The CDC released a Vital Signs report stating that CLABSIs have declined in the ICU in 2009 compared to 2001. This is a step in the right direction. APIC.org also gave its response to the CDC’s Vital Signs report.

Although there has been improvement in the ICU, there is still much work to be done in the non-critical areas. WETKEYS.com products can help in these areas. Our Santiype products are designed for sanitary typing and can be cleaned between users. Together, we can make HAIs and CLABSIs a thing of the past!

Hello all!

The CDC wrote a nice piece on the importance of implementing cleaning programs for “high touch” areas. This means places like keyboard terminals where the general public shares the same keyboard with everyone else. Here is a clip from the article:

“In view of the evidence that transmission of many healthcare acquired pathogens (HAPs) is related to contamination of near-patient surfaces and equipment, all hospitals are encouraged to develop programs to optimize the thoroughness of high touch surface cleaning as part of terminal room cleaning at the time of discharge or transfer of patients. ”

We encourage everyone to read the entire article on Evaluating Environmental Cleaning in regards to high touch areas.

You can also visit WETKEYS.com to get your personal waterproof and disinfectable keyboard so you can implement a personal cleaning plan just like the CDC recommends for hospitals.

From the APIC.org:

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidance on September 16 for preventing flu in healthcare settings. The new 17-page guide, which replaces previous CDC guidance for both seasonal influenza and the Interim Guidance on Infection Control Measures for 2009 H1N1 Influenza in Healthcare Settings, recommends the use of surgical masks rather than N-95 respirators when providing routine care for flu patients. Access the new CDC guidelines. “

Here is the entire CDC article.

Remember that a waterproof and washable keyboard can help cut down on infection rates. WETKEYS.com has a range of cleanable keyboards to fit any need. So stop on by our site today.

The CDC has the new numbers on H1N1.

The FluView feature breaks down the figures. One main point is that the number of cases declined for the data set. This is backing up the figures from Monday saying Swine Flu may have peaked in the US.

Practicing proper hygiene helps stave off the flu and other viruses. WETKEYS has the products you need to practice proper hygiene at work, home or on the go.  All of our products are waterproof and washable. You can disinfect our cleanable keyboards where ever and whenever.

Check us out this holiday season.

(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 

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.

According to the CDC:

Flu activity is increasing in most of the United States with nearly half of all states reporting widespread influenza activity. So far, most flu is 2009 H1N1 flu (sometimes called “swine flu”). CDC expects both 2009 H1N1 flu and seasonal flu to cause illness, hospital stays and deaths this season. CDC has recommendations on who should get vaccinated against seasonal flu and
2009 H1N1 flu.

As an extra precaution it’s a great idea to purchase items that will help reduce the chances of germ-spreading. One idea is to purchase washable keyboards and other technical equipment from Wetkeys.com. This way, you can keep what was once a breeding ground for germs, a sanitary area.   

Fundraising time is here and so is flu season. With the threat of Swine flu being reported on CNN and from the CDC and WHO, it sounds like it’s going to be a heck of season.

Why not make the most of this time by fundraising with Wetkeys.com, where you can purchase sanitary keyboards and other durable, cleanable electronic gadgets. These are washable keyboards that easily remain germ free, supporting a healthier environment for families.

By Fred Cicetti

September 17, 2009
Flu season in the northern hemisphere can range from as early as November to as late as May. The peak month usually is February.

However, this coming season is expected to be unpredictable because of the emergence of the H1N1 influenza virus or swine flu. The H1N1 has caused the first global outbreak—pandemic—of influenza in more than four decades.

There is concern that the 2009 H1N1 virus may make the season worse than a regular flu season. It is feared that there will be many more hospitalizations and fatalities this season. The 2009 H1N1 virus caused illness in the U.S. during the summer months when influenza is very uncommon.

The 2009-10 flu vaccine protects against the three main flu strains that research indicates will cause the most illness during the flu season. The seasonal vaccine is not expected to protect against the 2009 H1N1 virus. A vaccine for 2009 H1N1 is being produced and may be ready for the public in the fall.

The 2009-10 vaccine can be administered anytime during flu season. However, the best time to get inoculated is between October and November. The protection provided by the vaccine lasts about a year. Adults over 50 are prime candidates for the vaccine because the flu can be fatal for people in this age group.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that up to 20 percent of the population gets the flu each year.

The CDC reports vaccination rates are better for those over 65. About 7 in 10 seniors get their flu shots. You can get the flu vaccine from your doctor, at public health centers, senior centers, pharmacies and supermarkets.

For more than four decades, the flu vaccine has been strongly recommended for older people, but now some scientists say the vaccine probably doesn’t work well for those over 70. About 75 percent of flu deaths happen to people in this age group.

Flu is a contagious illness of the respiratory system caused by the influenza virus. Flu can lead to pneumonia, bronchitis, sinusitis, ear problems and dehydration.

Droplets from coughing and sneezing spread the flu. An adult with flu can infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to five days after becoming sick. Children may spread flu for more than seven days.

The best way to combat the bug is to get the flu vaccine. You have to get inoculated annually because new vaccines are prepared every year to combat new versions of the virus. When you battle the flu, you develop antibodies to the invading virus, but those antibodies don’t work on new strains. The vaccine does not prevent flu in all people; it works better in younger recipients than older ones.

Contrary to rumor, you can’t catch the flu from the vaccine. The flu vaccine is not made from a live virus.

The recovery time for the flu is about one to two weeks. However, in seniors, weakness may persist for a longer time.

The common scenario for flu is a sudden onset of symptoms, which include chills, fatigue, fever, cough, headache, sore throat, nasal congestion, muscle aches and appetite loss.

While nausea, vomiting and diarrhea can be related to the flu, these are rarely the primary flu symptoms. The flu is not a stomach or intestinal disease. The term stomach flu is inaccurate.

When symptoms strike, get to a doctor as soon as possible; the faster the better. There are prescription antiviral drugs to treat flu. Over-the-counter medicines can help relieve symptoms of the flu. You should also drink liquids to prevent dehydration, and sleep to bolster your immune system.

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Along with this important information on staying healthy during this flu season, buy you and your family washable keyboards. These heavy duty keyboards are ideal for keeping a clean home, espeically with kids around. These are waterproof keyboards, sanitary keyboards, and silicon keyboards. Get yours at Wetkeys.com today!

Well, it’s flu season again with an addition, Swine flu. The CDC, CNN, and other news and health organizations say it’s going to be a doozy of a season so it’s best to take every precaution possible.

That’s where Wetkeys.com can help. They’ve already done a lot of the thinking for you. They have washable keyboards and mice that make maintaining a sanitary environment easy. Whether you are a college student headed back to school or a concerned parent, these heavy duty, water proof, silicon keyboards  and other products improve your chances of staying healthy.