Fighting the Flu

A Mediaplanet Guide to Navigating Flu Season

Fighting the Flu

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Latasha Haynes Read how her harrowing flu experience inspired her vaccine advocacy Learn about the plant-based products merging health, wellness, and self-care Discover the berry with major immune boosting power DECEMBER 2020 | FUTUREOFPERSONALHEALTH.COM

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Why This CEO Hasn’t Let the Pandemic Slow Her Down Small businesses have had to make major changes in the wake of COVID-19, but Jodi Scott, co-founder and CEO of the plant-based bath products company Green Goo, says they are working harder than ever to bring more products to market and give back to the community.

What actions have you taken to sustain your business during the pandemic?

In order for us to sustain our business, we revisited a playbook of recommendations we’ve referred to many times over the years, which include watching your inventory, cash preservation, and slowing down growth. Except, we have done none of that.

We’ve spent more on marketing, we have more inventory, and we’ve donated more products in the last six months than we ever did before. We brought over 50 new products to market, launched two brands, and have a rebrand in the works. I can’t tell you if this has all been a good idea, but I can say that I feel like we have made a huge difference in so many lives, we remained agile and responded to our customers’ needs, and we will keep fighting every day to bring healthy products into their homes.

How have you remained true to your company’s core values?

The fact that we are still in business and have the great joy of bringing our natural products into people’s homes fills me with a great sense of gratitude and pride, and also strengthens our mission to help in whatever way we can. This year, we have actually expanded our philanthropic outreach by ten times, including financial and product donations to NYC Health, Central Texas Food Bank, Johns Hopkins Medicine, God’s Love We Deliver (NYC), UCLA Health, and Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.

One of the things I’m most excited about, recognizing the impact of the economic crisis during the pandemic, [is that] we are soon to launch a new brand that remains natural but at a value price.

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The Case for Worksite Flu Vaccination for Nurses Fighting the flu is an essential component of supporting the overall health of communities, especially amidst the current COVID-19 outbreak, which presents unique healthcare delivery challenges. Flu vaccination reduces the strain on healthcare resources, the healthcare system, and greater clinical infrastructures.

Many businesses have already identified the benefits of offering worksite flu vaccination programs.

The benefits offered Vaccination programs demonstrate the employer’s commitment to their employees’ safety, morale, employer-satisfaction, and health by shielding vulnerable workers, family members, and customers from serious health outcomes

that can lead to hospitalization and possibly death.

They also protect employees, their families, the business, and the public from illness, particularly during the current pandemic when the disease burden is already high.

Workplace flu vaccinations further reduce overall employer and employee cost expenditures and productivity losses, which may result from missed time from work for the employee or family members to get vaccinated or seek illness-related diagnostic testing or treatment. And they provide a convenient, safe option for employees, especially those who may be hesitant to seek services within the community due to continued COVID-19 activity.

Meeting the moment Businesses need to remain adaptable by designing and implementing innovative,

robust, evidence-based workplace programs to support the overall health and safety of their business, their employees, and their families. Some innovative programs offered this year include walk-up, drive-up, or satellite flu vaccine clinics; the use of incentives such as friendly competition among departments; and messaging to dispel myths and identify the benefits of flu vaccination for individuals and communities.

As health and safety ambassadors on the frontline, occupational and environmental health nurses have a longstanding history of caring for communities and promoting a safe and healthy workplace. n Stephanie Weinsier, DNP, ANP-BC, COHN-S, FAAOHN, Chair, AAOHN Practice Committee and Manager, American Express Healthy Living Wellness Center

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Publisher Abigail Hanania Business Developer Joelle Hernandez Managing Director Luciana Olson Lead Designer Tiffany Pryor Designer Kéziah Makoundou Lead Editor Mina Fanous Copy Editor Kathleen Walsh Partnerships and Distribution Manager Jordan Hernandez Director of Sales Stephanie King Director of Product Faye Godfrey Cover Photo Ike and Tash All photos are credited to Getty Images unless otherwise specified. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve USA Today.

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wetting any surfaces while still killing up to 99.9999 percent of the hardestto-kill germs,” explains St. Clair.

Legally, whole room disinfection systems need to be approved by the Environmental Protection Agency.

“The EPA needs to have registered the specific disinfectant like HaloMistTM to be used with a specific fogging machine like the HaloFogger®,” St. Clair explains. “Otherwise, it is illegal to claim that fogging that disinfectant will kill any germs at all.”

The Key to Opening Schools Safely Schools are reopening, but the dual threat of COVID-19 and the familiar flu requires a new approach to disinfecting.

Across the country, more than 130,000 schools are struggling to open — and stay open safely — in the midst of a flu season like no other. Every year the ordinary influenza causes many students and teachers to get sick and lose time — and other pathogens like norovirus, salmonella, and E. coli are particular threats to young children.

This year, nearly 60 million students — and 7 million teachers and administrators — are also dealing with a global pandemic.

What makes this challenge especially difficult is the overlap in symptoms between the flu and COVID-19.

“The symptoms of the two illnesses are almost identical,” says David St.

Clair, chairman of Halosil International, Inc., a leading manufacturer of disinfectant products. “If individuals happen to contract both illnesses simultaneously, their condition will be much harder to manage successfully due to the overwhelming effect on their immune systems.”

Understanding spread Reopening schools during the pandemic has stoked fears that classrooms could be powerful vectors for the spread of both diseases. In past years spread of the flu has been driven largely by school-age children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s heightening fears that the same may be true for COVID-19. And some studies indicate that teachers and other school staff are infected at twice the rate as the kids they teach.

Many schools are struggling with the new cleaning and sanitizing requirements the pandemic requires.

One solution schools are adopting is “whole room disinfection.” This is a relatively new method of disinfecting surfaces that doesn’t rely on constant spraying and wiping down, which is labor intensive and unreliable. Spray products must wet all surfaces and they must stay wet for several minutes in order to be effective. Whole room disinfection systems on the other hand touch all surfaces without exposing the applicator and does not wet the surfaces, helping to protect sensitive electronics and papers from damage. An example of a whole room disinfection system is Halosil’s Halo Disinfection System® product. “The most effective and affordable whole room systems create a fog that fills the entire space being treated without

Looking forward Recent encouraging news of vaccines for COVID-19 and other breakthroughs have been welcome, but St. Clair cautions against being overly optimistic. “While vaccines will certainly help tremendously in the longer term, we should plan on using the tried-and-true methods described for at least all of 2021,” he concludes.

Flu vaccines are not guaranteed to work with the type of influenza virus that emerges each year, and any approved COVID-19 vaccine will take time to manufacture and distribute.

Some vaccines will face other obstacles — Pfizer’s, for example, must be stored at negative 94 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes getting it out to people difficult.

That means schools will have to continue to follow best practices: requiring masks for students, parents, and teachers, practicing standard social distancing guidelines, making hand sanitizer available — and ensuring both students and staff use it.

These practices, in addition to whole room disinfection products like the Halo Disinfection System, can help to minimize any risk of infection — making it possible to keep our schools open with peace of mind. n Jeff Somers

To learn more about whole room disinfecting, visit halosil.com.

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How One Woman Is Using Her Near-Fatal Flu Experience to Help Others Stay Safe Latasha “Tash” Haynes knows firsthand how important it is to get an annual flu vaccine.

Three years ago, the professional photographer, who lives with her family in Tacoma, Washington, was healthy, active, and busy.

She traveled the world for her photography business and loved to volunteer through educational programs for women.

But in January, she started to feel sick.

She thought she caught a cold or virus from a family member and figured she’d feel better soon. But weeks passed and her symptoms, including a cough, loss of appetite, and exhaustion, got worse.

By the middle of February, she couldn’t get out of bed. She knew she needed to see a doctor right away. A doctor at urgent care tested her for strep throat but the test was negative. She was sent home with pain relief medicine.

Diagnosis Over the next week, Haynes’ condition didn’t improve. That week she made two visits to the emergency room. Each time, doctors told her that her body had high inflammation levels, most likely from a virus. They gave her fluids and sent her home to rest.

The next day, Haynes experienced labored breathing and pain all over her body. She returned to the hospital where doctors told her she had something wrong with her heart. They needed to run tests to find the problem.

This time they admitted her to the hospital, where her condition was very serious.

Her blood pressure was dangerously low and her heart rate was elevated.

Haynes tested positive for the flu and doctors diagnosed her with pneumonia and congestive heart failure caused by myocarditis and pericarditis, brought on by the flu virus. She received two blood transfusions over the course of four days.

Initially near death, she slowly improved.

In total, she was in the hospital for 16 days, including six spent in critical care.

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Following her two-month battle with the flu, Haynes regained her previous health. But some issues from her flu diagnosis remain, such as arthritis.

Flu facts Every year, 5-20 percent of the U.S. population is infected with flu. A person infected with the flu virus will typically suffer from the illness for approximately 7-10 days. The highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory tract — the lungs, nose, and throat — can be severe and lead to secondary complications.

Typically, people with the flu experience symptoms like dry cough, fever, headache, extreme tiredness, muscle aches, sore throat, and other symptoms.

The virus can cause complications such as in Haynes’ case. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says every year upwards of 61,000 Americans die from the flu, including over 100 children, and flu-related hospitalizations range from 140,000–810,000.

Flu vaccines have been proven to be safe and cannot cause the flu. Still, the CDC reports generally less than half of U.S. adults and less than 65 percent of kids receive a flu vaccination each year.

Getting a flu vaccine can protect individuals and the community. The more people get vaccinated, the less chance that flu can spread to others.

Advocate These days, Haynes is an advocate with Families Fighting Flu (FFF), a national, nonprofit advocacy organization that’s dedicated to protecting children, families, and communities against the flu. The women’s health advocate encourages men, women, and children older than six months to get an annual flu vaccination, the best preventive measure against influenza.

She’s back to her busy lifestyle but always makes her health a priority, including getting a flu vaccine. n PHOTO: IKE AND TASH

Kristen Castillo

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Why Elderberry Is So Crucial for Immune System Protection A strong immune system can help people stay healthy. Many consumers are working to boost their immunity through good habits like proper nutrition, regular exercise, and sleep — as well as supplements.

One supplement, black elderberry, known scientifically as sambucus nigra, has been an ancient traditional remedy for colds, coughs, and upper respiratory infections.

Egyptians used black elderberry to improve their skin and heal burns and Native Americans used the medicinal plant to treat infections.

While the raw berries are not safe to consume, they can be processed and used in teas or as a syrup.

According to scientific studies, black elderberries are rich in phytochemicals called anthocyanins, helping stimulate the immune system

and supporting cell health. Elderberries have among the highest concentration values of anthocyanins, almost double the amount found in most fruits.

Immune support Recognized as strong antioxidants, black elderberries and black elderberry extracts are often used in dietary supplements and natural health products.

But not all black elderberry extracts are the same. Sambucol Black Elderberry, the original black elderberry extract first introduced in 1991, contains the same proprietary, naturally balanced elderberry extract used in published scientific studies.

Meanwhile, other manufacturers use a concentrated, standardized elderberry extract, with fundamentally different ingredients.

“This is an immune support product,” says Art Rowe-Cerveny, vice pres-

ident of marketing for PharmaCare, the parent company of Sambucol.

“What this does is allow your body to use everything to work better.”

Sambucol Black Elderberry products, including original syrup, immune drink powder, and gummies, capsules, tablets, and throat lozenges, contain natural black elderberry extract. Many of the products, which have a sweet and slightly tangy berry flavor, contain vitamin C. The company developed a proprietary formulation and extraction process for their elderberry products, which helps preserve and maximize the naturally occurring immunity benefits of the berry.

Nutritional powerhouse Sambucol Black Elderberry products are backed by over 20 years of scientific research, with their products being one of the most extensively

researched black elderberry products in the world.

Rowe-Cerveny, who calls the fruit “a nutritional powerhouse,” says it might be a household staple, especially during cold and flu season, when people often feel powerless.

“The one thing you can do is take control of your health,” he says. “And that means doing all the things that you should be doing to support your immune system and stay healthy and [support] your mental health, including using black elderberry.”

Consumers can take the product daily and ramp up dosages to four or five times a day at the first sign of feeling sick.

“You can actually use black elderberry every day to help support your immune system. What research has shown is that the anthocyanin and the polyphenol content might actually help support the immune system on a daily basis.”

People can take the supplement whenever it’s convenient for them, anytime of day or night. The black elderberry syrup can be added to food and drinks, including smoothies, yogurt, or with pancakes.

“It’s a very easy year-round immune support solution that your family will love,” says Rowe-Cerveny, who encourages people to ask their doctor about taking health supplements, such as black elderberry. n Kristen Castillo THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE, OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.

To learn more about Sambucol’s black elderberry and daily immune support, visit sambucolusa.com.

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The Power of Plant-Based Flu Care During a flu season like no other, plant-based products offer a host of benefits beyond keeping you healthy.

As flu season hits this year, medical experts worry that we might be staring down a “twindemic.”

“Flu season has always been there,” says Jen Scott, co-founder and director of product development at Green Goo, a certified B corporation that makes plant-based healthcare products. “But not like anything we’re seeing right now.”

Inside and out Research has shown that plant-based products can be very effective in reducing flu infection and resisting viral infections.

“Plant-based care works to build your immune system,” Scott says. Your skin, she notes, is the body’s largest organ, making Green Goo’s line of hand sanitizers, relief bath salts, and their Free to Breathe Salve (which uses the antiviral ravensara essential oil to create a barrier against viruses while also helping to break up mucus in the lungs and sinuses) essential.

Better for all Green Goo uses only whole-plant ingredients distilled from a lipid infusion process, combining concentrated herbs over low heat for a long period of time, maximizing the medicinal properties.

But Green Goo’s mission is about more than process. “How we build our business is just as important,” she notes.

This mission includes volunteering in the community and donating products to both local and national organizations such as the Keep A Breast Foundation and World Vision.

For Scott, the bottom line is simple.

“If I can’t put these products on my own child, I’m not going to sell them,” she says.

Jeff Somers 6

The Stakes Have Never Been Higher for Flu Prevention &Vaccination In a normal year, fewer than half of Americans are vaccinated against flu — but in the middle of a pandemic it is more imperative than ever that we bring that number up.

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e don’t know what type of flu season lies ahead, but we do know that there are many reasons to get a flu vaccine, which is more important this year than ever.

Research shows that a flu vaccine provides several individual health benefits in addition to keeping you from getting sick with flu, including possibly reducing the severity of your illness if you do get sick, and reducing your risk of a flu-associated hospitalization and death.

Flu vaccination is also an important preventive tool for people with chronic health conditions. Vaccination can lead to lower rates of some cardiac

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events among people with heart disease, as well as reduced hospitalizations among people with diabetes and chronic lung disease.

Some racial and ethnic minority populations who are disproportionately affected by diseases like asthma, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic conditions that can increase the risk for becoming seriously ill or dying from flu, can be protected by widespread flu vaccination.

And this season, reducing the burden of flu will also help protect essential workers and preserve medical resources for the care of COVID-19 patients.

During the 2019-2020 flu season, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates more than

400,000 people in the United States were hospitalized with flu, and about 22,000 died. Additionally, 195 children were reported to have died from flu, which is the highest recorded number of pediatric flu deaths reported during a regular flu season. Many of these deaths could have been prevented by vaccination, serving as a heartbreaking reminder of the seriousness of flu illness.

While we can’t predict how severe this flu season may be, or what the coming year will bring, less than half of the U.S. population is typically vaccinated against flu, and we can and must do better this year. n Dr. Daniel B. Jernigan, Director, CDC’s Influenza Division

The 5 Questions Parents Should Ask to Prevent the Flu Kids are surrounded by germs all day at school, but there are a few questions parents can ask to help protect their children from the flu.

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et’s face it — children are germ factories. It’s easier for them to spread germs and get sick since they share classrooms and other spaces inside schools, which means they’re at higher risk for severe flu-related complications.

Families and schools must work together to help prevent the flu and stop the spread of

an outbreak once it occurs.

Here are five questions to ask your child’s principal about the school’s flu prevention policies and procedures: 1. Does the school have a full-time nurse?

Many schools do not have a full-time nurse, so all staff should be taught the signs and symptoms of flu, emergency

warning signs, high-risk groups, and what to do in the event of an outbreak (e.g., separate sick students and staff from others until they can be picked up).

2. Does the school provide information to families on where to get the flu shot?

HealthMap Vaccine Finder is a free, online service where

users can search for locations that offer immunizations.

3. What is the school’s policy on children with the flu returning to school?

It is recommended that children stay home for at least 24 hours after their fever is gone without the use of feverreducing medicine. A fever is defined as 100°F or higher.

4. How are students educated on how to avoid the spread of germs and prevent flu?

Students and staff should be taught and reminded to stay away from people who are sick; cover their cough and sneezes with a tissue or bent arm; wash their hands often with soap and water for 15-20 seconds; not to touch their eyes, nose, and mouth; and to stay home when sick.

5. H ow often are “germ hot spots” like desks, chairs, doorknobs, and bathrooms disinfected?

Germs can last on some hard surfaces for up to 48 hours.

Daily disinfecting on surfaces and objects that are touched often helps to remove germs.

Disinfecting things like desks, countertops, doorknobs, hands-on learning items, faucet handles, phones, and toys is important. Cleaning specific areas of the school daily, including bathrooms, is also recommended.

It’s also important that schools follow protocols to properly clean surfaces students and teachers encounter every day. To fully protect children everywhere they grow and thrive, it is important to follow these protocols and practice other flu prevention steps at home too. n Leslie Boggs, President, National Parent Teacher Association

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