Bloomberg — Swine flu sufferers pass the bug to about two other people, fostering its spread, according to the first published study of the pandemic strain’s infectiousness in the Southern Hemisphere.

Researchers in New Zealand and the Netherlands used mathematical modeling to estimate the transmission potential of the new H1N1 strain, also known as swine flu.  The reproduction number in New Zealand is 1.96, meaning that up to 79 percent of people could potentially catch the germ during the epidemic, said Michael Baker, one of the study’s authors.

The pandemic bug appears to be as contagious as seasonal influenza, and is spreading faster among people aged 10 to 45 years, according to the World Health Organization. The severity of the disease ranges from mild symptoms such as sore throat and muscle ache to severe illnesses including pneumonia that can result in death, WHO said.

Further studies are needed to produce more robust reproduction estimates for New Zealand, the authors said. Effective public health interventions, including improved hygiene-related behavior, could stem the spread of the disease, said co-author Nick Wilson.

Mortality rates in developed countries from the current pandemic could be as low as one death out of 10,000 cases, Baker and Wilson said in a separate study earlier this month.

Improving hygiene-related behavior includes sanitizing your keyboard along with hand washing. Infectious diseases can be spread through a dirty keyboard. Keep your keyboard consistently clean - get a washable keyboard. It can be disinfected and fully submerged in cleaning solution. 

Swine Flu Sufferers Pass Bug to at Least Two Others, Study Says

The latest news from the World Health Organization regarding the Swine Flu (H1N1) is troubling.

16 JULY 2009 | GENEVA — As the 2009 pandemic evolves, the data needed for risk assessment, both within affected countries and at the global level, are also changing. At this point, further spread of the pandemic, within affected countries and to new countries, is considered inevitable. This assumption is fully backed by experience. The 2009 influenza pandemic has spread internationally with unprecedented speed. In past pandemics, influenza viruses have needed more than six months to spread as widely as the new H1N1 virus has spread in less than six weeks.

As part of your arsenal against harmful germs and bacteria (like Swine Flu) , Wetkeys.com suggests a washable keyboard that is an easily maintained sanitary keyboard. You can simply clean it with antibacterial soap. Given the fact that shared keyboards are a great breeding ground for disease, the addition of this gadget to your household, office or both provides a great advantage. 

Anyone heard of these little computer keyboard vacuums from Brosscar.com? They are pretty cool, but… isn’t easier just to get a sealed, washable keyboard? I think so. Then, you just wipe it down as often as you like with antibacterial cleaner. I got one at Wetkeys.com and it rocks!

Not only do you get all the crumbs off of it but you also kill any harmful germs and bacteria that you can’t see. This is really important, especially considering all the news about Swine Flu around the world from Bloomberg, CDC, and the World Health Organization. The guys at Wetkeys.com are really on top of what’s going on around the world with regard to infection control and Swine Flu. Info on their website is what convinced me to go out and get my washable full size keyboard and mouse.

Demand is so great for swine flu vaccines that some manufacturers are rejecting orders and will be able to sell as much as they produce, said Robert Parkinson Jr., chief executive officer of Baxter International Inc.Baxter, based in Deerfield, Illinois, has contracts with five countries for 80 million doses and has stopped taking new orders that it may not be able to fill, Parkinson said today in a call with investors.

The illness is sweeping the southern hemisphere during its usual flu season as tens of thousands of patients test positive for the virus in Australia, Argentina, Chile and other countries, the World Health Organization said. Swine flu isn’t yielding as much vaccine in labs as a typical seasonal strain, hindering efforts to meet expected needs in October when the outbreak pushes north, Parkinson said.

The U.S. government took the unusual step of purchasing all of the swine flu vaccine for the country.

Hand washing is a highly recommended approach to stay protected against germs.  Get a WETKEYS cleanable keyboard to reinforce your hand washing efforts.

Swine Flu Vaccine Won’t Meet Demand, Baxter CEO Says -  Bloomberg

Have you heard the latest from Bloomberg? The Swine Flu is sweeping the southern hemisphere during its usual flu season as tens of thousands of patients test positive for the virus in Australia, Argentina, Chile and other countries, according to the World Health Organization. Swine flu isn’t yielding as much vaccine in labs as a typical seasonal strain, hindering efforts to meet expected needs in October when the outbreak pushes north.
                                                                                                      

In order to prepare ourselves optimally for the coming onslaught, it is paramount that Americans begin thinking outside the “box” about how to best stay healthy. This includes use of technology. Specifically, using washable keyboards like the one I purchased at wetkeys.com. It’s a cleanable keyboard, that remains a sanitary keyboard. You can simply wipe it down with antibacterial soap as often as you’d like. Furthermore, shared keyboards are a breeding ground for harmful germs and bacteria.

Bloomberg reported that Londoners are suffering a summer wave of influenza worse than in the last winter flu season after the H1N1 virus caused the rate of illness to quadruple last week.

 The World Health Organization said the pandemic virus has infected over 77,000 people in more than 90 countries, killing over 330 of them, since its discovery in Mexico and the U.S. in April

Flu typically peaks in England in January. The college’s flu surveillance network reported that last week’s rate was about four times higher than the 10-year average for summer.

Washable keyboards have proven to eliminate infectious diseases. The spread of one the largest epidemics continues. Stay healthy this summer - get a washable keyboard. WETKEYS.com has a great selection of sanitary keyboards and mice. 

 Londoners Suffer Summer of Winter Bug as Swine Flu Cases Mount