All posts by brevis-admin

Tips for a Clean and Healthy Thanksgiving

November 22, 2016 brevis-admin Leave a comment

This week families and friends will gather to give thanks, make memories, and share delicious meals. Whether you’re hosting or traveling, you can take precautions to help protect your loved ones from sharing any sickness during your visits.

Safely handle the turkey Frozen turkeys should be thawed in cold water (changed every 30 minutes), never on a countertop. Cooking your turkey should be done in an oven set to at least 325° F, and cooking time will vary depending on the weight of the bird. The turkey is done when it has reached an internal temperature of 165° F (use a digital thermometer, and check the turkey’s thickest areas of the breast, thigh, and wing joint).

Keep all kitchen areas clean Wash utensils, food prep areas, and, yes, HANDS. Hot water and soap will get rid of illness-causing bacteria. It’s especially important to ALWAYS wash your hands and all equipment before and after working with raw meat, poultry, or seafood so you don’t spread bacteria that live in these uncooked foods.

Don’t ignore the leftovers Separate cooked foods into small containers, and refrigerate or freeze immediately. In smaller portions, they’ll be preserved faster and more evenly, and later they’ll be easier to reheat as needed.

Food handling errors and inadequate cooking are the most common problems leading to poultry-associated foodborne disease outbreaks in the U.S. Properly handling food and keeping up with cleaning up will help keep those illnesses at bay.

Pass the turkey, not the germs. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Sources:

http://www.cleaninginstitute.org/clean_living/thanksgiving_tips.aspx

http://www.cdc.gov/features/turkeytime/

http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/groups/consumers.html

Hand Hygiene, Handwashing Saves Lives

Sing a Song About Hand-Washing

October 27, 2016 brevis-admin Leave a comment

Songs get stuck in our heads and we remember all sorts of things, from useless lyrics, to rules of grammar (Schoolhouse Rock, Anyone?). We use a song to teach the alphabet to children, so why not use songs to teach other important information?

Nigerian pop singer Sunny Neji decided to use his influence to help teach people the importance of hand hygiene. “People love music, so if I could construct a lovely melody and put in some memorable words, it could stick in people’s minds faster.”

The result? An upbeat song called, “Wash Your Hands O!”

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Lyrics like, “Prevention is cheaper than cure,” or, “Dirty hands, they carry disease,” will likely make kids and adults smile or even laugh, but you have to admit: the message is clear, and the tune is catchy.

Happy Hands for Students

October 21, 2016 brevis-admin Leave a comment

Educators know that keeping hands clean is one of the best things kids can do to prevent illness and the spreading of germs to others. Brevis products like GlitterBug Gel and GlitterBug Potion provide fun ways for kids to learn the effectiveness of handwashing techniques.

Right now there’s another way to get kids excited about hand hygiene. Deb’s Happy Hands Contest educates students about the importance of handwashing while giving them a chance to show their artistic creativity by submitting original designs to be featured on soap dispensers.

Educators can register their school on the website, and submit their students’ designs by December 5. Top finalists in three categories (elementary, middle, and high school) will be announced January 16, and public voting will be open for one month. Winners will be announced March 1, 2017.

Each winning design receives three prizes: a $500 donation to the winning student’s school, a $200 gift card for the student, and up to 500 soap dispensers to display the winning design in the school.

Getting kids involved in hand hygiene awareness in creative, memorable ways– whether through a dispenser design contest, or a GlitterBug demonstration— is a win for everyone.

**SPECIAL NOTE:

Brevis is offering a promo-code discount for Fall 2016 that will start Sept. 20 and go through October 31, 2016.

The promo code is “Fall16” which will apply a 10% discount to orders over $25.00.

Sources:

http://info.debgroup.com/happyhands

http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/

http://www.debgroup.com/us

http://www.brevis.com/blog/2016/08/glitterbug-gel-a-primer/

http://www.brevis.com/blog/2016/09/glitterbug-potion/

http://www.brevis.com/blog/2016/08/back-to-school-with-glitterbug/

Flu

5 Ways to Help Prevent the Flu

September 15, 2016 brevis-admin Leave a comment

Flu season is upon us! The flu (or influenza) causes more hospitalizations among young children than any other vaccine-preventable disease. Beyond getting seasonal flu vaccines, what else can be done to protect against getting the flu?

Here are 5 actions to take every day:

Stay home when you are sick. Nobody likes to fall behind in their day-to-day tasks, so it can be tempting to go to work or school, or even run errands when you’re sick. Staying home, however, will help others from catching your illness. (Plus, you need to rest so you can recover quickly!) Also, avoid close contact with others who are sick.

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, throw the tissue away after you use it, then wash your hands. Teach children to cough or sneeze into their elbow (if a tissue isn’t available) rather than their hands to minimize spread of germs.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. It may take a concentrated effort to break these habits, but remember: germs spread this way.

Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects frequently touched at home, work, or school, especially when someone is sick.

Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand rub is another option if soap and water aren’t available.

Children and adults alike can make healthy choices at school, work, and home to help prevent catching– and spreading– the flu.

Sources:

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/school/index.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/pdf/freeresources/updated/everyday_preventive.pdf

https://pixabay.com/en/allergy-cold-disease-flu-girl-18656/
SPECIAL NOTE:
Brevis is offering a promo-code discount for Fall 2016 that will start Sept. 20 and go through October 31, 2016.
The promo code is “Fall16” which will apply a 10% discount to orders over $25.00.

Handwashing Saves Lives, Infection prevention

GlitterBug Potion

September 7, 2016 brevis-admin Leave a comment

Not long ago we shared a primer on how to use GlitterBug Gel — a great product for measuring the effectiveness of how hand sanitizer is applied. But what about those of us who don’t use hand sanitizer? If you prefer to wash your hands using soap and water, GlitterBug Potion is for you!

We usually think of potion as a substance used in mythology or magic; the stuff of fairy tales and imagination. GlitterBug Potion, however, is a real product used to teach good handwashing technique. The potion consists of a UV fluorescent powder mixed in a special hand lotion.

To see how GlitterBug Potion works, apply the Potion as you would any other lotion. Next, wash your hands as you normally would with soap and water. Dry your hands thoroughly, then check under the light (such as the GlitterBug Disclosure Center). Are any areas of your hands glowing? Those are the areas you need to wash more thoroughly.

Commonly missed areas include the knuckles, sides of the hands, and fingernail area. Consider using a GlitterBug Hand and Nail Scrub Brush to reach those tough spots.

For cleaner hands, a magic wand won’t help you, but GlitterBug Potion will!

Handwashing Saves Lives

Back to School with GlitterBug

August 30, 2016 brevis-admin Leave a comment

With so many kids going back to school, it’s a great time to remind everyone of the importance of washing their hands.

Who better to teach a hand-washing lesson to kids than kids themselves? Let’s see what these kids have to say.

Share the video with kids you know. Help them understand the importance of washing their hands the right way – “The GlitterBug Way.”

Contaminated Water, Hand Hygiene

What We Can Learn from Rio’s Contaminated Water Situation

August 24, 2016 brevis-admin Leave a comment

The 2016 Olympics have come to a close and many are continuing a discussion which has been going on since before the games began: What’s the deal with Rio’s contaminated water?

The world watched as athletes competed in water visibly tainted and unclear. However, It was clear that their methods of water sanitation and their push to clean the water permanently were unsuccessful.

The World Health Organization (WHO) advises the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Local Organizing Committee (LOC) on health issues related to the games. Recommendations for this year’s games included water quality testing in recreational waters, particularly those used by athletes competing in sailing, rowing, canoeing, and swimming events. Most common of illnesses associated with polluted recreational water exposure is mild gastroenteritis. Others include respiratory infections, and skin and ear infections.

And yet most athletes were able to stay healthy despite unsatisfactory water conditions. How did they do it? Andy Hunt, CEO of the governing body World Sailing, reported on precautions taken by sailors in Rio. “Everyone has been very careful in using hand hygiene, washing down clothing, boats, and so on.”

Avoiding exposure to contaminated water isn’t always possible, especially while traveling. The general well-being of the athletes throughout the games only validates what we already know: proper hand hygiene is key in preventing illness.

Sources:

http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/water-quality/recreational/rio-water-quality-qa-julyupdate.pdf?ua=1

http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/bathing/statement-rio-water-quality/en/

http://www.wkbw.com/sports/olympics/rio-2016/water-to-remain-filthy-in-rio-after-olympics

https://pixabay.com/en/olympia-summer-olympics-1539043

Handwashing Saves Lives, Infection prevention

Olympians and Spectators: Wash Your Hands!

August 18, 2016 brevis-admin Leave a comment

The world’s eyes have been focused on Rio since the Olympic Games opened on August 5. With Brazil having been in the news this year because of a massive Zika outbreak, it’s no surprise many have been concerned for the health of Olympic athletes and spectators alike. Health officials, however, aren’t concerned with a big risk for spread of the virus.

Why?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Zika is classified as ‘low risk’ among health concerns surrounding the Olympics. It’s winter in Brazil, so mosquitoes (whose bites are believed to be the primary method Zika spreads) aren’t as much of a concern as they would be in warmer months. Additionally, with authorities working to kill off and control mosquito populations, the number of new cases recorded has steadily declined for months.

Meanwhile, influenza is listed as being ‘high risk,’ as it’s flu season in Brazil. John McConnell, editor of Lancet Infectious Diseases, said, “People are much more likely to go home carrying flu than Zika virus, and flu is a much more dangerous disease.” With all the press coverage about Zika it’s important to remember that in the United States, Zika has killed one person, whereas the flu kills more than 30,000 people each year.

The best way to avoid the flu, aside from getting a flu vaccine, is to practice good health habits such as thorough and frequent hand washing. Proper hand hygiene remains one of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from getting sick.

Here’s to all the Olympic athletes and spectators who will soon be traveling to their homes from Rio! We hope you had a memorable time, and we hope you remember to wash your hands!

Sources:

http://www.vox.com/2016/7/20/12209168/2016-rio-olympics-zika-virus-health-risks
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/habits.htm

Image source:

https://pixabay.com/en/circles-olympics-olympic-games-blue-1573621/

Glitterbug, Hand Hygiene, Handwashing Saves Lives

GlitterBug Gel: A Primer

August 1, 2016 brevis-admin Leave a comment

Having clean hands is always important, but using soap and water isn’t always practical. In hospital and other patient care situations, as health care workers move from one patient to another, a soap-and-water washing doesn’t always contribute to overall time-effectiveness.

Hand sanitizer (also referred to as alcohol-based handrub) is a well-researched, efficacious product which is considered to fulfill the highest standards of safety in regards to infection prevention. Its creation and widespread availability has revolutionized modern hand hygiene practices.

If you use hand sanitizer, GlitterBug Gel is a great product for you. It teaches and evaluates the effectiveness of how hand sanitizer is applied. It looks and feels like sanitizer, and though it’s 60% alcohol, it doesn’t kill germs. Simply apply as you would regular hand sanitizer, and check under the light. Any glowing areas on your hands indicate a thorough application of sanitizer.

Watch this quick video to see how it’s done:

Use GlitterBug Gel to help you see how well your hand sanitizer is working.

Source: http://www.who.int/gpsc/tools/faqs/system_change/en/

Glitterbug

Glitterbug Gel or Potion? That is the question . . .

August 1, 2016 brevis-admin Leave a comment

Good handwashing technique is paramount to infection prevention. Most adults would likely say they know how to wash their hands; after all, it’s something they’ve been doing since childhood. Many might be surprised, however, to find out how much residue can be left on their skin after a routine washing. And though it can feel awkward to think about having to learn how to wash your hands—especially as an adult—doing so can make a world of difference in preventing the spread of germs.

GlitterBug Gel and GlitterBug Potion are excellent products to aid in teaching proper hand hygiene to kids and adults alike. Both are intended to show how effective your current hand-cleaning methods are, and in turn, both products teach better techniques for hand-washing.

If both products do the same thing, what are the differences between the two? And which do you need?

A main difference can be found in the name of the products. GlitterBug Gel is just that: a gel. It is not a sanitizer and won’t kill germs, but it feels like a sanitizer. GlitterBug Potion is a hand lotion with a special UV fluorescent powder mixed in to show which part of your hands need a little more cleaning.

Which product you need depends on how you’re cleaning your hands. If you mainly use hand sanitizer, you should use GlitterBug Gel. If you usually wash with soap and water, GlitterBug Potion is for you.
Whichever way you wash your hands, a refresher on how you’re doing is a great way to learn how to be better in preventing the spread of germs.

Infection Prevention & Hand Hygiene Resources