Well you may be eligible for them.

This website is a wealth of information for anyone concerned about EHR initiatives.

As WETKEYS continues to bring you EHR news, we will also be updating our products to meet new standards.

So check out WETKEYS today and get yourself a washable and cleanable keyboard.

WETKEYS wants to know the wildest place you have used your keyboard.

The top 3 responses with the coolest stories will be re-posted to our blog and those persons sent $10 off coupons.  So let us know your story and you could win!

Many of us are taking a trip someone this holiday season. Whether it is to visit family, vacation some place exotic or for business, there is a good chance you are taking a plane to get to your destination.

Unfortunately, planes help the spread of germs and it is never fun being sick for the holidays. And if you are bringing a laptop with you to get some work done, that keyboard is going to be awfully nasty by the time you arrive.

Luckily, WETKEYS has a solution for you. Our keyboards are washable and cleanable. Many are portable and designed as travel keyboards.

So this season, keep yourself healthy by picking up a keyboard from WETKEYS.

New statistics for the number of cases of H1N1 “Swine Flu” have been released.

Reuters reports the following:

“H1N1 swine flu killed an estimated 3,900 Americans from April to October, including more than 500 children, U.S. health officials said on Thursday.

Better data than was previously available shows the flu pandemic has infected an estimated 22 million Americans and put 98,000 in the hospital, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.”

To read the full article, click here

The numbers do not mean the flu has gotten worse, just that the statistics about it have gotten more accurate. All in all, the number of people with H1N1 has risen to 22 million .

To see maps and statistics on the flu outbreak, you can go to FluView or FluTrends

To help stay healthy, go to WETKEYS.com and get yourself a cleanable keyboard and mouse. We offer great low prices and a wide variety of products to fit any need.

Here’s to your health!

You’ve heard of 6 packs, but try the new WETKEYS 10 pack.

This freshly brewed 10-pack comes in the 109 or 85 version of keyboards. It’s sent to you fast, so you know it’s good.

We recommend the 109 for those seeking a full-bodied keyboard. It’s a sophisticated 109-key keyboard, that can be cleaned for a smooth finish. And of course, it is flexible, just like your schedule.

For those seeking a less-filling keyboard, we recommend the 85. This light version keyboard has only 85-keys and measures less than 14 inches across. Perfect for anyone working in a tight space and with a tight budget.

Either way, it’s a good call to pick up a 10-pack from WETKEYS. Did I mention you save 45% off the regular price?

Global Handwashing Day 2009 will revolve around schools and children. On Global Handwashing Day, playgrounds, classrooms, community centers, and the public spaces of towns and cities will be awash with activity to drive handwashing behavior change on a scale never seen before, bringing the critical issue to center stage. Global Handwashing Day will be the centerpiece of a week of activities that will mobilize millions of people in more than 70 countries across all five continents to wash their hands with soap.

Let’s help keep our hands clean when we return to our keyboard. Washable keyboards help eliminate the spread of germs and diseases by being fully waterpoof and resistant to most cleaning solutions. WETKEYS offers the widest selection of washable keyboards and mice. 

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(Wall Street Journal) — They lurk on the kitchen sponge, your computer keyboard and the dirty laundry. Flush the toilet and they become airborne. Strangers leave them behind on airplanes, gas pumps, shopping carts, coffeeshop counters and elevator buttons. Your desktop, office microwave handles, and the exercise bike at the gym are covered with them. Don’t even think about the toys at day-care centers or the kids’ playground equipment.

Germs—the microscopic bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa that can cause disease—cling to the most common surfaces and then hitch a ride on our hands. As swine flu spreads from person to person around the world, it is most often being transmitted by coughing or sneezing, but it can also infect people who touch something with flu virus on it and then touch their mouth or nose, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns. And like an unwelcome house guest, a flu virus can hang around for days.

No wonder germophobes—including me—are on high alert, viewing every surface as a potentially lethal petri dish. We’re using our elbows to push elevator buttons, forgoing the handshake and social kiss for the fist bump, and fanatically disinfecting everything in sight.

But how vulnerable are we to the sea of germs swirling around us? Our immune system protects us from most of them, and in some spots that harbor germs, like household drains, the risk of transfer is low. Experts say there’s no reason to panic—even though there may be good reasons to be grossed out, since the spread of germs is often linked to poor bathroom hygiene and bacteria from human waste.

Cleaning and disinfecting things like desks and doorknobs can play a role in protecting us, he says, but “focusing on one surface misses the point, because no surface is not germy.” (The CDC.gov Web site offers information on keeping germs at bay in the home, how to wash your hands correctly, and the importance of flu vaccines and other immunizations in preventing disease.)Also, not all germs are harmful; we need friendly bacteria that live on our skin to help fight off bad bugs, and bacteria in our mouth and gut help digest our food and prevent illness and disease.

Still, I wanted to know where in my home, office and wider world I should most forcefully brandish my disinfectant wipes and hand-sanitizer. My calls to experts turned up some surprising culprits: the public toilet seats I’d always been warned about are likely cleaner than the desks in my workplace. My kitchen sponge and cutting board harbor the biggest dangers, as do places like elevator buttons, communal coffee carafes and gym equipment, that are touched by many hands and are rarely cleaned.

One of the scariest germ incubators may be the office. Your co-worker eating at the next cubicle isn’t just annoying you with the smell of fried onions—he’s leaving behind particles of food that can be breeding ground for bacteria. Add in the microbes transferred from workers’ hands to keyboards, phones and the computer mouse, and the average office desk is may harbor 400 times more germs than the average toilet seat, since office desks and surfaces may be rarely cleaned, while bathrooms tend to be disinfected regularly, Dr. Gerba says.

After testing surfaces and objects in 113 offices in five cities, the Arizona researchers found that women’s offices had more than twice the bacteria of their male counterparts. Makeup cases, phones and purses had the highest number of bacteria; for men it was wallets, hand-held electronic devices and phones. Women’s offices had higher numbers of mold and yeast, mostly from food kept in drawers. But the superbug MRSA, isolated in 6% of offices, was found more often in men’s offices on the phone, computer mouse, desktop and the bottom of desk drawers.

The studies are funded by makers of disinfectants including Procter & Gamble and Clorox, whose products were also used to test the effectiveness of cleaning and compare regular cleaning regimens to disinfecting with substances like bleach. Dr. Gerba says more research is needed on the link between surface germs and disease, since it’s impossible to say who will get sick. “Some people will never get ill no matter what they do or don’t do, and others will get ill almost every time,” he notes.

A washable keyboard and mouse are a great way to minimize the amount of germs that linger on your desk. WETKEYS.com offers a wide selection of cleanable keyboards and mice for any work environment and keyboard user.

Where the Worst Germs Lurk 

(USA Today) — The only thing experts can say for sure about this flu season is that it will be unlike any other, with multiple flu viruses circulating, one of which most people are defenseless against. “This year we are in uncharted territory,” says Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Thomas Frieden. “What will happen in the coming weeks and months will only become clear in the weeks and months ahead.” Here is a handy guide to prepare for flu season by USA TODAY’s Steve Sternberg, compiled from information provided by the CDC and other sources.

What is Novel H1N1 (swine flu)?

It is an influenza virus that has never been seen in humans before and is spreading around the world. On June 11, the World Health Organization issued its highest form of global public health alert when it labeled the disease a pandemic.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Many people also have reported diarrhea and vomiting. Most people recover without hospitalization, but some people get so sick they need intensive care, and some of those don’t survive.

Can I protect myself from getting sick?

Get vaccinated. Vaccine for H1N1 flu is due in October, although certain groups are asked to move toward the head of the line. Vaccine for seasonal flu is available now. Public health experts advise adults and children to get both vaccines, because seasonal flu, by itself, kills 36,000 people a year and causes 200,000 hospitalizations. Jon McCullers of St. Jude’s Children’s Research also recommends that children get vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia, which has been a major cause of deaths in previous flu epidemics.

Who should get vaccine?

• The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends swine flu vaccination for pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months old, health care workers, young people ages 6 months to 24 years and people 25 to 64 with chronic medical conditions or weakened immunity. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has urged health workers and people who care for infants to get vaccinated, because they so often come in contact with those who are most vulnerable to severe flu complications. “The best way to protect babies is to protect those who come in close contact with them,” she says.

• Seasonal vaccine is recommended for infants and young people 6 months to 19 years old; people caring for infants up to 6 months old; pregnant women, people 50 and older, people with chronic disease, health care workers and others who want to reduce their risk of getting sick.

Is vaccine the only option?

No, it’s the most reliable option. But the CDC recommends these common-sense approaches:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow. Throw out dirty tissues immediately.

• Wash hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing and sneezing. Alcohol hand sanitizers are effective.

• Keep hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth.

• If you’re sick with flulike illness, keep away from others to keep from making them sick.

• Avoid close contact with sick people, if possible.

A washable keyboard and mice are another great way to help protect yourself from the flu. Cleanable keyboards from WETKEYS, can be easily sanitized and cleaned with virtually and cleaning solution, or even just soap and water. Keeping your washable keyboard clean can really help strengthen your hand-washing efforts.

Some helpful tips for staying healthy this flu season are:

• Wash your hands often
• Carry hand sanitizer with you at all times
• Regularly disinfect surfaces
• Avoid contact with people who are infected with the flu
• Get vaccinated
• Purchase a washable keyboard and keep it clean

 These are just a few tips to help you remain healthy. The CDC is reporting that this flu season is potentially devestating. Protect your parents and children from typical influenza and Swine Flu. Go to Wetkeys.com today for more healthy tips! At Wetkeys, you can purchase sanitary keyboards that are heavy duty keyboards and waterproof keyboards that are easily kept clean.

H1N1 Brings Early Flu Season to

 Colleges, Public Schools

Thursday, September 17, 2009
By Marrecca Fiore

Public schools and colleges are seeing an early and robust flu season thanks to the H1N1 virus, although some are scratching their heads as to why it’s not as widespread as health officials predicted it would be.

And so far, it appears to be far less deadly than its well-known cousin, the seasonal flu that comes every fall and winter and kills tens of thousands of people in America every year.

“There’s no doubt the flu has gotten off to a fast and early start,” said Tom Skinner, spokesman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It is very unusual to see the amount of cases we’re seeing this time of year. It’s a long season and some campuses are being hit hard.”

Dozens of public schools across the country have reported both confirmed and suspected cases of H1N1. A Houston-area charter school with 200 students closed Wednesday to “disinfect” after a student tested positive for the virus. A high school in Kentucky canceled its Friday night football game on Wednesday after a player was confirmed to have the virus and several other players exhibited flu-like symptoms.

Meanwhile, colleges and universities across the country are reporting thousands of suspected swine flu cases.

Two weeks ago, a 22-year-old student from the University of Nebraska-Omaha died from suspected H1N1 just before starting classes there.

Still, only 600 Americans have died from the new H1N1 virus, a low number when compared to the 30,000 to 40,000 people who die annually from seasonal flu. Skinner said that could be due to whom H1N1 is targeting.

The very young, very old and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk of contracting and dying from the seasonal flu. But a different group is most susceptible to the H1N1 virus.

“H1n1 is hitting a larger population of teenagers and young adults, people with robust immune systems, so we might not see the number of hospitalizations and deaths that we see with the seasonal flu,” Skinner said. “That’s kind of how things are shaping up early on, but it’s still too early to draw any definitive conclusions on how it will ultimately affect people.”

Colleges See Early Flu Outbreak

The American College Health Association reported that as of this past Monday, 83 percent of the 253 colleges and universities that the organization tracks reported influenza-like illnesses, up from 72 percent the week before. The organization tracked a total of 6,432 cases and 16 hospitalizations over the past week, according to its Web site.

The nationwide attack rate last week was 21.5 cases per 10,000 college students, 20 percent higher than week before. The most cases were reported in the Northwest, with considerable activity also occurring in the Southeast, according to the college health association.

Skinner said the flu’s unpredictability is one reason why H1N1 is hitting some regions harder than others.

“There’s no rhyme or reason as to how it spreads and when it hits a particular region,” he said. “Last week, we, in Georgia, saw a lot of activity at colleges with some areas being hit harder than others.”

Although some regions have yet to see upswing in flu cases, Skinner warned people not to become complacent.

“Even if an area is not being hit hard now, our message continues to be that we want to make sure that those in high-risk groups get vaccinated,” he said.

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Well, there is no doubt that flu season is upon us. Do all you can for you and your family’s health and invest in a washable keyboard and mouse from Wetkeys.com. These items are sanitary and heavy duty, low-cost and high-quality. Typical keyboards harbor disease-causing germs and bacteria, but with Wetkeys keyboards, there is nowhere for them to hide!