The other is Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Natural Selections Antibiotic & Grain Free Turkey Recipe for Cats, Lot 9121, manufactured on May 4.

These products are sold inside white and clear plastic packages with blue and green labeling. They each weigh 2 pounds and have four separate units. They are sold and stored frozen, so many may still be in consumers’ freezers.

Consumers can find the lot code on the front lower left unit of the package, the FDA said.

Throw away any products that have these lot numbers. If you can’t be sure of the lot code, throw those products away. Do not put them where wildlife can access them.

Before issuing the warning, the FDA collected and analyzed unopened samples of products from the two lots after three kittens from a single household developed diarrhea. A stool sample from one of the kittens tested positive for salmonella. A fourth kitten did not eat the food and did not become sick.

In doing genetic sequencing of the salmonella in the two products, the FDA found the turkey product contained Salmonella typhimurium, while the chicken product contained Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella Kentucky.

The FDA is involved in the investigation because pets who are sick with salmonella can pass the bacteria to their human companions, even if they don’t appear ill, the agency said. In past cases, humans and animals have gotten sick from exposure to salmonella-contaminated pet foods.

Some people who have salmonella will need to be hospitalized, though most recover without treatment. Pets do not always have symptoms when infected, but signs can include vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite and decreased activity level. Pets can shed the bacteria in their feces, even if they don’t appear sick, the FDA said.

These products are manufactured by Arrow Reliance Inc. The company does business as Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, selling the pet foods online to consumers.

Although the FDA has recommended Arrow Reliance Inc. voluntarily recall these products and notify the public, the company has not, the agency said.

If you have had these products in your home, clean any refrigerators or freezers where the product was stored. Clean and disinfect all bowls, utensils, food prep surfaces, pet bedding, litter boxes, toys, floors and any other surfaces that the food or pet may have had contact with.

Clean up the pet’s feces in places where people or other animals may become exposed. To prevent spread from an infected animal, it’s particularly important to clean up the animal’s feces in yards or parks where people or other animals may become exposed, in addition to cleaning items in the home.

After handling the product or cleaning up potentially contaminated items and surfaces, it is important to thoroughly wash your hands, the FDA said.

If you are showing signs of salmonella infection, contact your health care provider. If your pet is showing signs, contact your veterinarian.

Veterinarians can have pets tested for salmonella through the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN Network) if the pet is from a household where someone is infected with salmonella.

Report complaints about pet food products electronically through the Safety Reporting Portal or by calling your state’s FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinators.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on salmonella.

SOURCE: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, news release, Aug. 5, 2022

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