RHEA ANICOCHE-TAN and MARIAN RIVERA-DANTES

ACTRESS Marian Rivera-Dantes renewed her contract with top home and beauty brand Beautederm yesterday in Quezon City.

Marian, a premium endorser and also a business owner, is more than happy to be sign a thirty-month contract as the one and only face of Beautederm Home.

“Yes, she’s my favorite,” confirmed Beautéderm’s President and CEO Rhea Anicoche-Tan, who remarked that her relationship with Marian has gone beyond business partners. She and Marian have developed a sisterhood, sharing many interests, including food, shopping and family, among others.

“Marian is an extremely valued member of the Beautéderm family and I am so happy to have her onboard as the brand ambassador of Beautéderm Home for another 30 months and hopefully more years in the future.

“Marian and I are really like sisters. She’s my baby sister as she is the sweetest and the kindest, and one of the most professional ambassadors that we have. What I love about her is that her love for me is wholeheartedly extended to my staff and to all of our resellers and distributors. I truly celebrate Marian and her solid partnership with Beautéderm Home.

But more than that, I am grateful for her sincere and loyal friendship,” she added.

The two women express admiration for each other – Rhea cannot say enough about Marian’s beautiful heart, and Marian marvels at how loved Rhea is because of how she cares for others.

“Alam nyo naman kung paano magmahal si Ate Rei,” said the primetime queen.

The two also put a lot of premium in developing products that conform to their very discriminating tastes.

Their historic partnership started in 2018 when the brand launched Reverie – an exquisite line of home scents that originally consisted of soy candles and air purifiers as well as room and linen sprays.

Reverie is a play of words between the name of Rhea Anicoche-Tan or Rei, Marian’s maiden name, and the concept of the brand’s desired effect to its users – to drift away, dream, and relax while basking in the extraordinary, sweet, and beautéful scents of love by Beautéderm Home.

Originally, the Reverie line of Beautéderm Home includes Into The Woods (Bamboo Scent), Smells Like Candy (Cherry Scent), Time To Bloom (Fresh Rose Scent), Something Minty (Eucalyptus Scent), and Rest & Relaxation (Lavender Scent) – all created from formulation to individual packaging in very close collaboration with Marian. In 2021, the line introduced two additional scents namely Matcha To Love and Take Me Away.

This year, Beautéderm Home levels up as it introduces brand-new, essential products under the Reverie line that will not only provide every home an ambrosial ambiance but will also protect it from germs, bacteria, and viruses as well.

The first of the new products is Pour Tout Faire – a 3-in-1 multi-purpose spray that deodorizes, disinfects, and protects as it is formulated to eliminate unpleasant odors; to instantly disinfect surfaces as it destroys bacteria and viruses upon contact; and to effectively protect. With its two variants Fresh & Vibrant and Clean & Calm, Pour Tout Faire is ideal for sanitizing and freshening the air; for linens and all surfaces; and it may be applied to the skin and on clothes while being 100% safe for children and pets.

Also, as a special treat to honor the partnership renewal of Beautéderm Home and Marian, Reverie will be releasing a special limited-edition soy candle box set that includes three new scents which include Inviting Cherimoya, Irresistible Vanilla, and Tempting Pear and Melon.

“I am truly overjoyed that my relationship with Beautéderm Home lasted for this long and I’m excited as I look forward to many more years with this brand that is very dear to my heart,” said Marian. “We have worked so hard in developing these new products and I am so proud to introduce and present them to everyone.”

For more on Beautéderm Home and Reverie and exciting updates about Marian Rivera-Dantes, follow @beautédermcorporation on Instagram and TikTok; follow @beautedermcorp on Twitter; like Beautéderm on Facebook; and subscribe to Beautéderm TV on YouTube.

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Originally Appeared Here

A new cluster of COVID-19 cases is emerging in an international kindergarten in Hong Kong, with five students and one teacher infected with the virus in the past two days. 

Authorities ordered the suspension of two classes in the school from now until Friday. 

Albert Au, the Centre for Health Protection’s principal medical and health officer, said on Tuesday that St Catherine’s International Kindergarten in Kowloon Tong reported four coronavirus cases on Monday after they tested positive via rapid antigen tests (RAT). 

They are from an afternoon class, which has 29 students. 

The four started developing symptoms on Sunday and Monday. They last went to school the previous Friday. 

Au said the school reported two more cases on Tuesday morning, involving a teacher from the afternoon class and a student in a morning class. 

The teacher started having mild upper respiratory symptoms on Friday, but had a negative RAT result. 

The teacher tested negative again via the RAT on Monday and continued to go to school.

Because of the cluster of positive results, the teacher did a PCR test on Monday, which came back positive. 

The student from the morning class started developing symptoms and tested positive via the RAT on Tuesday. 

The classroom used by the morning class is the same as that for the afternoon class that has four infected students. The teacher who tested positive also teaches the morning class.

Lessons will be suspended until this Friday for both classes, involving 58 students in total. 

During this period of time, they have to continue doing RAT at home every day. 

Au noted that the kindergarten has more than 1,000 students.

“We cannot rule out that [the four] students contracted [the virus] in the classroom as they developed symptoms around the same time,” said the medical and health officer. 

He added that a lot of students from these classes are not vaccinated against COVID-19, so to play it safe, the center recommended the school to disinfect the classroom and the students to stay at home. 

Separately, the city reported 250 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, 34 of which are imported. 

That brings the total number of coronavirus cases in the fifth wave to 1,198,205.

There were no new deaths reported. 

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Originally Appeared Here

RUNNELS COUNTY – For the past few weeks we have been examining important health problems, to see what can be done at the local level to reduce the impact of those problems. Last week I ended with this, “Having made a good start toward answering, ‘What are the most important problems?’ next week we will begin to look at some of the things that can be done.” We will indeed do so.  However, this article is one which is very different from the one I had expected to write this week. Today I am writing – yet again – on the subject of COVID 19. I do so not only because it was the leading cause of death in Runnels County last year, but also because there have been some new developments in the past several days which will impact our health THIS year.

The phrase ‘arms race’ is one that is commonly used to describe the ways that germs and people interact over time. In the case of COVID-19, for example, the first steps that public health officials advocated were aimed at creating a perimeter defense by using masks, handwashing and social distancing. These were part of the planned response for the next flu pandemic. As it turns out, they worked really well against the flu, and we had almost no influenza in our County or anywhere in the entire country during 2020 and 2021.  Extending the combat metaphor, we were very well prepared to fight the last war. No doubt these perimeter defenses did help, but they were entirely inadequate to protect us from COVID-19 for two reasons. First, flu spreads mostly by droplets, and these don’t travel very far before falling to the floor or another surface. COVID, on the other hand, is spread mostly by aerosol. In this case, tiny droplets containing the infectious particles evaporate, leaving the virus suspended in the air for a considerable period of time.  The second reason is that COVID spreads more easily than flu, due in part to reason number one.

The arms race between respiratory viruses and human beings has been going on for much longer than we have had public health officials, and the human body has a number of defenses against these germs. The system known as “acquired immunity’ depends on a type of intelligence gathering in order to provide a targeted and coordinated counter attack when the body is invaded.

One of the reasons that COVID cases were so mild in most children is that the virus which causes COVID is related to a handful of coronaviruses that cause the common cold. Kids catch a whole lot of colds, and their bodies are in great shape to mount a defense. However, if a person was infected with COVID and did not mount a rapid and strong defense, the virus penetrated deep into brain and lung tissue, where it rapidly divided and killed cells. This in turn triggered another type of immune response, a more general system called innate immunity, that is heavily dependent on inflammation to overcome the invader. Unfortunately, this is a weapon system with very poor targeting capabilities, and there can be a lot of casualties due to ‘friendly fire’.

Most of the people who died of COVID actually died as a result of this type of overly active inflammatory response. The first treatment that was proven to be effective in reducing the mortality of COVID was dexamethasone, which works by reducing the bodies inflammatory response. Two other things of note: I said that COVID invades brain tissue, and we know that it commonly does so because the sense of smell actually relies on brain tissue that is very close to the air coming into the body, and the loss of smell in COVID is due to the destruction of this brain tissue. There may or may not be destruction of other brain tissue; it varies from person to person. Also, the term “acquired immunity” is so named because it depends on the human body’s immune system acquiring a sort of an image of the invader, that is then literally remembered by the immune system and passed on to various cells that then function in harmony to target anything that displays that image.

One of the main ways that this system works is through the production of antibodies that adhere to molecules or cells displaying that image. This ‘paints’ the target, and then other cells destroy the target. This process typically takes a couple of weeks before it is functional, so it is of limited usefulness against an overwhelming initial attack.

In humanity’s battle against COVID, after perimeter defense and the suppression of friendly fire, the next major tactical advance in weaponry for team human was development of the first monoclonal antibody (bamlanivimab) that could be given IV to treat the disease. Bamlanivimab – ‘bam’, as it came to be known – was the first of many manufactured molecules engineered to paint the COVID target, just like the body’s own antibodies would do, if they had the opportunity. This was a huge breakthrough, but it didn’t take long before variants arose that could ‘defeat’ or ‘escape’ this weapon. By combining two different monoclonal antibodies, the effectiveness was greatly enhanced. However, no advantage is permanent in an arms race.

The next development that is widely held to be an advance was the wide-spread distribution of vaccines. These worked by teaching the body to make its own monoclonal antibodies, to paint the COVID invaders for targeting by the body’s immune system. The intention was to inoculate people who had not had COVID, and prevent them from becoming ill with the disease. The initial reports were terrific! The people who were vaccinated had a 90+% decrease in their risk of becoming ill with COVID. However, the virus mutated so fast that by the time these vaccines were widely distributed they were not nearly that effective at preventing disease. The vaccines did, however, prepare the human body to mount a better defense, and greatly reduced the likelihood of death due to the friendly fire of uncontrolled inflammatory response.

Then there was Omicron. Omicron was different from previous variants in many ways. For one thing, it almost completely escaped or defeated every prior targeted response, including the monoclonal antibodies as well as immunity acquired from infection by a previous variant or by vaccination. Also, Omicron acts more like the coronaviruses that cause the common cold as it does not have as strong tendency to invade deeply into brain or lung tissue, as did prior COVID variants. Omicron has virtually replaced all other variants, because it replicates and spreads so quickly, and also because so many of the cases are completely asymptomatic. However, there are still more variants. They arise because they have some advantage in terms of the arms race.

What we called Omicron when it tore through our County in January, is now called BA1. The next variant to arise was known as BA2, and it evidently spread even more quickly, but people who had had BA1 were still very unlikely to get sick if exposed to BA1 or BA2. However, there is a new variant, BA2.12.1 that has escaped or defeated the immunity derived from having BA1 or BA2, or from vaccines (apart from the few weeks following vaccination, when the body is in a state of high inflammation and immune hypervigilance). BA2.12.1 is responsible for the new rise in cases in Europe and the Northeastern US. In addition to this one there are two other variants that are on the rise in other countries, BA4 and BA5, which are able to completely defeat the immunity conferred by vaccination or infection with BA2 or prior strains.  Also, it appears that one advantage that BA4 and BA5 have over previous variants is that they appear to be more easily spread through contact with contaminated surfaces. Perhaps the virus is more stable in the environment.

So, now what? Hand washing, disinfecting of surfaces and other basic sanitation measures are practices that we should maintain. Be sure to take advantage of all of the federal government’s offers of free test kits and free masks. (See https://www.covid.gov/tests.)  The at-home COVID tests are likely to maintain their current sensitivity (about 90%) so keep some on hand, and if you think that you may have COVID stay home until you have tested negative on two different days, then you can be fairly certain you don’t have COVID. If you do test positive, and begin to feel short of breath or are at high risk for severe disease, make a telemedicine visit to see if you should be treated.

The new oral medications Paxlovid and molnupiravir are effective against all known variants. If you must go out without being tested, wear a surgical mask as that makes it much less likely that you will spread the disease to others, by catching the microscopic, virus-containing droplets in your breath. If you ae not sick and want to stay that way, consider wearing a respirator such as the N-95 if you are at high risk, either because of underlying health conditions or if (like yours truly) you are around a lot of people who are sick with unknown ailments.

In addition to these things that we can do individually, please consider some of the important ways that an organization such as the Health and Wellness Coalition for Runnels County (HAWC) might benefit the people you know. Such an organization could be a repository for donated masks and testing supplies, which could then be given to or delivered to individuals and families on an as-needed basis. Trained volunteers or Community Health Workers (CHWs) could facilitate telemedicine visits, assist in distributing masks and test kits and also respond to requests for thermometers and pulse oximeters. Such items were available for distribution at various times when COVID was peaking, because it was a way of keeping people out of hospital. Also, the CHWs could answer questions as to location and availability of additional information and services. These are but a few of the possibilities.

Finally, remember that there is more to life than avoiding disease. We do not know whether Omicron and its variants will cause as much persistent disease, or long-COVID, as the previous variants. There is reason to believe that it will not. In any case, do not let your life be dominated by fear. I promise, if you will keep reading each week, I will let you know if there comes a time to panic.

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Originally Appeared Here

Emilie Heidemann | Wisconsin State Journal

The highly contagious bird flu that has killed large swaths of poultry across the U.S. has now spread to Bayfield County, officials said Monday. 

The virus was found in a backyard flock, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection said. The birds in the flock will be euthanized to prevent the spread of the disease.

The 14 other counties that have had captive flocks become infected are Dunn, Marinette, Sauk, Pierce Fond du Lac, Oconto, Barron, Polk, Sheboygan, Columbia, Racine, Rock and Jefferson, the DATCP said. All of the birds in those 22 flocks have been euthanized.

This strain of the bird flu, called EA H5N1, is deadly to captive and domesticated birds — such as those found in farms, zoos and in people’s homes — but is not as dangerous to the wild birds that are spreading it throughout the state. Infected wild birds have been found in 15 Wisconsin counties, the DATCP said.

The continued spread of the virus could threaten captive bird populations and the egg and poultry industry, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said the virus does not currently pose a significant health risk to humans.

People are also reading…

The DATCP is encouraging flock owners to disinfect their equipment, restrict access to their birds, wash their hands frequently and separate new birds from existing flocks for at least 30 days. When possible, poultry owners should keep their birds indoors.

What to watch for

The state Department of Natural Resources asks residents to call if they see waterfowl, raptors such as eagles, or avian scavengers such as crows, ravens and gulls displaying tremors, circling movement or holding their heads in strange positions. Residents are also asked not to touch sick or dead birds.

To report birds with signs of avian flu, email [email protected] or call 608-267-0866.

The DATCP is encouraging residents with their own flocks to call (608) 224-4872 during business hours or (800) 943-0003 after hours and on weekends if they spot signs of infected birds, which include:

• Sudden death without clinical signs.
• Lack of energy or appetite.
• Decrease in egg production; soft, misshapen eggs.
• Purple discoloration of wattles, comb and legs.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Runny nose, coughing, sneezing.
• Stumbling or falling down.
• Diarrhea.

Close

Snowy owl

“Goose Pond” — or “Goose,” for short — is an adult male snowy owl, was recently relocated from the Central Wisconsin Airport near Mosinee to less-risky habitat near the Madison Audubon Society’s Goose Pond sanctuary outside Arlington.

Mark Martin, Gene Jacobs and snowy owl

Mark Martin, left, and Gene Jacobs talk strategy before releasing Goose.

Mark Martin and owl

Mark Martin releases the snowy owl Goose Pond into the wind at the UW-Madison Arlington Agricultural Research Station, a choice snowy owl habitat area just south of the Madison Audubon Society’s Goose Pond Sanctuary on Feb. 13.

Mark Martin and snowy owl

Mark Martin releases the snowy owl Goose Pond into the wind at the UW-Madison Arlington Agricultural Research Station, a choice snowy owl habitat area just south of the Madison Audubon Society’s Goose Pond Sanctuary on Feb. 13.

Mark Martin, Sue Foote-Martin

Mark Martin and Sue Foote-Martin, managers of the Madison Audubon Society’s Goose Pond sanctuary, hold Goose at the sanctuary near Arlington on Feb. 13.

Madison Audubon Society staff, Jennifer Rothe

Raptor handler Jennifer Rothe, center with owl, and Madison Audubon Society staff pose for a photo with Goose before his release. From left are Mark Martin, John Minnich, Sue Foote-Martin, Emily Meier, Rothe, Matt Reetz, Carolyn Byers and Tony Abate. 

Snowy owl

“Goose Pond” — or “Goose,” for short — is an adult male snowy owl, was recently relocated from the Central Wisconsin Airport near Mosinee to less-risky habitat near the Madison Audubon Society’s Goose Pond sanctuary outside Arlington.

Mark Martin, Gene Jacobs and snowy owl

Mark Martin, left, and Gene Jacobs talk strategy before releasing Goose.

Mark Martin and owl

Mark Martin releases the snowy owl Goose Pond into the wind at the UW-Madison Arlington Agricultural Research Station, a choice snowy owl habitat area just south of the Madison Audubon Society’s Goose Pond Sanctuary on Feb. 13.

Mark Martin and snowy owl

Mark Martin releases the snowy owl Goose Pond into the wind at the UW-Madison Arlington Agricultural Research Station, a choice snowy owl habitat area just south of the Madison Audubon Society’s Goose Pond Sanctuary on Feb. 13.

Mark Martin, Sue Foote-Martin

Mark Martin and Sue Foote-Martin, managers of the Madison Audubon Society’s Goose Pond sanctuary, hold Goose at the sanctuary near Arlington on Feb. 13.

Madison Audubon Society staff, Jennifer Rothe

Raptor handler Jennifer Rothe, center with owl, and Madison Audubon Society staff pose for a photo with Goose before his release. From left are Mark Martin, John Minnich, Sue Foote-Martin, Emily Meier, Rothe, Matt Reetz, Carolyn Byers and Tony Abate. 

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Originally Appeared Here

Do you consider yourself a lifelong learner? If you’re nodding your head, then you know that label is a badge of honor for those of us who often find ourselves asking, “Why?” or “How?”

Despite working in agriculture and being part of a family farm, I’m fully willing to admit there’s still so much I don’t know. So, I set my sights on gaining more knowledge about one of our state’s No. 1 ag commodities — pigs.

Equipped with a 110-page book of best practices and a series of online training modules, I decided to become Pork Quality Assurance Plus certified. This educational program keeps pig farmers up to date on the best research and standards related to animal well-being, public health, biosecurity, the environment and more.

Through this process, I learned pig farmers are also lifelong learners who continuously improve the sustainability and animal stewardship on their family farms as new research and technology becomes available.

As I dug into the modules, though, I couldn’t help but notice parallels between animal care and my own home life:

1. Pig farmers have a close relationship with veterinarians like I do with my pediatrician.

I’m so lucky to have a great pediatrician. She knows my children, listens to my concerns and is available to take my calls outside of appointments.

We work together to come up with a treatment plan when my children get sick, and I trust her guidance.

In pig farming, they call this a veterinarian-client-patient relationship, or VCPR. In fact, this relationship is so crucial, the word “veterinarian” is mentioned more than 100 times in the PQA Plus training guide.

VCPR is an agreement between the farmer and vet to work as a team to create a tailored plan to keep a pig herd healthy. It includes follow through of that plan and adhering to regulations pertaining to medical interventions.

2. We practice a little biosecurity at home, but pig farmers think about it across the farm.

Do you take your shoes off at the door when you get home? It’s a practice we enforce at our home where our kids like to crawl around on the floor pretending to be dinosaurs.

Biosecurity is the practice of preventing disease from entering and spreading within an animal herd. Farmers have written biosecurity plans that encompass the entire farm.

Farmers often will shower in and out of a facility and have designated clothes and boots they wear when caring for their pigs to make sure they’re not bringing harmful bacteria into a barn.

They also work hard to maintain a clean living environment for their pigs. This includes keeping a “sterile zone” around the barn free of weeds where disease-carrying rodents may like to hide and keeping animal feed stored in tightly contained bins to protect it from wildlife.

Farmers make sure to disinfect equipment regularly, and even disinfect items like cellphones if they are being carried into the barn.

3. Like my daughter — pigs take a while to warm up to people.

When we’re around new people, it takes a good 30 to 40 minutes of holding my 1-year-old daughter before she’s ready to be set down.

Pig farmers walk their barns every day to make sure animals are eating, drinking and maintaining a healthy level of activity. But these walkthroughs also get the pigs used to a human presence.

Pigs don’t inherently understand a farmer is coming into their pen to make sure they’re well cared for. But through consistent, positive interactions with a farmer, these animals become more relaxed.

This makes them easier to move and handle — a good thing that prevents injury to both the animal and the farmer.

And like my daughter, they appreciate a little extra space when they’re feeling fearful and will allow that space to narrow as they become more comfortable over time.

4. Getting a pig onto a semi-truck sounds a lot like trying to get my toddler out the door.

If you’re a parent, you’ve been there. You’re in a hurry to get out the door, and your child keeps finding the most random things to impede your progress.

Turns out, pigs can get distracted by a lot of things as they’re being loaded out, too. If wind blows in their face, a shadow startles them or they see a shiny surface, they may slow down or stop the flow of the other pigs.

Farmers are encouraged to help pigs stay calm by doing their best to minimize distractions and give pigs plenty of time to move.

By watching their pigs’ behavior, a farmer can see if they are becoming distressed and “release the pressure” on their space to help soothe them.

While I received my PQA Plus certification card in the mail, I don’t think I’ll be raising pigs anytime soon.

However, I am glad I took the time to see how pig farmers are ensuring their animals live a comfortable and healthy life — and how through continued education, they are finding new ways to elevate their top-notch level of compassionate care.

Caitlyn Lamm is Iowa Farm Bureau’s public relations specialist.

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Originally Appeared Here

NEW YORK (WKBW) — The New York State Department of Health has issued an advisory in response to elevated flu activity across the state.

The following advisory was sent to public and private schools:

“NYSDOH conducts routine influenza surveillance each October through May. Influenza is unpredictable; and while it is not uncommon for influenza activity to extend into late spring, current activity remains elevated and widespread. Therefore, NYSDOH is extending the surveillance season beyond May until influenza activity has decreased.

Surveillance data has shown an unusual bimodal [two peaks in activity] distribution of influenza activity during the 2021-22 season. Following consistent declines during January and low rates in February, laboratory-confirmed influenza cases and hospitalizations have been steadily rising since March with significant increases in lab-confirmed cases occurring throughout April. It is unknown if activity will remain at high levels or continue to increase in the upcoming weeks.”

According to the advisory, influenza A(H3) has been the predominant influenza virus circulating this season, accounting for 90% of all NYS influenza cases reported last week.

“Influenza A viruses cause disproportionately more illness among young children and older adults. Since the start of the current influenza season, 100,656 laboratory-confirmed influenza cases and more than 5,600 hospitalizations have been reported, with 59% of all laboratory-confirmed cases occurring in persons aged 0–17 years and 42% of hospitalizations in persons aged 65 and older,” a release says.

New York State Department of Health

The NYSDOH encourages the following preventive measures to reduce the risk of influenza transmission in schools and other settings:

• Stay home when you are sick.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces or objects.
• All persons aged 6 months and older are eligible to be vaccinated. Influenza vaccine for the 2021-22 season can be given through June 30, 2022.

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Originally Appeared Here

There’s no place like home. It’s your personal oasis, a refuge from the outside world—except when it comes to allergens. If you’re like the millions of people who suffer from allergies, the mold, dust, and pet dander in your home could be making you sick. That’s why Mental Floss and Roborock have teamed up to give you a rundown of the most common allergy hotspots in your home and how best to clean them. 

Though rugs and carpets add a cozy touch to our homes, they’re also hotbeds for dust mites, pollen, animal dander, and other nuisances. These particles sink into the fibers of rugs and carpets, clinging to them and aggravating allergy and asthma symptoms. The most important thing you can do to keep these particles at bay is to vacuum your rugs and carpets at least once a week, preferably twice. Prioritize high-traffic rooms like living rooms and bedrooms first, and make sure you’re hitting the spots underneath each rug. Make it easy on yourself and opt for a robot vacuum that you can schedule to clean these rooms on a consistent basis. 

The average person spends around one-third of their lives in bed. While that sounds pleasant on the surface, it also means that our pillows, sheets, and blankets are full of bacteria and other irritants that we unwittingly bring into the bedroom every night. And then there’s the mattress itself, which is a major breeding ground for allergy-causing dust mites that use our skin cells as a food source. To limit the presence of these unsavory critters, be sure to wash your bedding at least once a week in hot water and gently mist your bare mattress with a commercial disinfectant spray. For extra protection, use hypoallergenic coverings on your mattress and pillows, and be sure to wash those frequently, too. 

Curtains are often overlooked when it comes to our cleaning routines, but they also harbor many of the airborne allergens that can make you sick. These bits of dust and pollen waft inside when you leave your windows open, and they’ll latch onto fabric curtains before making their way farther into the home if you don’t clean often enough. You can use a duster or vacuum to get rid of most of these harmful allergens, or you can choose washable curtains made from cotton or synthetic fabric and throw them in the laundry weekly.

The amount of time we spend in our bed is only rivaled by the time we spend on the couch every day. So it shouldn’t come as too much of a shock to learn that your cushions are probably teeming with all sorts of microscopic unpleasantness. It’s important to vacuum and disinfect your couch weekly—and remember to be thorough. Get in between the cushions and underneath the couch itself, where giant clumps of dust tend to reside. You’ll also want to consider getting the upholstery cleaned twice a year.

That dusty old shelf full of books, picture frames, and other knickknacks is another area where allergens thrive. And forget the feather duster: These spots need to be cleaned once a week with a damp cloth to keep those particles from collecting and spreading through the home. If a weekly cleaning routine isn’t in the cards, you might want to cut down on the number of shelves and unused end tables in your home to keep the clutter (and dust spots) to a minimum.

Our pets bring us so much joy—and unfortunately, they also bring a mess along with them. The beds and chairs that they love to spend time on quickly become caked in dirt and bacteria, especially if your pet spends any time outside. And because pet dander is lightweight, it easily becomes airborne and finds its way onto the carpets, furniture, and bedding throughout the home. So make sure to vacuum your pet’s favorite spots with extra care. Wash their toys, blankets, and beds in hot water to kill the dust mites—and if your pet sleeps in your bed, make sure to wash the sheets and pillowcases often.

Roborock’s line of robot vacuums includes a range of different options designed to meet your needs. The Roborock Q5 is capable of getting rid of dirt, pet hair, and other allergens, thanks to its 2700Pa of suction power. This model also has multiple customization options and a 3D mapping feature that accounts for household obstacles and furniture. For a truly hands-free experience, there’s the Roborock Q5+ robot vacuum, which includes all of those features along with the Auto-Empty Dock Pure function that empties the vacuum’s dustbin all on its own. And if you need a robot vacuum that also mops your floors, check out the Roborock Q7+ and the Roborock Q7 Max+. In addition, the Q7 Max+ has 4200 Pa suction power and comes with an auto-emptying function. 

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Originally Appeared Here

From sofas and beds to rugs and curtains, homes are filled with a lot of soft surfaces, but what most people might not know is the volume of bacteria that can linger on them. A study found that while many people believe that a hard-surfaced toothbrush holder is the item with the most germs in the home, it’s actually a soft-surfaced dishcloth/sponge. Despite this, according to new consumer research commissioned by Dettol almost half (44%) of the respondents rarely or never use a bacteria-killing disinfectant spray on soft surfaces.

The research, which examines consumers’ attitudes towards disinfecting household surfaces and cleaning habits, was carried out to drive awareness of Dettol All-In-One Disinfectant Spray, which kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, and is suitable for use on hard and soft surfaces.

A softened approach to disinfecting the home

While it’s a known fact that bacteria and viruses can linger on soft surfaces, when consumers polled for the Dettol research were asked what household surfaces they use a bacteria-killing disinfectant spray on most regularly, soft surfaces such as cushions (77%), pillows (76%) and bed sheets/duvet covers (75%) ranked lowest. Of those polled, 37% (371 people) live with a child under 10 years old and 35% admit to rarely disinfecting a soft surface after their child has sat or played on it.

Health and hygiene

Earlier research conducted by Dettol during the COVID-19 virus pandemic revealed 70% were disinfecting their homes more often, but since restrictions have lifted, 34% are no longer doing so as frequently. The majority (94%) of people, however, believe that practising good hygiene has an impact on illness prevention, and keeping the home disinfected from bacteria and viruses is an important aspect of best-practice hygiene habits. An overwhelming 88% of people trust Dettol products to effectively kill bacteria and viruses.

Spray and away

At surface level, the Dettol research reveals that many of the public understand the benefits of frequently disinfecting the home, but when it comes to different surface types, hard surfaces are prioritised over soft by most. Perhaps it’s unsurprising then, that 21% don’t believe that bacteria and viruses can linger on soft surfaces and 39% are unaware that there is a Dettol household cleaning product that can disinfect them. Not only does Dettol All-In-One Disinfectant Spray effectively kill bacteria and viruses on soft surfaces, but it also works just as efficiently on hard ones, too.

Charl Malan, Head of Marketing at Reckitt said: ‘Recently conducted Dettol research shows that while there is concern amongst many of the public about bacteria and viruses lingering on soft surfaces, lots of people typically neglect disinfecting these areas. In fact, 29% of the respondents didn’t know how. At Reckitt, we are proud to be experts in germ kill and have created an all-in-one solution for killing 99.9% bacteria and viruses whilst also leaving a lovely fragrance too!’

Dettol’s All-in-One Disinfectant Spray range comes in three fragrances, Crisp Linen, Lemon Breeze and Orchard Blossom. The range is available to purchase now in all major retailers nationwide. For more information on Dettol’s All-in-One Disinfectant Spray range, visit dettol.ie.

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A debate has sparked on TikTok after a user revealed a tip they receive while working at a hotel. In the now-viral video, user Güera shows a $20 bill next to a note that she alleges she received at work.

“I had covid, so please disinfect the room as much as possible/be careful,” the note reads. “If you get sick I am sorry, I did my best.”

The video currently has over 142,000 views.

@guerasworld

Lol yikes

♬ original sound – Güera

In comments, Güera shared additional information about what happened.

“I had the choice to drop the room but I wanted the $20,” she explained. “I’m double vaxxed and boosted and I’ve had Covid twice so I hope that will be ok.”

Users were divided about this note and tip.

Some thought that this person was doing a kind gesture by disclosing they had tested positive. These users allege that there are likely to have been many other people Güera came into contact with at her work that also had the virus and chose not to disclose their COVID-19 positive status.

“95% of people would not disclose that,” wrote one user.

“Had, not has. Maybe they were being extra cautious by informing,” stated a second.

“Come on guys at least they tried,” shared a third. “You know damn well you, your friend, or family has been out in public with a cold or covid before.”

In contrast, others thought the guest was in the wrong.

“It’s not hard to stay home if you’re sick,” commented a TikToker.

“They should have told the front desk,” another shared.

“Man I always tip $20. That’s cheap af,” added a further commenter.

A few users went so far as to call Güera for seemingly complaining about the tip.

“At least they left a tip you ungrateful human,” wrote a commenter.

But as Güera noted in a follow-up TikTok, she was not, in fact, ungrateful, and nothing in her original TikTok was meant to indicate that.

@guerasworld Reply to @mskayleighjune ♬ original sound – Güera

“I just wonder, where did I show that I was ungrateful?… I love $20!” she says.

The Daily Dot has reached out to Güera via email for comment on this story.

Today’s top stories

*First Published: May 14, 2022, 11:03 am CDT

Braden Bjella

Braden Bjella is a culture writer. His work can be found in Mixmag, Electronic Beats, Schön! magazine, and more.

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Originally Appeared Here

So the COVID pandemic has made hand sanitizer standard equipment in vehicles. Disinfectant spray abounds in most households. The focus on “clean” has never been more elevated.

No doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic inspired a cleaning frenzy. But here’s the question now: How many people are cleaning thoroughly enough to prevent the spread of germs?

Some don’t know what “clean” really means in the context of infection prevention, says Tricia Holderman, author of “Germinator: The Germ Girl’s Guide To Simple Solutions In A Germ-Filled World.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic got a lot of people thinking about germs,” says Holderman, owner and CEO of Elite Facility Systems, a consulting company that handles facility cleanliness and infection prevention for hospitals, NFL and NBA teams, and other businesses.

“Suddenly, every other person you meet is a clean freak. People who never knew infection prevention was a thing were suddenly spraying their groceries with disinfectant and walking around in homemade hazmat suits.”

Everybody has a different idea of clean, she says. Some people, for example, insist on having floors so sparkly and shiny you could eat off of them.

But there is a difference between cleanliness and infection prevention.

“Just because something looks clean doesn’t mean it’s germ-free,” Holderman says. “There are specific things that cleaning needs to accomplish to create a safe, healthy environment.”

Holderman explains the four categories of cleaning and how to keep your house not just clean but sanitary:

• Surface cleaning. This involves vacuuming, sweeping, dusting or wiping. The right way to clean, Holderman says, is to get the dirt off of a surface, but many people instead only move the dirt around because they wipe in circles or mop back and forth over the same areas.

“Use leading-edge cleaning,” she says. “After first clearing everything off the surface, you always lead with the same edge of your mop, rag, or whatever you’re using and always move forward, pushing the dirt away from the surface you’ve already cleaned. But remember, in regard to removing germs from the environment, cleaning alone isn’t enough to make a place safe.”

• Disinfecting. Disinfecting is the chemical process of killing germs, usually by applying a spray or liquid solution to them.

“Some people tend to combine surface cleaning with disinfecting by spraying a disinfecting cleaner and then wiping it off,” Holderman says. “When done properly, this process makes whatever surface you clean as clean as it looks.”

• Sanitizing. This is the reduction of the number of germs to a safe level. It’s mostly used in food preparation areas and refers to eliminating or reducing bacteria.

“What you do to sanitize will vary, depending on your needs,” Holderman says. “For example, you sanitize your hands, but you should never use disinfectant on your skin, only sanitizer designed specifically for that purpose.”

• Sterilizing. Sterilizing takes disinfecting to the next level by adding heat, Holderman says. “Most germs will die if heated to a certain temperature,” she says. “For example, most viruses will die at 160 degrees. Sterilization is done mainly in professional settings, like hospitals and dental offices. Chemicals can also be combined to be used for sanitization when heat is not the best option.”

At home, Holderman says, a regular combination of cleaning and disinfecting should be more than enough to keep you and your loved ones safe.

So there you have it.

As Holderman says, “Germs linger and spread and it’s important to know the most effective ways to get rid of them before they get to you or your loved ones.”

— Times and Democrat, May 17

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Originally Appeared Here