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Targus® Announces Availability of its UV-C LED Disinfection Light to Automatically Disinfect High-Touch Surfaces

Retrieved on:

Thursday, June 29, 2023

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ANAHEIM, Calif., June 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Targus®, the number one laptop case brand in the US and Canada1 and a leader in laptop cases and mobile computing accessories, today announced that its CES® 2021 Innovation Awards Honoree2, the UV-C LED Disinfection Light, is now available for sale. This essential no-touch solution helps reduce pathogens on device surfaces by utilizing UV-C Light technology, which breaks down the DNA of microorganisms.

Key Points:

This essential no-touch solution helps reduce pathogens on device surfaces by utilizing UV-C Light technology, which breaks down the DNA of microorganisms.
Sleek, modern, and lightweight, the Disinfection Light is designed to stand between your keyboard and monitor on the desktop to automatically disinfect the surfaces of keyboards, mice, and other items within the disinfection range3, reducing the need for manual intervention, cleaning, or touching.
The Targus UV-C LED Disinfection Light runs for 5 minutes, every hour, to clean the active disinfection area.
The UV-C LED Disinfection Light ( AWV339TT ) can be purchased in the US on Targus.com and through authorized resellers.

I'm over 65 and worried about the flu. Which vaccine should I have?

Retrieved on:

Thursday, June 1, 2023

It can cause the sudden onset of a fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, headache, muscle and joint pain.

Key Points:

It can cause the sudden onset of a fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, headache, muscle and joint pain.
In Australia, the flu is responsible for more than 5,000 hospitalisation and 100 deaths a year.
To combat the decline in immunity as we age, specific vaccines are available for people aged 65 and over.

Remind me, how does the immune system work?

The immune system uses multiple mechanisms to fight viral infections, which can be divided into two major arms of the immune system, called innate and adaptive immunity.
Innate immunity involves multiple inflammatory cells and chemicals that are triggered immediately, or within hours of encountering an infection.

Why are older people more at risk from the flu?

This immune system decline is called immunosenescence, which leads to increased susceptibility, hospitalisation and death from influenza.
Certain medical conditions, such as cancer and heart and lung conditions, increase susceptibility to severe influenza, with older people being more likely to have additional medical conditions than younger people.

What flu vaccines are available?

Annual flu vaccines are recommended to protect against the common circulating strains of influenza, which can differ from year to year.
The standard flu vaccines offered to adults aged under 65 consist of surface proteins of the virus or inactivated (killed) virus from four influenza strains: two A strains (H1N1 and H3N2) and two B strains.
Read more:
Why can you still get influenza if you've had a flu shot?

How do they compare?

In the few studies comparing Fluad and Fluzone directly, there is little evidence of a difference between them in reducing influenza and serious flu outcomes.
Fluzone is only available with a private prescription if you’re 60 years and over, at a cost of around A$65-70.
If neither augmented vaccine is available, a standard influenza vaccine is also acceptable for older people, since any influenza vaccine is preferable to receiving none.

How else can we protect against the flu?

Wearing a mask or N95 respirator significantly reduces the risk of infecting others when infected.
The evidence for protecting oneself against infection is less conclusive, mainly because it’s linked to early, consistent and, importantly, the correct use of masks.
Read more:
Over half of eligible aged care residents are yet to receive their COVID booster.

FamilyGuard™ Brand Partners with Kelly Rowland to Encourage Families to Say YES to Play

Retrieved on:

Friday, May 26, 2023

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RACINE, Wis., May 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The FamilyGuard™ Brand, a new lineup of disinfectant products from SC Johnson created to help protect families against germs, recently launched YES, PLAY!: an initiative that highlights the importance of having a dedicated, clean play space in the home, while giving parents the tools they need to be successful in today's state of family play.

Key Points:

The New Disinfectant Brand from SC Johnson Offers Families Funds to Create a Dedicated Play Zone + Declares May 26 National YES, PLAY!
The partnership with Rowland continues a series of programming from the FamilyGuard™ Brand that is giving resources and inspiring new activities from coast-to-coast so families can say YES to play and the moments that matter.
The FamilyGuard™ Brand Play Zone contest is open now through June 30, with winners announced in August1.
Day – a day dedicated to celebrating and encouraging play, and families engaging in play time together.

Should I get a flu vaccine this year? Here's what you need to know

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

So far this year, Australia has had more than 32,000 lab-confirmed cases of the flu and 32 deaths.

Key Points:

So far this year, Australia has had more than 32,000 lab-confirmed cases of the flu and 32 deaths.
Getting a flu vaccine is the best way to protect against getting the flu.
Below you’ll find everything you need to know about the 2023 flu vaccine.

What are the different types of flu?

There are two main types of influenza: influenza A and influenza B.
On the surface of the influenza virus there are two main proteins, the hemagglutinin (HA or H) and neuraminidase (NA or N).
Different strains are named after their versions of the H and N proteins, as in H1N1 or “swine flu”.

What strains does this year’s flu shot protect against?

The name is derived from the virus type (A or B)/the place it was first isolated/strain number/year isolated (virus subtype).
This year’s vaccine includes an influenza B isolated from Austria in 2021 (Victoria lineage) and an influenza B isolated in Phuket in 2013 (Yamagata lineage).

Who should get a flu shot?

Read more:
Should I get the flu shot if I'm pregnant?

How can I get it?

Are there different options?

However there is also a cell-based immunisation for people who don’t want a vaccine made in eggs.
When vaccines are grown in eggs, sometimes the virus can change and this might affect the level of protection.
The cell-based vaccine isn’t funded so patients will pay around $40 for a private prescription.

How well do they work?

Read more:
Why can you still get influenza if you've had a flu shot?

What are the side effects?

When people get a flu-like illness after the vaccine, it can be due to mild effects we sometimes see after vaccination, such as headaches, tiredness or some aches and pains.
Alternatively, symptoms after getting a flu shot may be due to another respiratory virus such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) that circulates in winter.

When’s the best time to get your flu shot?

Learning from COVID-19: The global health emergency has ended. Here's what is needed to prepare for the next one

Retrieved on:

Sunday, May 14, 2023

However, it would be a mistake to assume that this is a mere formality.

Key Points:

However, it would be a mistake to assume that this is a mere formality.
A PHEIC, like the one adopted for COVID-19 on Jan. 30, 2020, is declared if a public health event is determined to constitute:

A PHEIC means the WHO is sounding the loudest possible alarm to national governments to act together with urgency.
However, the heightened state of emergency under a PHEIC is not meant to be sustained indefinitely.

Significance of the end of the COVID-19 PHEIC

Moreover, the phrase “no one is safe until everyone is safe” may have become a familiar tagline during the pandemic.
Yet, many people, mostly in low- and middle-income countries, still struggle to access COVID-19 vaccines, diagnostics and treatments.
Second, the standing down of the PHEIC declaration is accompanied by an understandable desire — and necessity — to “move on” from COVID-19 after three difficult years.
The lack of real-world authority by the WHO to enforce the legally binding IHR has become abundantly clear.

Global co-ordination fell short

Still, what ensued fell far short of a co-ordinated global effort.
Read more:
COVID-19 vaccine inequity allowed Omicron to emerge
The need for collective action during global public health emergencies like COVID-19 has only been reinforced by the past three years.
Additionally, travel measures implemented in response to COVID-19, and in previous PHEICs, fell inequitably upon different population groups.
Meanwhile, a new pandemic may already be on the horizon as the global and interspecies spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza is raising growing alarm.

SAB Biotherapeutics Presents Positive Phase 1 and 2a Data for SAB-176 Influenza Immunotherapy at ISIRV-AVG Conference

Retrieved on:

Thursday, May 4, 2023

SIOUX FALLS, S.D., May 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SAB Biotherapeutics (Nasdaq: SABS), (SAB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a novel immunotherapy platform that produces specifically targeted, high-potency, fully-human immunoglobulin (hIgG,) antibodies, also known as fully-human polyclonal antibodies, without the need for human donors, today announced the presentation of positive safety and efficacy data from Phase 1 and 2a clinical trials of its influenza immunotherapy, SAB-176 at the AVG conference, which is hosted by the International Society for Influenza and other Respiratory Virus Diseases (ISIRV) in Seattle, Wash.

Key Points:

Taking place from May 3-5, 2023, the ISIRV-AVG conference is a premier international forum for influenza research, attracting leading experts in the field from around the world.
SAB will conduct an oral presentation, titled “Safety and efficacy results from Phase 1 and 2a trials using an anti-Type A and B influenza immunotherapeutic,” on Thursday, May 4, at 11:20 AM PT.
"We are excited to present the latest positive findings on SAB-176 at the highly regarded ISIRV-AVG conference," said Eddie Sullivan, co-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of SAB Biotherapeutics.
More information on SAB-176’s influenza therapeutic candidate can be found on the pipeline page of SAB’s website: sab.bio/sab-176 .

UK poultry can roam free outside again – but bird flu risk hasn't gone away

Retrieved on:

Thursday, April 20, 2023

The UK government recently announced that as of April 18, poultry and captive birds can be kept outside again as the threat from bird flu eases.

Key Points:

The UK government recently announced that as of April 18, poultry and captive birds can be kept outside again as the threat from bird flu eases.
These mandatory housing measures were introduced across England and Wales in the autumn of 2022 following the unprecedented spread of bird flu in the UK and Europe.
Read more:
Bird flu: domestic chicken keepers could be putting themselves – and others – at risk
Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, is caused by the influenza A virus which can lead to disease in many hosts including humans.
In general, human influenza viruses have little capacity to infect animal species and vice versa, but sporadic infections can sometimes occur between species.

How did the current outbreak spread?

The origins of all influenza A serotypes are thought to be in aquatic birds such as ducks, geese, gulls and wading birds.
The 2.3.4.4b clade of the H5N1 serotype, for example, is descended from the goose/Guangdong lineage, first isolated in a goose in Guangdong, China.
This clade emerged around 2021 and has caused several outbreaks globally, including in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, most likely spread by migratory birds.
And while avian flu has traditionally been a problem primarily for chickens and other domestic birds, this outbreak has been unusual in its capacity to cause disease and death in wild birds too.

Beyond birds

Mammals can become infected with bird flu as a result eating infected birds – through predation or scavenging – or from coming into contact with bird faeces.
In the UK most mammalian cases are in species likely to have consumed infected birds including foxes, otters and weasels.
The UK Health Security Agency has a zero to six level of threat for pandemic avian influenza.

Balancing risk with animal welfare

The greatest risk of influenza to poultry is through the autumn and winter months with the migration of birds, such as barnacle geese.
As we move out of peak influenza season, the risk should be lower in the short term.
The removal of housing restrictions is a decision that balances infection risk with animal welfare.

SC Johnson Launches New FamilyGuard™ Brand Disinfectant Line to Help Families Say YES To Play

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

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RACINE, Wis., April 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Spring is here, and summer is just around the corner, which means more free time for kids to play. To ensure families can say YES to play, SC Johnson is introducing the new FamilyGuard™ Brand, a lineup of disinfectant formulas created to help protect families against germs by disinfecting the hard, non-porous surfaces that loved ones touch most.*

Key Points:

To ensure families can say YES to play, SC Johnson is introducing the new FamilyGuard™ Brand , a lineup of disinfectant formulas created to help protect families against germs by disinfecting the hard, non-porous surfaces that loved ones touch most.
According to a recent study1, due to COVID, kids are redefining the way they want to play, including seeking a safe space to play and the permission to say YES to play more.
This has uncovered a play gap between the way kids want to play and how parents are helping to facilitate it.
In addition to the partnership, stay tuned for more resources and giveaways to come this year as part of the FamilyGuard™ Brand YES, PLAY!

Predicting epidemics isn't easy. We've created a global dataset to help

Retrieved on:

Monday, April 17, 2023

But there is very little scientific evidence that would give a clear picture of how fast and how often infectious diseases spread across countries.

Key Points:

But there is very little scientific evidence that would give a clear picture of how fast and how often infectious diseases spread across countries.
A key challenge for creating global disease data is the scattering of information.
To get a better global picture of infectious disease patterns, our team of economists and statisticians set out to create a global dataset.
By analysing how disease outbreaks spread across countries, health authorities can develop targeted measures to contain future outbreaks.

What the data shows

The figure below shows when those occurred.
Our data recorded only one disease outbreak announcement per country, year and disease.
This means the data doesn’t show how serious a disease outbreak was, nor how many people were affected in one country.
Instead, the data for each year reflects how many different diseases were recorded, and how many different countries were affected.

How the data is useful

A country that is coloured in a darker shade of green is more likely to contribute to cross-country spreading of diseases.
These clusters – Northern America, Africa and South-/East Asia – provide a first glimpse of international disease transmission patterns.
But more research will be needed to better understand pandemic contagion pathways, which likely differ by disease.

Policy preparedness

A better understanding of how different infectious diseases spread across countries can help establish early warning mechanisms and response protocols.
One could estimate how likely it is that an outbreak of a disease in one country will spread to another country and over what time period.
Policymakers could even put protocols in place where a certain disease transmission likelihood triggers a response measure (such as rolling out vaccines, or travel warnings).

Veru Announces Preclinical Results from Expanded Sabizabulin Program into Influenza-Induced Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Provides Update on COVID-19 Program

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

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MIAMI, FL, April 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Veru Inc. (NASDAQ: VERU), Veru Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel medicines for COVID-19 and other viral ARDS-related diseases and for oncology, today announced results from a preclinical study of sabizabulin demonstrating robust anti-inflammatory activity with improved outcomes in an Influenza-Induced Pulmonary Inflammation Mouse Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) Model.

Key Points:

An animal study was conducted by a team of researchers at Labcorp Early Development Laboratories, Ltd, United Kingdom.
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of sabizabulin in the influenza H1N1 pulmonary inflammation mouse ARDS model.
Sabizabulin’s anti-inflammatory effects were previously reported in a preclinical septic shock mouse model with suppression of key cytokines responsible for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
Accordingly, Veru is planning a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating sabizabulin in hospitalized adult influenza patients at high risk for ARDS.