There are a lot of posts out there about making resolutions and setting goals and plans. A lot of it is the same regurgitated hooey that fills our inbox and "for you pages" all year long. I wrote something the other day when I was thinking about goal-setting/resolutions/plans. My thought was simply that making plans is great, but without ACTION nothing happens. I defined ACTION as this: Acting Consciously To Increase Our Narrative In a nutshell, it means taking action to make our stories bigger. The Importance of Story There is no doubt that for most of us, a story--our story--is very important. We make friends, we build businesses, and find that so much of our lives are built around stories. A story often defines us. It tells others who we are. It is the narrative that we live by. Having a great story to tell can go a long way. So, what does having a story to tell have to do with making this our best year yet? Because most stories contain action or drama or some sort of crisis. Imagine a story about somebody who just sat and did nothing except plan and set goals. Somewhat boring, in my humble opinion. But now imagine a story of magic and dragons and mystery and growth and action galore! Fun right? We all have an exciting story to tell. Something that happened to us or something we did. I often tell the story of a thing that happened to me while I was in college. My track and field teammates and I were on our way to the national competition in Indiana. I would be throwing the shot put and the javelin for my events. But something that happened off the field was the highlight of this trip. On the second morning of the competition, a couple of my friends and I went to the restaurant in the hotel for a quick breakfast. It was anything but quick. We only had about 45 minutes and the line to be seated reached out into the hallway! When we finally got inside, we only had about 20 minutes left before we had to be on the bus on our way to the site of the competition. We waved at some other friends of ours who were ready to be seated. They didn't see us, but a shockingly beautiful woman and the two big, muscular men with her did. The woman thought we were waving at her and she motioned us over to her table where there were three open chairs, just enough for the three of us. She invited us to sit with her. She introduced herself as the speaker at a conference that was being held at the hotel. She was the Playboy centerfold for September 1987 (I may be off on the year). The two big men were her bodyguards! She thought we were part of the conference so we explained that we were there for the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) competition and that we only had a few minutes before we had to leave but that we were starving! It was then that I first learned the power of personality. She immediately summoned a waitress in this super busy hotel restaurant and within five minutes we had food and beverages! (I am not sure whose food and beverages we got, but we ate them without guilt!) We visited with this very intelligent, beautiful woman and her bodyguards and then we were on our way to NCCAA fame! (Not really. I took 9th in the javelin throw with a 93-foot throw.) Some of my other teammates did very well placing first in their events. But none of them had the kind of story we had! We took action by going over to this woman and two men that we did not know and it garnered us a story that we can retell for a long time. Stories are important to us because when they are a good story, they can give us center stage for a few minutes while we tell the story. The telling of our story can make things happen in our business or personal lives as we build connections with others. Starting 2023 Right! One story that many of us are probably tired of hearing is about all the illnesses going around right now. COVID continues rearing its ugly head while a host of other contagious respiratory illnesses also plague us. I would be remiss if I did not tell you that using Vital Oxide and some of the other great products available at LastGerm.com could help you stay healthy. Vital Oxide is our EPA Registered, NSF Approved, Hospital Grade, Deep Disinfection Service that Kills 99.999% of Viruses, Bacteria and Pathogens and has been approved by the EPA for use against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that caused the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). We meet the EPA's emerging pathogen requirements for viruses showing efficacy against envelope and nonenveloped viruses, both large and small. We have products that will help you with wounds from a scrape to burns and bed sores. Our Pure&Clean products are top-notch and can not be beaten. Try hydrogel, it is amazing at making wounds virtually disappear. Pure&Clean® Hydrogel Statements • Non-Cytotoxic • DIY Skin Protection • An environmentally friendly product • Doctor and Pharmacist Recommended • Works to manage the wound and skin, frequent and regular applications will help accelerate the process and return your skin back to its normal healthy state. • Simple to use: Just spray it on! • Contains no antibiotics, no steroids, and no alcohol for a sting-free first-aid product! • All natural • Promotes health and wellness • Manages wounds and skin with positive results • Spray all intact skin including hands We also have products to help remove mold and mildew and to keep it from coming back! You can find our more about that in the coming weeks. Check out our site and find out more! You can start your new year right by resolving to make your life cleaner, safer and healthier and having a story to tell about it!

I love to get presents for the holidays. I think most of us who celebrate the holidays enjoy receiving gifts. Since my family celebrates Christmas, I can only speak about my personal experiences with holiday giving and gatherings. Many people celebrate many different traditions and holidays around this time of the year. When I was a child, I didn't put much thought into holidays other than we got gifts and got to go spend time with the aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins. We usually only gathered a time or two a year so December was a favorite month because it meant time with family--AND presents! I'll admit that the gifts and opening them were a favorite part of the holidays for me when I was younger. As I grew older and (hopefully more mature) I came to realize that the presents were just a pleasant part of the holiday and that spending time with my loved ones held far more value than even the richest gift. I think I first came to realize the importance of family after the passing of my grandmother on my mom's side. After she was gone, it seemed like getting together for the holidays was no longer a priority. In fact, for the past 30 years, we have only gathered as a family on a large scale at funerals, the last one being at the death of my mom a year and 3 months ago. This happens, and it can be a sad part of life. We all get so busy. We have our own children and grandchildren and we may spend less time with the family we were born into and more time with the families we have created through marriage and children. We can have fond memories of holidays past and wax nostalgically about the fun times. But I encourage you to not spend so much time dwelling on the past that you forget about enjoying the present. We have created new traditions within our family over the past 30 years. Since my granddaughter joined us we have started the tradition of baking treats and watching the movie "Flubber" every Christmas eve! I know it seems kind of weird. What does that movie have to do with Christmas? Nothing! But it somehow has been something that we have done every year for the past 4 years (since the granddaughter discovered the movie). It is our new tradition! We can all create traditions that make our holidays happier. Watching "Flubber" is one that makes my family a little happier! This year one of the things I will be doing is going to visit my dad at the nursing home. They still require a mask or face coverings when you visit the home, but I will also be adding my BioProtect Hand Sanitizer to not only protect myself but also to protect my dad and the other nursing home residents. Here's a few facts about LastGerm.com's hand sanitizer: BIOPROTECT™ Hydrating Hand Sanitizer BIOPROTECT™ Hydrating Hand Sanitizer is an FDA-registered hand sanitizer that kills 99.99% of germs and bacteria on your hands for up to 6 hours! Moisturizes and hydrates hands as it kills germs and bacteria. Infused with soothing aloe vera. Fragrance-free, dye-free, paraben-free, and sulfate-free. Convenient 1.7 oz size (Airline friendly), alcohol-free (no smell or sting!), and moisturizing hand sanitizer. Take it with you wherever you go! In fact, I do carry this with me wherever I go. It helps not only protect me from germs and bacteria but also helps keep my hands softer which is a hard thing to do in Minnesota winter! You could create a new tradition of giving this very effective hand sanitizer as a holiday gift! In whatever way you celebrate the holidays, we wish you happiness and joy, and prosperity in the coming year!

There are a lot of areas of safety and health that we can talk about related to the holidays: Travel Safety Food Safety Health Concerns and Safety These are just a few that immediately come to mind when one considers the vast list of "worries" that abound during the holiday season. Today we are going to briefly touch on each topic and give you some steadfast tips to help you "weather" the sometimes touchy holidays. Travel Safety Traveling has not changed much in the past few years. There continue to be concerns about weather conditions making for difficult travel, fuel costs, and the like. While these are all related to the actual act of traveling from Point A to whatever points you hit along the way, these are all valid concerns. The best travel tip for winter traveling is this, keep an eye on the forecast and watch the skies. I know how important it is to see relatives and friends for the holidays, but if you risk travel when the conditions dictate staying home, you are not only putting yourself in danger but also anyone else who might be in the same situation as you. Of course, there are always unforeseen hazards such as car failure, but there are ways to prepare for difficulties while traveling by vehicle. The Zebra recommends the following 13 items be packed in your winter travel survival kit. Flashlight with extra batteries Bag of cat litter (no, not for the cat--leave her at home!) for use in getting unstuck. Snow shovel First aid kit Ice scraper Jumper cables Water Blanket(s) Cell phone charger Reflective triangles Non-perishable snacks Matches Tool kit Extra items. Pack these additional supplies if you have space in your car: Extra winter clothes Snow boots Tire chains Duct tape Empty gas can Tow strap Fire extinguisher Road flare Snow brush Traction mats Food Safety Making sure that you have clean workspaces while preparing your holiday feasts is vital to a happy, healthy, and festive holiday. It won't make much sense to prepare a huge meal for the family if everyone gets sick from eating it because you did not use safe food handling tips! The United States Food and Drug Agency (FDA) has a simple list on its website. These tips are time-tested and can help all of your guests enjoy the meal. The site states, "The Federal government estimates that there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illness annually – the equivalent of sickening 1 in 6 Americans each year. And each year, these illnesses result in an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths." Those are some frightening statistics but you can keep your holidays food illness free by following these tips. (These are directly from the article on the FDA site in the link above) You may also check out the complete PDF here.) CLEAN Wash hands and surfaces often Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and handling pets. Wash your cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with hot soapy water after preparing each food item. Consider using paper towels to clean up kitchen surfaces. If you use cloth towels, launder them often in the hot cycle. Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water, including those with skins and rinds that are not eaten. Scrub firm produce with a clean produce brush. With canned goods, remember to clean the lids before opening. SEPARATE Separate raw meats from other foods Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from other foods in your grocery shopping cart, grocery bags, and refrigerator. Use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs unless the plate has been washed in hot, soapy water. Don’t reuse marinades used on raw foods unless you bring them to a boil first. COOK Cook to the right temperature Color and texture are unreliable indicators of safety. Using a food thermometer is the only way to ensure the safety of meat, poultry, seafood, and egg products for all cooking methods. These foods must be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature to destroy any harmful bacteria. Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm. Only use recipes in which eggs are cooked or heated thoroughly. When cooking in a microwave oven, cover food, stir, and rotate for even cooking. If there is no turntable, rotate the dish by hand once or twice during cooking. Always allow standing time, which completes the cooking, before checking the internal temperature with a food thermometer. Bring sauces, soups, and gravy to a boil when reheating. CHILL Refrigerate foods promptly Use an appliance thermometer to be sure the temperature is consistently 40° F or below and the freezer temperature is 0° F or below. Refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, and other perishables within 2 hours of cooking or purchasing. Refrigerate within 1 hour if the temperature outside is above 90° F. Never thaw food at room temperature, such as on the countertop. There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately. Always marinate food in the refrigerator. Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator. Sanitize surfaces As an added protection, you could consider using Vital Oxide to sanitize the surfaces where you are preparing food. Vital Oxide is an NSF registered (D-2) no rinse required food contact surfaces sanitizer. It kills 99.999% of food-borne bacteria, including E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria in less than 60 seconds. Vital Oxide is a hospital-grade disinfectant that is EPA Registered and can be found on the N list as a product that successfully eliminates SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). This product is applied with an electrostatic sprayer, allowing every surface point to be sanitized. After 5 minutes, 99.999% of microbes are eliminated. You can also easily spray it directly from the bottle. LastGerm.com offers many convenient sizes with trigger sprayers to make sanitizing your food-prep areas a breeze! Health Concerns and Safety This area goes hand-in-hand with the previous topic. Because so many people do contract food-borne illnesses during the holidays, please take extra precautions with your food-prep areas. This cannot be emphasized enough. Because Vital Oxide is very effective in killing all sorts of bacteria, it is safe to use throughout your house to help eliminate risks of other illnesses as well. It is also safe and easy to use as Step One in our total 2 Step Process for eliminating a lot of nasty things in your home, school, office, church, and more! We know that many illnesses like Influenza A, RSV, COVID, Strep, and other illnesses are impacting the nation currently. In fact, an article from our local newspaper this week talks about a school that was closed for two days due to so many students that were out sick. Don't risk your family and friends' health when it is so easy to keep people healthier! For more information... If you have questions about our 2-step process and how LastGerm is working to bring you more quality products that make your life safer and better, contact an agent near you who will be happy to assist you.

People all over the world are getting sick—again. There are high instances of several infectious diseases from the common cold (which really isn't so "common") to RSV and all kinds of other illnesses. According to a recent article on SciTechDaily, Austrialian scientists have discovered a new form of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). What is antimicrobial resistance? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), antimicrobial resistance "occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. "As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective and infections become increasingly difficult or impossible to treat." AMR is expected to claim 10 million lives earch year by 2050, according to the SciTechDaily report. A research team led by Dr. Timothy Barnett, Head of the Strep A Pathogenesis and Diagnostics team at the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, based at Telethon Kids Institute in Perth, Western Australia, "revealed a new mechanism that enables bacteria to take up nutrients from their human host and bypass antibiotic treatment." In other words, the bacteria are able to live on their human host (you, me, us) and won't be detered or killed by antibiotics. They will continue to grow on their host. These infections can be nearly impossible to treat. The article went on to state that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that "antimicrobial resistance is an urgent global public health threat, killing at least 1.27 million people worldwide and associated with nearly 5 million deaths in 2019. More than 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections occur in the U.S. each year." Dr. Barnett's research showed that bacteria were able to take folates directly from its human host when blocked from producing their own basically rendering antibiotics useless to fight the bacteria. “'Bacteria need to make their own folates to grow and, in turn, cause disease. Some antibiotics work by blocking this folate production to stop bacteria growing and treat the infection,' Dr. Barnett explained." The results? Dr. Barnett's work shows that it could become "very hard for clinicians to prescribe antibiotics that will effectively treat the infection, potentially leading to very poor outcomes and even premature death." Even though the findings related to Group A Strep, Barnett research highlights that this is likely a broader issue across other bacterial pathogens. “'AMR is a silent pandemic of much greater risk to society than COVID-19 – in addition to 10 million deaths per year by 2050, WHO estimates AMR will cost the global economy $100 trillion if we can’t find a way to combat antibiotic failure,' Barnett said." “'Without antibiotics, we face a world where there will be no way to stop deadly infections, cancer patients won’t be able to have chemotherapy and people won’t have access to have life-saving surgeries. “'In order to preserve the long-term efficacy of antibiotics, we need to further identify and understand new mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, which will aid in the discovery of new antibiotics and allow us to monitor AMR as it arises,'” according to the SciTechDaily article. How can we fight this nearly undetectable threat? We are not without options and antibiotics are not the only answer. Mybe not even the best answer. We have overused antibiotics for years and now we are paying the price as a society. However, LastGerm's 2-step process is ideal for dealing with bacteria and other disease-causing pathogens. The Science Behind LastGerm Conventional disinfectants and antimicrobials kill microbes by poisoning them with toxic chemicals. Even those that achieve results with nontoxic ingredients are designed to both act and dissipate quickly to avoid harm to humans and animals. Unfortunately, as soon as the disinfectant evaporates, so does its antimicrobial capabilities. Unlike other antimicrobials, our system is odor-free, environmentally neutral, safe to use in child and pet areas, and can remain antimicrobial active for an extended period of time. ​ Our 2-step process begins with completely killing any existing bacteria, viruses and germs that are on a surface. Vital Oxide (step one) is a hospital grade disinfectant that is EPA Registered and can be found on the N list as a product that successfully eliminates SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). This product is applied with an electrostatic sprayer, allowing every surface point to be sanitized. After 5 minutes, 99.999% of microbes are eliminated. The unique part of our process is our second product. BioProtect is an anti-microbial surface protectant. EPA Registered and FDA Approved, this product can be used in any facility, including areas where children and pets play and on food prep areas. Once again, we use our sprayer to lay down a protectant on all porous and non-porous surfaces and this barrier provides a continual elimination of any microbe that lands on this surface! ​ Just spray, mist or fog onto a surface directly from the bottle or electrostatic or ULV sprayer, it’s as easy as that! No rinse is required, even for food surface contact, and remains effective for up to 90 days. I don't know of any antibiotics that can make this kind of claim! But this is proven protection from a lot of nasty stuff! For more information... If you have questions about our 2-step process and how LastGerm is working to bring you more quality products that make your life safer and better, contact an agent near you who will be happy to assist you. Enter our contest and be a BIG winner! Enter today! You can't win if you don't enter! Hurry, though, there isn't much time left to enter!

When something sounds too good to be true, it probably is 99% of the time. For example: If someone promises you that you will become a millionaire overnight—don't quit your day job. If you receive an e-mail that tells you that your rich, previously unknown relative who was the king or queen or prince of some obscure country just left you their vast fortune—then you should probably hit the delete button on your computer immediately! If you get a phone call that you just won the lottery and you only have to give the caller your personal banking information so they can deposit the money directly into your account—JUST DON'T DO IT!! If someone tells you about an incredible product that enhances healing and can actually speed up the process through natural means—you might want to sit up and take notice! The incredible power of hydrogel There are 100s of products on the market that purport to promote healing. Some may, many do not. But there is one product that not only promotes healing, it actually does what other products only promise to do—it heals. If you follow our blog, you have probably seen some of our recent articles on the miracle of hydrogel through Pure&Clean with whom LastGerm.com is in partnership. These products can do a lot of good for the people who need them and can save them a lot of money, too. They are easy to self-administer in most cases and do not require a prescription. Pure&Clean Hydrogel is a little miracle worker in a bottle. • Non-Cytotoxic • DIY Skin Protection • An environmentally friendly product • Doctor and Pharmacist Recommended • Works to manage the wound and skin, frequent and regular applications will help accelerate the process and return your skin back to its normal healthy state. • Simple to use: Just spray it on! • Contains no antibiotics, no steroids, and no alcohol for a sting-free first-aid product! • All natural • Promotes health and wellness • Manages wounds and skin with positive results • Spray all intact skin including hands Safe for the management of: • Minor wounds • Cuts • Scrapes • Scratches • Blisters • Sunburns • Poisoned plant sap irritations • Rashes • Insect bites and stings Key Features: • Gel alternative over a liquid • Prevent wounds from drying out • Aids to keep burns moist There are so many uses for this product. It is great for bug bites, scratches, burns, wounds, and literally any type of abrasion or cut to your skin. It is also safe for anyone from newborns to the elderly and enhances the healing process. Take a look at this short video on some people who used the product and found it very effective. You can also check out some case studies here and here and here! Wound care is no joke and our Pure&Clean products work. For more information... If you have questions about Pure&Clean and how LastGerm is working with them to bring you more quality products that make your life safer and better, contact an agent near you who will be happy to assist you. Enter our contest and be a BIG winner! Enter today! You can't win if you don't enter! Hurry, though, there isn't much time left to enter!

Most of us love the holidays. We love the time spent with family and friends. The last thing we want to think about is getting sick or hurt. We are going to look briefly at three topics in this week's blog: How to keep healthier this holiday season How to keep your food prep areas safer How to treat cuts, burns, or other holiday mishaps How to keep healthier this holiday season (and the rest of the year, too!) These days our health is one of our greatest assets. Even when we have nothing else, if we have our health, we can count ourselves fortunate. Although concerns about COVID-19 are mostly things we look back on with sad remembrance, the disease, and its variants are still in existence. We also have the "regular" flu and cold that are still out there, too. If there was only one thing that COVID-19 taught us, it is that good hygiene, mask-wearing, and staying home when sick keep us much healthier. Another step that kept us healthier was frequent disinfection of high-contact surfaces. This can make a huge difference in our daily lives. Seven tips to keep healthier this season While there are many tips out there to keep you healthier, here are seven that are fairly common, no-nonsense ways to avoid influenza or other viral infections this holiday. Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently with soap and warm water throughout the day. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose without first washing your hands. Use hand sanitizer (if soap and water aren’t available). Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. Stay home if you believe you’re sick. Avoid contact with those who are sick. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work, or school, especially when someone is ill. Speaking of disinfecting, let's talk about Vital Oxide and how it can help you keep your home, office, church, and other gathering places much safer. How Vital Oxide by LastGerm.com can give you a "cleaner" home Vital Oxide is an all-purpose cleaner that is also an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered disinfectant. It can be used on most surfaces to clean, sanitize and disinfect. Because it kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, including influenza and SARS-CoV-2 (the COVID-19 virus), without harsh chemicals, noxious odors, harmful residues, or alarming safety warnings, you can feel safe using it in your home and other meeting places. It is also safe to use around pets and for disinfecting food preparation areas. Speaking of food preparation areas, that brings us to our second topic. How to keep your food prep areas healthier You may not know this, but there is a difference between cleaning and sanitizing. Just because something is "cleaned" or looks clean, does not mean it is sanitized or disinfected. While the kitchen counter in the photograph above looks clean, it may still be covered in germs and bacteria. There are three processes that are used, the most common would be cleaning, followed by sanitizing, and then disinfecting. Cleaning is basically the process of removing debris and germs. It does not kill pathogens. It is the first step in preventing foodborne illness, though. Sanitizing is the process of reducing germs. Some areas that should be sanitized include: Cutting boards Countertops, prep-tables, work surfaces Food-contact equipment (can openers, slicers, grinders, mixers, etc.) Dishes and utensils Refrigeration units Beverage and ice equipment Vital Oxide is ideal for sanitizing these items and areas as it is food-safe. It is considered a "no-rinse required" food contact surface sanitizer. It works fast and is effective! Disinfecting is the process of killing germs. Killing germs, bacteria, viruses and fungi is one of Vital Oxide's calling cards. It safely eliminates and kills harmful microbes and can make your holidays memorable for the fun, not the flu! Here are five simple steps to effectively clean, sanitize and disinfect. Five Steps to Effectively Clean and Sanitize or Disinfect Your home kitchen deserves the same treatment as a food prep area in a restaurant. Here are the steps to follow to keep your kitchen clean and free of pathogens. 1. PREPARE THE SURFACE Before you break out your cleaning supplies, brush off any loose debris or food particles from the surface (like a countertop) or item (like a plate), and dispose of them. You can use a paper towel or wet microfiber cloth to remove the debris and soak up any spills or wet messes. 2. CLEAN THE SURFACE Use a surface-safe cleaning solution to help dissolve any persistent food and residue, and dirt. Vital Oxide can be used in this pre-cleaning step. Unlike harsh conventional cleaners like bleach, Vital Oxide can be used on virtually every surface type, including wood, natural stone, stainless steel, concrete, glass, laminate, tile, and more. 3. RINSE THE SURFACE (IF NEEDED) Rinse the surface with water to remove the residual cleaning solution. Rinsing is necessary because cleaning chemicals are not compatible with sanitizers and disinfectants. If they combine, the sanitizer won’t be able to do its job, or, worse, mixing chemicals can have disastrous effects. However, if you used Vital Oxide to clean, there is no need to rinse before the next step. 4. SANITIZE OR DISINFECT THE SURFACE WITH VITAL OXIDE After thoroughly cleaning, spray or wipe (using a microfiber cloth, not a paper towel) the surface with Vital Oxide to sanitize or disinfect. For sanitizing food-contact surfaces, Vital Oxide can be diluted, 9 parts water to 1 part Vital Oxide. For disinfecting, Vital Oxide must always be applied full-strength. 5. ALLOW THE SURFACE TO DRY Air-drying might seem trivial and time-consuming. However, this is an essential step of sanitizing and disinfecting. Typically, sanitizers require an average of 60 seconds of contact to kill germs on the surface, and disinfectants can take up to 10 minutes. Always read the product’s label before use to determine the appropriate drying time. Oops, I cut myself instead of the turkey . . . Holidays can be challenging times! There is a lot of activity in the kitchen and accidents can happen. If you experience a cut or a burn, LastGerm.com is working with Pure&Clean and offering some amazing products to help you treat and immediately begin the healing process. These products can do a lot of good for the people who need them and can save them a lot of money, too. They are easy to self-administer in most cases and do not require a prescription. Pure&Clean Hydrogel is a little miracle worker in a bottle. • Non-Cytotoxic • DIY Skin Protection • An environmentally friendly product • Doctor and Pharmacist Recommended • Works to manage the wound and skin, frequent and regular applications will help accelerate the process and return your skin back to its normal healthy state. • Simple to use: Just spray it on! • Contains no antibiotics, no steroids, and no alcohol for a sting-free first-aid product! • All natural • Promotes health and wellness • Manages wounds and skin with positive results • Spray all intact skin including hands SDS Sheet There are so many uses for this product. It is great for bug bites, scratches, burns, wounds, and literally any type of abrasion or cut to your skin. Safe for newborns to the elderly and enhances the healing process. Just take a look at some of these case studies here and here and here! Wound care is no joke and our Pure&Clean products work. Finally... Have a happy and safe holiday season. Create a new tradition this year and give everyone the gift of Vital Oxide. If you want to learn more about how Vital Oxide or Pure&Clean products can help you this holiday season or any time of the year, you can contact an agent near you. They will be happy to assist you. Don't forget to enter our contest!! Enter today!!!

There is a shortage of Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) in the healthcare field today. This shortage could affect you or your loved ones if they are in need of such services. I work as a PCA. While it is rewarding in many ways, it can also be very demanding and the pay is not always very good. Earlier this month, Newsbreak reported on a man who says he lost both of his legs due to Minnesota's PCA shortage. The article by David Schuman reporting for CBS Minnesota tells the heartbreaking story of Dennis Prothero, a veteran who lives in Stillwater. Prothero believes that if it weren't for the shortage of PCA workers in the state, he might still have his legs that needed to be amputated below the knees after developing sores on his feet which became infected. Prothero who was a quadriplegic since a car accident needs PCAs to help him with his daily living including getting him in and out of bed, showering, eating, and dressing. For quite some time Prothero went without any help at night during the week and no help at all on the weekends. Because he couldn't get help, he slept in his chair which led to the sores on his feet. According to the article, "Minnesota had more than 7000 vacancies in the personal care industry at the end of 2021, the latest year of data available. The median wage was $14 an hour." Shortages of PCA workers is not a new thing. An article from 2017 showed a similar pattern of a lack of PCAs. The problem then was the same as now--low pay. I make $14.35 per hour, and for where I live, this is currently a decent paying job. However, I could work full-time for the company I am employed by because there is a great need for PCAs. While I do not work for any clients who are currently physically disabled, that could change over the next few months after one of my clients has a procedure in which her legs will both be broken and reset to straighten them. This will require me to spend more hours with her and increase the physical demands of the job. What can we do? I'm glad you asked. The solution to the PCA shortage crisis does not appear to be coming any time soon, but we can offer help to people who have to "make do" for the time being. There are products out there that could potentially save someone's legs or arms if they developed sores on their feet or other parts of their bodies. These products can do a lot of good for the people who need them and can save them a lot of money, too. They are easy to self-administer in most cases and do not require a prescription. Pure&Clean Hydrogel is a little miracle worker in a bottle. • Non-Cytotoxic • DIY Skin Protection • An environmentally friendly product • Doctor and Pharmacist Recommended • Works to manage the wound and skin, frequent and regular applications will help accelerate the process and return your skin back to its normal healthy state. • Simple to use: Just spray it on! • Contains no antibiotics, no steroids, and no alcohol for a sting-free first-aid product! • All natural • Promotes health and wellness • Manages wounds and skin with positive results • Spray all intact skin including hands SDS Sheet There are so many uses for this product. It is great for bug bites, scratches, burns, wounds, and literally any type of abrasion or cut to your skin. Safe for newborns to the elderly and enhances the healing process. Just take a look at some of these case studies here and here and here! Wound care is no joke and our Pure&Clean products work. If you have questions about Pure&Clean and how LastGerm is working with them to bring you more quality products that make your life safer and better, contact an agent near you who will be happy to assist you. Enter our contest and be a BIG winner! Enter today! You can't win if you don't enter!

When many of us think of fungus, the mushroom comes to mind. But the mushroom is just one of many fungi in the world. For the first time ever, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a list of health-threatening fungi. This list contains the 19 fungi that represent the greatest threat to public health. You can download the report here. The list of fungal "priority pathogens" is a first in the attempt to prioritize fungal pathogens. WHO says there is a serious lack of information related to fungal pathogens which are increasingly common and resistant to treatment. According to WHO, those at greatest risk for invasive fungal infections include people with cancer, HIV/AIDS, organ transplants, chronic respiratory disease, and post-primary tuberculosis infections. “Emerging from the shadows of the bacterial antimicrobial resistance pandemic, fungal infections are growing, and are ever more resistant to treatments, becoming a public health concern worldwide,” said Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO Assistant Director-General, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). In an article released by WHO, even though there is growing concern about fungal infections, they receive little attention and resources. What that means is there is "very little quality data on fungal disease distribution and antifungal resistance patterns. As a result, the exact burden of fungal diseases and antifungal resistance is unknown, and the response is therefore undermined." Three categories The WHO fungal priority pathogens list (WHO FPPL) is the first global effort to systematically prioritize fungal pathogens, considering their unmet research and development (R&D) needs and perceived public health importance. The WHO FPPL aims to focus and drive further research and policy interventions to strengthen the global response to fungal infections and antifungal resistance. The WHO FPPL list is divided into three categories: Critical priority High priority Medium priority "The fungal pathogens in each priority category are so ranked primarily due to their public health impact and/or emerging antifungal resistance risk. While recognizing these critical pathogens as of public health concern globally, WHO emphasizes that the FPPL must be interpreted and contextualized carefully, as some endemic pathogens could be of more concern in their respective regional or local contexts," according to the report. The article stated, "The report presents these categories and proposes actions and strategies for policymakers, public health professionals and other stakeholders; targeted at improving the overall response to these priority fungal pathogens including preventing the development of antimicrobial resistance. Three primary areas for action are proposed, focusing on: (1) strengthening laboratory capacity and surveillance; (2) sustainable investments in research, development, and innovation; and (3) public health interventions." The WHO report said, "The authors of the report stress the need for more evidence to inform the response to this growing threat and to better understand the burden – both of disease and antifungal resistance. The report also highlights the urgent need for coordinated action to address the impact of antifungal use on resistance across the One Health spectrum and calls for expanding equitable access to quality diagnostics and treatments. “We need more data and evidence on fungal infections and antifungal resistance to inform and improve response to these priority fungal pathogens,” said Dr. Haileyesus Getahun, WHO Director, AMR Global Coordination Department. The primary recommended actions are focused on: (1) strengthening laboratory capacity and surveillance; (2) sustaining investments in research, development, and innovation; and (3) enhancing public health interventions for prevention and control. “Countries are encouraged to follow a stepwise approach, starting with strengthening their fungal disease laboratory and surveillance capacities, and ensuring equitable access to existing quality therapeutics and diagnostics, globally,” added Dr. Haileyesus Getahun. How LastGerm.com can help LastGerm.com has the tools you need to fight against dangerous fungi. Vital Oxide is an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant cleaner, mold killer, and odor eliminator. Its formula contains a unique form of stabilized chlorine dioxide that is very effective at killing bacteria, viruses, and mold yet non-corrosive to treated articles and gentle enough to handle without causing skin irritation. It is ready to use with no mixing required—just spray, wipe, or fog right from the bottle. Mold is a type of fungus because it is a microorganism that grows in moist environments. Mold reproduces by releasing spores into the air, which can then settle on surfaces and begin to grow. Vital Oxide can help remove mold and prevent its return. Along with BioProtect as part of the two-step process, it can kill mold and protect against it for 90 days! We also are working with Xanigo Marine products and can help protect your boat and other recreational equipment that is subject to mold and mildew. If you want to keep yourself, your family, and your property safer, contact one of our agents near you. They will be happy to assist you. Enter our contest and be a BIG winner! Enter today! You can't win if you don't enter!

A lot of people these days are sick and tired of being sick and tired. They are tired of hearing about diseases that are challenging the healthcare system. They are sick of hearing about COVID and its many variants and strains. I know this because I am one of them. I recently came across another article warning that scientists fear that the new COVID strains are not only more contagious but also deadly like the wave that came through in 2020 which forced many of us into mandatory lockdowns, stay-at-home orders and mask-wearing everywhere. More interesting than the article itself (which we will get into in just a moment) were some of the comments on the article. Comments that made it clear that people do not want to hear anything more about COVID. While we may not want to hear it, COVID and other diseases won't go away just because we wish it to be so. The article from The Daily Beast was written by David Axe and contends that scientists are fearing that the new COVId strains are deadly. Experts cited in the article fear that not only will these new variants be more contagious but they will also cause more severe disease. These experts are predicting that there is a new global wave of COVID on its way in the coming months. Predicting it. . . That doesn't mean it's a certainty, but surely these experts know more about the state of health than I do. If what these experts predict were to become a reality, we could see not only a surge in illnesses, but a surge in serious illness which could lead to hospitalizations and deaths, as well. In spite of the article stating that vaccines are readily available now and that the vaccines work, many of the comments on the article indicated quite strongly that people who had received the vaccines were still getting COVID. "A new study from The Ohio State University is the first red flag. A team led by Shan-Lu Liu, co-director of HSU’s Viruses and Emerging Pathogens Program, modeled new SARS-CoV-2 subvariants including BQ.1 and its close cousin, BQ.1.1. "The team confirmed what we already knew: BQ.1 and other new subvariants, most of them the offspring of the BA.4 and BA.5 forms of the Omicron variant, are highly contagious. And the same mutations that make them so transmissible also make them unrecognizable to the antibodies produced by monoclonal therapies, rendering those therapies useless," said the article. The study which was online on October 20 and is under peer review by the New England Journal of Medicine showed the connection between how the virus cells fuse to our own cells. The greater the "fusogenicity, the more severe the disease. Liu and his colleagues 'observed increased cell-cell fusion in several new Omicron subvariants compared to their respective parental subvariants.'" The current trend, as cited in the article, shows that although the variants we see are more contagious each has been a "less severe disease." However, that trend could be disrupted if the BQ.1 or another highly "fusogenic subvariant re-couples infections and deaths. 'More hospitalizations and deaths,' is how Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington Institute for Health who was not involved in the OSU study, summed it up.'" Recent surges in the disease in Singapore and Germany have raised concerns. BQ.1 is known to be spreading fast in European countries. "And there are signs of recoupling in Germany. In October, the country registered as many as 175,000 new cases a day—matching the peak of the previous wave back in July. But 160 Germans died every day on average in the worst week of the current surge, whereas just 125 died per day in the worst week of the summer surge. 'We could see the same patterns in other European countries… and in the U.S.,' Mokdad said," according to the Daily Beast article. The article went on to say that people should become vaccinated or boostered to be on the safe side. Other options I am not going to tell you whether you should be vaccinated or not. I believe that is a person's individual choice. What I will tell you about is LastGerm's products that can help you stay safe and maintain your safe spaces. Ways to Prevent the Spread of COVID, RSV and most common illnesses We shared these last week in our post about how to prevent the spread of RSV which is showing an early surge in cases, but these are pretty universal things to do and they can help keep you safer and more protected. Most of these are common yet simple ways to prevent the spread of COVID, RSV and many other illnesses. While they may be common-sense... common sense is sometimes hard to come by. Wash your hands often. The CDC recommends washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water. Hum the song "Happy Birthday" twice as this is about 20 seconds. You should wash your hands frequently throughout the day especially when you are in contact with people who might be ill. If you are not sure, wash them anyway! But sometimes water is not available. In that case, LastGerm.com has a solution for you. The most important thing you can do to protect yourself, your family and your colleagues from getting sick is to keep your hands clean! Use BIOPROTECT™ Hydrating Hand Sanitizer which has these amazing benefits! BIOPROTECT™ Hydrating Hand Sanitizer is an FDA-registered hand sanitizer that kills 99.99% of germs and bacteria on your hands up to 6 hours! Moisturizes and hydrates hands as it kills germs and bacteria. Infused with soothing aloe vera. Fragrance-free, dye-free, paraben-free, and sulfate-free. PLUS, it can help keep your hands soft while it is protecting you! This stuff really works. Carry it with you wherever you go! I have one in my backpack and one in my laptop case. If you are traveling, this is a great product to bring with you! 2. Use Vital Oxide You can disinfect toys, furniture and objects in your home on a regular basis with Vital Oxide. This product is a proven hospital-grade disinfectant and it kills 99.999% of viruses, bacteria and germs. Use on often-touched items and surfaces. It is fragrance-free and safe to use around kids, pets and people. Even if your child isn't ill, spraying their toys with Vital Oxide regularly can eliminate nasty bacterias. If your child or other person in your household suffers from an illness, be sure to disinfect their bedding and mattress. You can add Vital Oxide to the washer to disinfect blankets, sheets and other laundry that needs to be disinfected (pajamas, etc.). The suggested amount is 1/2 to 1 cup of Vital Oxide, based on the size of the load you are washing, along with your regular detergent. To disinfect the mattress, remove the bedding and spray the mattress with Vital Oxide and let it air dry. There is also a travel-size Vital Oxide that is great to take with you when you travel. 3. Use BioProtect to Have Lasting Protection Use BioProtect (step two) as a non-toxic, food-surface safe antimicrobial shield that protects surfaces from microbes such as odor-causing bacteria, algae, fungi (mold and mildew) for your increased health and safety. Effective on hard non-porous washable bathroom and non-food contact kitchen surfaces and fixtures around the home or office, this antimicrobial surface protectant is also able to be used on carpets and upholstery to inhibit the growth of odor-causing bacteria, bacteria which cause staining and discoloration, and fungi (mold and mildew). You can apply this in a homes, businesses, school systems, hotels, transportation and much more in need of inhibiting the growth of bacteria that causes staining and discoloration. Product Benefits: Great for home and office use in large scale settings Invisible microbiostatic coating inhibits bacteria growth for 3 months Safe for use on carpets and upholstery in hotels and houses Water based formula is odor and color free, safe for any surface 4. Limit Exposure to Large Crowds Keep away from crowds during the cold and flu season. Since RSV and other illnesses are starting earlier this year, limiting your contact with crowds should also start now. This can be tricky because kids are in school now and they are germ-magnets! Remind your child to wash their hands often especially before eating or after using the restroom. You can also pack a bottle of BIOPROTECT™ Hydrating Hand Sanitizer for them to use if necessary. With Covid-19 restrictions being lifted, crowds are everywhere, so this is hard to avoid, but using the precautions that you can will help. 5. Stay Home When You Are Sick If you are sick, stay home from school, work and public areas so you don't get others sick! Questions? If you have further questions about how to take advantage of these amazing products, please contact an agent near you. They will be happy to assist you. Enter our contest and be a BIG winner! Enter today! You can't win if you don't enter!

My house stinks and I don't mean that in the "I don't like my house, it stinks" way. I mean, my house literally stinks! It is mostly because my granddaughter tried using the microwave to heat up her waffles for breakfast. She set the timer for 5 minutes and walked away! She figured if a minute for pre-made pancakes was good, then waffles--being thicker--would require longer. Obviously, she did not notice the sickly smell coming from the kitchen after about 2 and a half minutes. (This makes me start to rethink feeding her food that smells that rotten after a couple of minutes of cooking/burning!) Maybe your house stinks, too. But you might have gone "nose blind" to it as a popular commercial suggests. Even if we don't notice the odors in our homes, other people may. Let's look at odors and what can be the cause of our stinky houses! What is smell? The sense of smell is one of our most powerful senses. It can alert us to danger (like the smell of smoke) or it can signal great joy (like the smell of a flower or cotton candy!). Research that was done by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows that we can distinguish over one trillion smells! Wow! More than any place, we want our homes to smell fresh, inviting, and comfortable. We spend a lot of time there, so that makes a lot of sense. According to the website, howstuffworks.com, "Smell is a very direct sense. In order for you to smell something, molecules from that thing have to make it to your nose. Everything you smell, therefore, is giving off molecules -- whether it is bread in the bakery, onions, perfume, a piece of fruit, or whatever. Those molecules are generally light, volatile (easy to evaporate) chemicals that float through the air into your nose. A piece of steel has no smell because nothing evaporates from it -- steel is a non-volatile solid. "At the top of your nasal passages behind your nose, there is a patch of special neurons about the size of a postage stamp. These neurons are unique in that they are out in the open where they can come into contact with the air. They have hair-like projections called cilia that increase their surface area. An odor molecule binds to these cilia to trigger the neuron and cause you to perceive a smell. . . "When you smell many fruits or flowers, what you are smelling is esters evaporating from the fruit or flower. Esters are organic molecules. . . Esters can now be made artificially, and that is where artificial flavors come from." So now that you have a general idea of how smell works let's look at some areas of your home that might be making your house stinky and what you can do about them. Six areas of your home that may be big stinkers 1. YOUR FRONT-LOAD WASHER I love my front-load washing machine. It is so much easier than crawling halfway into my previous top-loader to dig out that one sock that apparently wants to be on the "missing sock" poster this week. Despite the ease of using it and the high efficiency and money savings, it can get very stinky! Because it is used and does come into contact with water it has a tendency even more than top-loaders to harbor mold and mildew, especially by the inner door gasket seal. (This is the area that my socks like to hide occasionally now, too!) The problem is that water gets trapped in those gaskets and it stinks after a few days! I use Vital Oxide at least once a week to keep these odors at bay. I spray it on the gaskets and the washer drum door. It helps a lot by not only protecting against mold and mildew but in killing the bacteria that make the odor! 2. YOUR DISHWASHER I don't have a dishwasher, but this can also be a spot that can grow mold and mildew and make for some stinky air. Food left in the machine from the last wash can be a great place for mold to grow. Eliminate the chances of this stink by rinsing your dishes before putting them into the dishwasher. Another suggestion is to regularly run an empty dry-heat cycle to flush out the interior. You can also use Vital Oxide in your machine. Just spray it on and allow it to air dry and then resume use. Cleaning the dishwasher at least monthly will also help keep the odors from stinking up the place! You can use a cup of Vital Oxide and run a cycle in an empty dishwasher. It will make a big difference in keeping the odors away. 3. YOUR TRASH CAN Yes, I have one of these and yes, it can become very stinky! I spray it with Vital Oxide every time I change the garbage bag and clean it out at least once a month. This step is important because no matter how good my granddaughter puts the garbage bag into the can, there always seems to be some food that jumps out of the bag and into the can itself. These spills or leaks can build up and cause awful odors! One website suggests, "To prevent garbage smells from forming in the first place, clean and disinfect both indoor and outdoor garbage cans at least once a month. For lightly soiled cans, wipe down the inside, outside, and lid with a damp paper towel, and then spray with Vital Oxide to disinfect and deodorize. Let air dry before putting in a new garbage bag. Heavily soiled cans should be hosed out and scrubbed with soap and warm water to remove grime. Then spray with Vital Oxide and let air dry." 4. YOUR BEDDING This can be a stinky place just because our bed sheets and pillows can get covered in our body oils, sweat, and dirt. Washing your bedding weekly will help keep the odors down. You can sanitize your bedding by adding 1/2 to one cup of Vital Oxide to your load with your regular detergent. Weekly! Don't be stinky! 5. YOUR PET’S BOWLS Like a lot of people, I have pets and I don't usually think about washing their food and water bowls. One study found that pet food dishes are the 4th germiest items in the average home. The bacteria that build up in the bowls can also be dangerous and unhealthy for your pets. You can wash your pet's bowls daily with hot, soapy water. You can also spray their bowls with Vital Oxide which is safe for pets. You don't have to rinse it off, just make sure it is dry before filling it with food or water again. 6. YOUR CARPET & RUGS Carpets! You love them and you hate them! You love how they look and feel, but you hate the smells that they can grow! Regular vacuuming can get surface debris, but a deeper cleaning is necessary every year or so to get rid of the odors and germs that like to hang out in the fibers of the carpet. Vital Oxide can be used to kill odor-causing bacteria, eradicate foul odors, and eradicate allergens found in soft surfaces like carpeting and rugs by eliminating the source. Vital Oxide has the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) Seal of Approval and is safe for use on stain-protected carpet and fabric finishes. It can be used as a carpet stain remover and pre-spray, as well as in the tank of hot water vacuum extraction units. Also, look around for other areas you might "grow" odors, like your refrigerator, diaper pail, bathroom and other stinky places. Also, remember to use Vital Oxide to clean up the mess and smells! Questions? If you have further questions about how to take advantage of these amazing products, please contact an agent near you. They will be happy to assist you. Enter our contest and be a BIG winner! Enter today! You can't win if you don't enter!

There are a lot of things we want in our homes. Unarguably, good food is one of the most important things. But food recalls are happening with increasing frequency. People are getting sick from the food we are purchasing and storing in our refrigerators, cupboards, counters, freezers and other storage places commonly (or not so commonly) used. Nearly every day there is some company or food store chain that is issuing a recall on some food product. Recent ones have been on onions and dairy products, and there always seems to be a recall of some sort on romaine lettuce! The website, foodsafety.gov, lists all known outbreaks and even has a widget so you can track them as they are reported. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported eight recalled food items since the first of October: (from the widget) Flowers Foods Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Soy in Certain TastyKake and Mrs. Freshley's Glazed Pies Oct 7, 2022 Cut Fruit Express Recalls Caribou Coffee Fruit and Cheese Plate Because of Possible Health Risk Oct 7, 2022 Cuisine Innovations Unlimited, LLC Issues Voluntary Recall of Two Varieties of Earth Grown Frozen Falafel Due to Possible Health Risk Oct 7, 2022 Lipari Foods Issues Voluntary Product Recall of Specific Sesame Sticks Mix and Roasted/Salted Sunflower Meat Tubs Due to Undeclared Cashew Allergen Oct 7, 2022 Bakkavor USA Issues Allergy Alert for 32 Ounce Meal Simple Tomato Basil Soup for Mislabeling and Undeclared Dairy Oct 6, 2022 Old Europe Cheese, Inc. Expands Voluntary Recall of Its Brie Cheeses Due to Possible Health Risk Oct 5, 2022 Swiss American Participates in Manufacturer Old Europe's Recall of Brie and Camembert Oct 4, 2022 FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Ready-To-Eat Chili Cheese Wieners Due to Possible Listeria Contamination Oct 1, 2022 While not all of these would affect everyone, for example, I don't have soy, cashew, or dairy allergies so those wouldn't bother me at all. But for those who do have allergies to those items, those undeclared ingredients or mislabeled packages could be fatal! For the rest of us, the ones with a possible health risk or something like Listeria, Salmonella, or other contaminants can be anywhere from a mild inconvenience to possibly life-threatening. Just how big a deal is this? The Public Interest Research Group reported in 2019 that the "total number of food recalls in the United States increased by 10% between 2013 and 2018. The peak at the time of that report was hit in 2016 with 905 recalled foods. The same report showed that Class I recalls of meat and poultry rose by 83% during that period. Note: A Class I recall involves a health hazard situation in which there is a reasonable probability that eating the food will cause health problems or death, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). There are two other classes, as well. Class II - A Class II recall involves a potential health hazard situation in which there is a remote probability of adverse health consequences from eating the food. Class III - A Class III recall involves a situation in which eating the food will not cause adverse health consequences. According to the USDA a food recall is "a voluntary action by a manufacturer or distributor to protect the public from products that may cause health problems or possible death. A recall is intended to remove food products from commerce when there is reason to believe the products may be adulterated or misbranded." If even one person gets sick from food that should not be sold or distributed, that makes this a problem. But there is something else that many of us don't think about when we throw out or return a product that has been recalled. That problem is cross-contamination. Cross-Contamination If the recalled food product is contaminated with something such as E. coli, Listeria or Salmonella, the chances of cross-contamination with other food products rises. If the product leaks, spills, or touches any other food products (which let's face it, packaging especially for meat leaks!) you could likely be dealing with cross-contamination. Because meat packages do have a tendency to leak it is often advised to store them on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator. The United States Food and Drug Administration estimates that there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illnesses each year. Those are just the reported cases. Food poisoning (another term for a foodborne illness) can lead to hospitalization or even death in some cases. Cross-contamination can also occur at the source meaning right at the farm where the products are harvested. According to Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director at the Center for Food Safety, "farms cultivating fresh produce may also raise livestock or border animal farms. As a result, the risk of cross-contamination from animal manure and runoff increases. Bacteria such as E. coli can contaminate the soil in which those crops are growing. For instance, the E. coli that contaminated romaine lettuce in Yuma County, Arizona, in 2018 is believed to have been sourced from a nearby cattle feedlot." (Not the one in the photo!) How to clean up your refrigerator after a food recall If you do find that you need to clean up your refrigerator, cupboards, countertops, etc. because of a food recall, don't panic! You just need a good sanitizer to get the job done right. While you could use bleach, do you really want to use that in your fridge or near your food? I didn't think so! If you have been following our blog, then you know that we recommend and stand behind Vital Oxide to clean and sanitize nearly any surface. Vital Oxide is a multi-purpose cleaner and NSF-certified (no-rinse required) food-contact area sanitizer. Vital Oxide kills 99.9% of bacteria – including common foodborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella enterica, Norovirus, Staphylococcus aureus (Staph), and Listeria monocytogenes – without leaving a harmful chemical residue. Here are several tips from the CDC on taking care of your fridge after a food recall. How to Clean Your Refrigerator After a Food Recall Items needed to clean your refrigerator: Sealable bags Hot, soapy water Clean towels Optional: water + bleach (we recommend Vital Oxide which is completely safe to use near food and on food serving areas.) Step 1 - Throw out recalled food Throw out the recalled food, and any other foods stored with it or touching it. Put it in a sealed bag in the garbage. If the recalled food was stored in a reusable container, wash the container with hot, soapy water before reusing it. Sanitize it with Vital Oxide before reusing it. To sanitize, simply spray the container with Vital Oxide and let it sit for at least 60 seconds. Step 2 - Empty your refrigerator Empty the rest of the items in your refrigerator and put them on a counter or table while you clean. (Hint: sanitizer the counter or table first.) Take out shelving, drawers, and any other removable parts. Don’t leave food out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours. Step 3 - Wash removable parts Wash shelving, drawers, and any other removable parts by hand with hot, soapy water. Dry with a clean towel. Don’t run cold glass shelves or drawers under hot water because the glass could crack. Let them come to room temperature first. Step 4 - Clean and sanitize inside the refrigerator Thoroughly wipe the inside of the empty refrigerator with paper towels dampened with Vital Oxide to clean, making sure to completely remove any food particles, spills, crumbs, or other debris. Dry with a clean towel. Don’t forget to wipe inside the doors and any drawers or compartments that cannot be removed. Step 5- Optional, but highly recommended by us After your refrigerator and drawers, shelves, and other removable parts are clean, apply Vital Oxide by wiping with a microfiber cloth or spraying, and let sit for at least 60 seconds to sanitize. Vital Oxide can be diluted for food-contact sanitizing; mix 1 part Vital Oxide with 9 parts water. Put the shelves, drawers, and other removable parts back in the refrigerator, along with the other items you took out. Wipe down food and drink containers with a cloth dampened with Vital Oxide before returning to the clean refrigerator. Use a cloth dampened with Vital Oxide to wipe kitchen countertops that held refrigerator parts and contents. Wash any towels you used to dry the refrigerator before using them again And don’t forget: Wash your hands with water and soap once you’ve finished cleaning. We hope you don't need to take our advice, but if you do, rest assured that if you include Vital Oxide in the mix, you can eat off the surfaces! Questions? If you have further questions about how to take advantage of these amazing products, please contact an agent near you. They will be happy to assist you. Enter our contest and be a BIG winner! Enter today! You can't win if you don't enter!

I would have known that school was back in session even without looking at the calendar. I could hear the coughing and sniffling behind me. I could hear the throat clearing. Where there are children, there is an illness. They are always touching everything, sneezing and coughing, and keeping on with their play even if they did just sneeze all over their hands before touching the monkey bars, the swings, and everything else on the playground! I am glad that children keep playing. If they stop, then we have greater problems on our hands than a cold or even COVID. About three weeks ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a new warning about a contagious new respiratory virus that can cause paralysis--even permanent paralysis--in children. In an article written by Gustaf Kilander for The Independent, the CDC stated that “pediatric hospitalizations in patients with severe respiratory illness who also tested positive for rhinovirus (RV) and/or enterovirus (EV)” had increased. According to the CDC, most of the people who are infected will experience mild symptoms or none at all. However, some of the infections can become severe like in children with impaired immune systems. The number of children testing positive for RV or EV is higher this year than in previous years, according to the CDC. "The number of detections in July-August of 2022 was greater than in the same period over the previous three years," the CDC stated. “Although it primarily causes acute respiratory illness, EV-D68 has been associated with acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a rare but serious neurologic complication involving limb weakness,” the CDC said. What is enterovirus D68 or EV-D68? According to the CDC, the virus was first identified in California in 1962 and is one of more than 100 non-polio enteroviruses. EV-D68 typically causes respiratory illness, which can be mild (like a common cold) or more severe. EV-D68 and AFM Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is an uncommon but serious neurological condition, mostly in young children. It affects the nervous system, specifically the area of the spinal cord called gray matter, which causes the muscles and reflexes in the body to become weak. Viruses, including EV-D68, likely play a role in causing AFM. What are the symptoms of EV-D68 infection? Note: The following is from the CDC website. EV-D68 can cause mild to severe respiratory illness, or no symptoms at all. Mild symptoms may include a runny nose, sneezing, cough, body aches, and muscle aches. Severe symptoms may include wheezing and difficulty breathing. Anyone with respiratory illness should contact their doctor if they are having difficulty breathing or if their symptoms are getting worse. EV-D68 can also cause acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), an uncommon but serious neurologic condition that mostly affects children and causes the muscles and reflexes in the body to become weak. Seek immediate medical attention if you or your child develops any of these AFM symptoms, especially following a respiratory illness: arm or leg weakness pain in the neck, back, arms, or legs difficulty swallowing or slurred speech difficulty moving the eyes or drooping eyelids facial droop or weakness AFM has been known to lead to permanent paralysis, according to the CDC. While the CDC says it has not received increased reports of AFM, it did say that “increases in EV-D68 respiratory illnesses have typically preceded cases of AFM, indicating that increased vigilance for AFM in the coming weeks will be essential." Kilander stated that "RVs are usually linked to acute respiratory illness, such as asthma. While EVs can also lead to acute respiratory illness, it’s connected to other issues, such as febrile rash, neurologic illness, aseptic meningitis, AFM, and encephalitis." “On rare occasions, EV-D68 may cause AFM. This rare but serious neurologic condition primarily affects children and typically presents with sudden limb weakness,” according to the CDC. “There are no available vaccines or specific treatments for RV or EV, including EV-D68, and clinical care is supportive.” The peak of EV season is late summer and early fall, the same is true for EV-D68. “The relatively lower circulation in 2020 may reflect the use of COVID-19 pandemic infection mitigation measures, which are known to have interrupted the circulation of other respiratory viruses,” the CDC said. Children of all ages including adolescents can be affected, although the median age of those hospitalized is three years old. “Children with a history of asthma or reactive airway disease may be more likely to require medical care, though children without a known history of asthma can also present with severe illness,” according to the CDC. Among adults, the CDC said that EV-D68 is “less understood” but that it’s “thought to be more commonly detected in patients with underlying conditions”. Ways to Slow the Spread As usual, the CDC has some basic tips for slowing the spread of this disease among many others. Here is a list of the top ways to reduce the spread of RVs or EVs. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (frequently) Avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth or face. Avoid close contact with sick people. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your shirt sleeve, not with your hands. 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