Three years since WHO announced the COVID-19 pandemic, the warning bells are ringing yet again. This time, it’s not from China, but a new viral disease that has its roots in Central and West Africa. Although known for decades, Monkeypox has been spreading rapidly and quietly in regions never reported before. This prompted WHO on 23rd July 2022 to declare it a “public health emergency of international concern”. But what exactly is Monkeypox? How worried should we be? And, is it likely to trigger another Corona-like pandemic? While new information about Monkeypox is still emerging, we’ve collected information from the World Health Organization and Central for Disease Control (CDC) to answer some common questions you might have about the disease. What is Monkeypox? Monkeypox is a viral disease that causes lesions on the skin that often looks like pus-filled pimples or blisters. It is a mild illness caused by infection with the Monkeypox virus, a close relative to the now eradicated and more severe smallpox virus. Is the disease deadly? A silver lining in the outbreak is that the disease is not as severe as smallpox. It is also not as contagious as COVID-19. Outbreaks, therefore, tend to be small because the virus does not spread at a fast rate. Unlike smallpox, monkeypox is also rarely fatal. The disease has a fatality rate of 3-6% based on recent cases. What are the symptoms of Monkeypox? According to the CDC, there are a few ways you can prevent the spread of the monkeypox virus. They include. a. Practicing good hand hygiene, washing hands frequently with soap and water as well as using hand sanitizers b. Using personal protective equipment when caring for infected patients c. Avoiding contact with items that might have been contacting with the patient or animal with the monkeypox virus   — Kim-Fay is committed to helping our customers maintain clean, safer and healthier workspaces through intelligent solutions tailored to meet your specific needs. Visit our website today to learn how you can keep your staff and customers safe with our hygiene solutions. Sources:  https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/monkeypox https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/about.html

Parenting is not easy –, especially for mothers. That is why we are ruling out mom guilt.You can get overwhelmed and exhausted with the consistent hassle and it’s completely okay to snap or yell a little. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad mother or your child deserves better than you. Motherhood is challenging at every step and tends to question your patience, strength, and stamina every single minute. If you are not able to live up to the expectations you have created in your mind, it’s not a big deal. What you have done and are doing is more than enough. The “mom guilt” is rather common, and if you think you are the only mother to feel insufficient – think again. It’s important to understand that you cannot win everywhere all the time when you enter into motherhood. You are only going to exhaust yourself out if you don’t stop trying to perfect your parenting. Mothers often feel guilty (#Ruling Out Mom Guilt) about giving themselves time or doing something for their own self, thinking that their complete attention should be focused on their child. If they failed to do so, it will affect their child’s grooming. You’re doing a great job and giving yourself some attention doesn’t make you a bad mother. Let’s address this “mom guilt” and make you see how your present parenting efforts are more than sufficient for your child and you’ve no reason to feel overwhelmed. What is Mom Guilt? You’re maternity leave is up and now you have to get back on the 9-5 grind. The guilt that surfaces about leaving your newborn behind at home, while you’re at work is referred to as the mom guilt. This includes worrying about how you’d be able to function at work and give your baby the time and attention they need. Prioritizing one over another or unable to balance both the things leads towards getting overwhelmed and anxious. Mom guilt can strike at any point of time in motherhood. It could be right after the maternity leave, on a weekend when you reprimand your child for messing the room up, after having a verbal spat with your teenage child, or leaving your child behind for an hour to visit your friends. Any similar incident can spark guilt in you that you haven’t done enough for them and you may start questioning your parenting. This builds pressure on you and compels you to put more effort into becoming a better mother. How Do You Know Mom Guilt’s Building Up? The feeling of guilt is actually an analysis of your behavior. When you start focusing on what you did and feel shame in doing so, it means you’re beginning to feel guilty about it. I didn’t make the food of his liking. I am a bad mother. I left my baby in the daycare. How awful for a mother to do so! Susan’s baby is smarter than my daughter. She must have given her more attention than I did! This happens with a majority of mothers who judge themselves and compare them to other women. They start to believe that every negative thought about them is right. So, if you find yourself criticizing yourself and negative thoughts making frequent visits to your mind, it means you’re suffering from mom guilt.   What to Do Next? Ruling Out Mom Guilt. Living with mom guilt is unhealthy for you. It only adds up to your depression and stress and coerces you to overdo yourself. This can have negative effects on your physical and mental health. We have some effective solutions to address this guilt and help you live a healthy and happy life with your kids. 1. You Are Doing Your Best in Ruling Out Mom Guilt? When you become a mother, you naturally develop the strong instincts of caring and protecting your child. You want to guard them against every harm that might come their way and give them the best you can. But, there’s no such thing as perfection when it comes to parenting. So, tell yourself that what you’re doing is enough and the best in your capacity. Don’t overdo yourself because there always will be lacking. Let go of the guilt and continue doing what you can do best. 2. Acknowledge Yourself Self-acceptance is the key. You’ve to acknowledge yourself and your efforts to step out of the guilt. Be empathic towards yourself and know where your thoughts are going. Stop negativity from prevailing and respond to yourself with kindness. 3. Let Go of Perfectionism More than perfectionism, you need resilience to make it through motherhood. Mom guilt can be persistent in its invasions. You have to develop your defense and stick to it. Fighting off depressive feelings and thoughts is difficult. But once you stop trying to run after perfectionism, you’ll see things simplifying themselves. 4. Take Care of Yourself? Taking care of children is important, but so is taking care of you. Mothers often ignore their own needs and wish to give more time to their kids. This makes a major contribution to mom guilt when they start thinking that spending time on their own is making them a bad parent. Make time for yourself and take care of your needs. Socialize with your friends, sleep well and eat healthily. You’ll be surprised with the wonders these simple things can do and make a positive impact on your parenting. When you’re relaxed and healthy, you ultimately develop more patience and calmness to deal with your children. Do what makes you happy and you will see how the entire atmosphere of your home changes. You are the center of your family. If you are content, everybody else is too. So, don’t let the guilt pull your family back. Embrace happiness and be satisfied with what you are doing. Because it is good enough! “A happy mother is a good mother, and if work makes you hum, your whole family sings along.” -Sharon Meers

There’s no denying that a healthy family is a happy family. People tend to spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on family care products to strengthen their family’s ability to combat harmful germs and promote their health.This is all in quest to healthy and happy family. While these products are indeed made to help you take care of your family in the most efficient way possible, there are certain basic rules for taking care of yourself and your children. Here are eight simple hygiene tips for your family that all happy, healthy families share in common as their ‘habits’. “You know, all that really matters is that the people you love are happy and healthy. Everything else is just sprinkles on the sundae.” – Paul Walker 1. Make Regular Hand Washing a Habit to keep a Healthy and Happy Family We know this may sound too basic an advice because you must’ve been taught to do it in your school days. But hand washing is hands down the best way to keep those germs at bay! It is extremely important to teach your kids to wash their hands, especially on the following occasions: Before and after each meal Before heading to the playroom After coming in from the playground After using the toilet After sneezing and coughing After petting an animal You and other adult family members should also make it a habit to wash your hands regularly. This won’t only ensure that you stay healthy but will also help the kids learn the habit quickly. After all, kids do what they see their elders doing, right? 2. Dispose of Dirty Tissues Right Away to keep a Healthy and Happy Family. Tissues can come in handy when you’re suffering from flu and coughing and sneezing after every few minutes. You must teach your kids to use tissues for nose-blowing so that they don’t have to sneeze or cough into the inside of their hands. However, what’s even more important is to dispose of the tissues right away and teach your kids the same. Some germs, bacteria, and viruses can live for two hours or even more outside the human body. So, dirty tissues lying around the house is a big NO! To encourage the habit of using and wasting tissues, you should consider placing trashcans in each room. 3. Some Things Are Not for Sharing While you may always be looking for ways to teach your children the etiquettes of sharing their toys and taking turns while playing with friends, you must understand that there are certain exceptions to this rule. When it comes to ensuring the health of your children, you must teach them to NOT share a few things, including combs, toothbrushes, hats, cups, spoons and forks, drinking straws, whistles, tissues, and basically anything that they’re likely to put in their mouths. And the same goes for you as well! Make sure everyone in your family has their own hairbrush and toothbrush. 4. Bathrooms are High-alert Red Zones! You may only go in and out the bathroom for a few minutes each time but it tends to be one of the most favorite places of germs to lurk behind after the toilet flushes. Make sure you clean the bathroom sinks, countertops, toilet seat, bathtub, and the bathroom walls on a regular basis with a high-action disinfectant or wipes. In addition to this, the bath toys also need regular cleaning. You may wash them in a water-bleach solution at least once a week. Apart from this, make sure that all toothbrushes are placed at least one inch away from each other so that their bristles don’t touch. This will decrease the chances of germs spreading from one brush to another. Also, replacing the toothbrushes regularly is critical, especially after recovery from an illness. 5. Focus on Kitchen Cleanliness As an adult, you may not worry about foodborne illnesses, as they usually are not dangerous. However, these illnesses can be more than just unpleasant for your kids. The reason why you should pay special attention to food safety and kitchen cleanliness is that your children’s immune system is not as developed as yours is. Make it a habit to wash your hands thoroughly before cooking any meal, particularly when you’re handling raw meat, fish, or eggs. Moreover, keep separate cutting boards for the mentioned proteins and for the produced. Cracks in the cutting boards provide a great hiding place for bacteria, so consider replacing them regularly. In addition to this, make sure that you wash the kitchen towels, rags, and sponges, and wipe the countertop and cabinet handles with disinfectant from time to time. 6. Be Prepared to Fight Allergens Allergens, such as dust mites, molds, and pet dander can pose a serious health issue, especially if your family has a history of allergies or asthma. It is crucial that you fight these allergens by vacuuming on a weekly basis. For maximum protection against germs, consider using a High-Efficiency Particulate Arresting (HEPA) vacuum, as it works wonders for trapping allergens. Additionally, you need to change and wash bed sheets and pillowcases regularly. Sometimes, germs like residing in stuffed toys– so, consider giving them a regular wash too. 7. Get Your Family Vaccinated to keep Healthy and Happy Family. To keep your family healthy, you should not only consider getting your children vaccinated but you and your partner as well. Yearly flu shots and Tdap vaccine protect against flu, tetanus, and pertussis. While pertussis may not be a serious illness for adults, it can make your kids very sick. 8. Stick to an Exercise Schedule Exercise is a great way to keep both the body and mind healthy. No matter how busy your everyday schedule is, you must take out some time for exercise. As simple an exercise as brisk walking or jogging can make a world of a difference in upgrading your health game. Also, teach your children the importance of regular exercise. Take them cycling or running –