Lifestyle
OFF!® Brand and The Weather Channel Partner to Launch New In-App Mosquito Forecast
The partnership aims to leverage weather data and insights to allow people to get their local OFF!Cast Mosquito Forecast™ as easily as their local weather forecast
ATLANTA and RACINE, Wis. /PRNewswire/ — As summer’s higher heat and humidity nears, people prepare for an influx of mosquitoes. To help individuals and their families better protect themselves from mosquitoes, The Weather Company and its flagship consumer brand, The Weather Channel, has teamed up with OFF!®, America’s #1 trusted Insect Repellent brand in 20241, to bring local mosquito forecasts to The Weather Channel app. Launched in the U.S. in 2022, Brazil in 2023, and Canada in 2024, OFF!Cast Mosquito Forecast™ predicts mosquito behavior and populations to help consumers better plan summer activities and optimize their outdoor time this summer.
Through The Weather Company’s newly launched data and insights platform, The Weather Engine™, OFF!® brand is enhancing its OFF!Cast Mosquito Forecast™ from SC Johnson’s Center for Insect Science with weather data and analytics from The Weather Company, the world’s most accurate weather forecaster,2 to include a mosquito index in The Weather Channel app, the world’s most downloaded weather app.3
How it works: Helping people become mosquito-ready
The collaboration focuses on combining OFF!® and The Weather Channel teams’ respective expertise to help people live well and enjoy the outdoors.
Incorporating over 15 billion climate data points and real-world mosquito data from 5,000 locations, the OFF!Cast Mosquito Forecast combines entomology research on local mosquito species with detailed weather data inputs to predict mosquito populations and activity levels by ZIP code. Historic activity patterns, varying weather conditions, and weather and climate factors are accounted for when building these regional models.
Now leveraging The Weather Company’s deep meteorological expertise, enhanced datasets include historical and forecast temperature, humidity and precipitation for predicting mosquito sources, as well as forecast conditions that drive day-of mosquito activity.
How to view your OFF!Cast Forecast
By integrating OFF!Cast Mosquito Forecast™ into The Weather Channel app, millions more consumers can now get into a routine of checking their local mosquito and weather forecasts simultaneously across multiple platforms:
- For those who already depend on the OFF!Cast Mosquito Forecast™, it continues to be available on OFF.com, but now with improved weather data from The Weather Channel.
- The OFF!Cast tool will also be visible in The Weather Channel app’s new experience on iOS. Check out the Daily tab and Outdoor Activity tabs for camping, hiking, golf and gardening for an at-a-glance risk level – low, medium, high, very high, severe – of mosquito activity based on local weather conditions for today and the days ahead.
- To know mosquito risk for the area, sign up for weekly forecasts on the OFF.com website or from within the OFF!Cast tool on The Weather Channel properties.
- Learn more about mosquitoes and how to avoid them with educational, integrated content across The Weather Channel app and OFF.com.
- When weather conditions are ripe for heightened mosquito activity, OFF! will share relevant, informative messaging on The Weather Channel digital properties and beyond.
“Mosquito activity is very dependent on weather patterns,” said Tom Mascari, principal entomologist with SC Johnson’s Center for Insect Science. “Checking the weather and local mosquito forecasts for the week can improve people’s ability to prepare themselves to spend time outdoors.”
What the partnership means: New, expanded mosquito forecasting resources
The Weather Company will now host the OFF!Cast mosquito model for users in the U.S., Brazil and Canada to start within The Weather Engine, a platform that combines proprietary weather data, first-party data and other supporting data sources to create multivariate models and analysis based on AI and 30 different weather variables. The result delivers deeper insights on the impact of weather with neighborhood-level precision to harness weather and scale its use across an enterprise.
“As weather patterns change and increasingly impact the health of both people and businesses, innovative teams like the OFF!® brand are using weather intelligence and factoring changing weather conditions into how they help consumers from the start,” said Sheri Bachstein, CEO of The Weather Company. “This partnership is a natural fit, and the inspired innovation by both companies turned a trove of trusted, scalable data into invaluable insights to activate across a business, helping people understand their mosquito risk and plan ahead for mosquito protection.”
Since 2022, OFF!® brand has been helping people and families plan ahead for mosquitoes with OFF!Cast Mosquito Forecast.™ This color-coded 7-day forecast of mosquito populations uses the SC Johnson Center for Insect Science’s 65 years of entomology expertise to provide consumers with an accurate view of mosquito activity. Similarly, The Weather Company helps people plan ahead to prepare for weather’s impact on their lives, which all starts with having accurate, reliable, actionable weather data.
The purpose-driven collaboration leverages deep content alignment and organic integration of weather data and insights to help people prepare for mosquito activity and stay safe. Check out the OFF!Cast Mosquito Forecast™ from OFF.com and The Weather Channel app for iOS.
ABOUT OFF!
OFF! brand is a pioneer in personal insect repellents for over 65 years. As one of SC Johnson’s leading pest control brands, OFF! is on a mission to make life better for the next generation. In addition to providing protection against mosquitoes, OFF! is a part of SC Johnson’s mission to develop mosquito prevention programs and supports scientific studies on mosquitoes that help make a difference in millions of lives. OFF! is proud to create products with proven effectiveness that repel mosquitoes, ticks and biting flies so families can have a trusted line of protection. No matter the activity or time outdoors, there is an OFF! product for every occasion. Ranging in both personal and area repellents, OFF! product offerings include: OFF! Deep Woods®, OFF! Clean Feel, OFF! Kids, OFF! FamilyCare, OFF! Defense, OFF! Botanicals®, OFF! Active, OFF! Backyard or OFF! products should always be used as directed. Effectiveness against pests differs by product and each OFF! product label should be read and followed carefully. Learn more at OFF.com.
ABOUT SC JOHNSON
Founded in 1886 and headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin USA, SC Johnson believes that a more sustainable, healthier and transparent world that inspires people and creates opportunities isn’t just possible – it’s our responsibility.
A heritage of innovation and bold, transparent decisions is why our high-quality products and iconic brands – including OFF!® Raid®, Glade®, Windex®, Scrubbing Bubbles®, Ziploc®, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day®, method®, Autan®, Baygon®, Mr Muscle®, Duck®, Lysoform® and more – are in homes, schools and businesses in virtually every country worldwide.
As a global, purpose-led company, we are committed to making the world a better place today and for future generations. That means relentlessly bringing our expertise in science, innovation and partnerships to bear on some of the world’s most pressing environmental and health issues like reducing plastic waste and helping to eradicate malaria. Around the world, we use our resources to unlock greater economic and educational opportunities for people and communities where access may be limited, but curiosity and potential are limitless.
See how SC Johnson is a Family Company At Work For a Better World by visiting scjohnson.com or joining us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
About The Weather Company
The Weather Company helps people and businesses around the world make more informed decisions and take action in the face of weather. With its deep industry expertise and highly accurate, high-volume weather data combined with advanced technology and AI, The Weather Company provides insights and solutions that harness the power of weather in a scalable, privacy-forward way. The world’s most accurate forecaster, the company serves hundreds of enterprise customers across media, advertising, aviation and more, and is trusted by hundreds of millions of monthly active users via digital properties from The Weather Channel (weather.com) and Weather Underground (wunderground.com). For more, visit weathercompany.com.
1 Voted most trusted Insect Repellent (for Use on Body) brand by American shoppers based on the 2024 BrandSpark® American Trust Study. For details visit www.BrandSparkMostTrusted.com
2 ForecastWatch, Global and Regional Weather Forecast Accuracy Overview, 2017-2022, https://forecastwatch.com/AccuracyOverview2017-2022, commissioned by The Weather Company.
3 According to data.ai Intelligence, The Weather Channel has been the world’s most-downloaded weather app across Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store beginning on July 4, 2010 and into 2023.
SOURCE The Weather Company
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
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Health
Know These 4 Core Factors to Avoid a Heart Health Syndrome
(Family Features) In the U.S., 1 in 3 adults is at risk for a newly recognized syndrome that comes from a combination of heart disease, kidney disease, type 2 diabetes and excess body weight. This cluster of conditions, called cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, is an example of how problems in one part of your body can affect other parts.
To avoid CKM syndrome, health experts suggest paying close attention to four of the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 – blood pressure, lipids, body weight and blood sugar level – which are core health factors that impact your metabolic health.
Good metabolic health means your body uses energy well and keeps these factors in a normal range. However, when numbers are off in one area, it can affect others, raising your risk for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes.
Consider these tips from the American Heart Association to help keep your core health factors under control.
Blood Pressure
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, happens when the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels is too high. High blood pressure is a leading cause of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.
Because high blood pressure doesn’t have symptoms, the only way to know you have it is to get your blood pressure checked. Healthy blood pressure is below 120/80. If your blood pressure is 130/80 or higher, talk to your doctor about checking your other core health factors.
Lifestyle changes can help reduce high blood pressure. One example is a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating pattern that’s low in fat and rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. Losing 10 pounds and reducing alcohol consumption can also reduce blood pressure.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a waxy substance your liver makes then circulates in the blood where your body uses it to build cells and make vitamins and hormones. You may also get cholesterol from eating animal products. If there’s too much cholesterol circulating, your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke may increase.
For optimal CKM health, your LDL cholesterol should be below 100 and triglycerides below 150. Triglycerides are the most common type of fat in the body. If your triglyceride level is 135 or higher, talk to your doctor about decreasing your risk.
Losing body weight and increasing physical activity decrease triglyceride levels. In addition, DASH and Mediterranean (plant-based, high-fiber, low-fat) eating patterns support healthy LDL and triglyceride levels.
Body Weight
Healthy weight may be determined by body mass index (BMI), a number that represents your weight in relation to your height. Extra body fat can mean a higher risk for many health problems, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
CKM syndrome starts when BMI is 25 or higher and waist circumference is 88 centimeters or higher for women and 102 centimeters or higher for men. Aim for a BMI between 18.5-25.
To lose weight and keep it off, start by setting realistic goals. Understand how much and why you eat, manage portion sizes, make smart snack substitutions and be physically active.
Blood Sugar
High blood sugar can slowly damage the kidneys. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease, and it increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Blood sugar is measured in two ways: a fasting blood glucose test (short term blood sugar) and an A1C test (long term blood sugar control). A normal fasting blood glucose level is 70-99 and a normal A1C level is below 5.7%. Fasting blood glucose above 125 and A1C of 6.5% or higher means you have diabetes.
Habits that help you avoid high blood pressure, weight gain and high cholesterol also keep your blood sugar in check. These are especially important if you have a family history of diabetes.
Learn more about CKM syndrome and how to manage your risk at heart.org/CKMhealth.
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
American Heart Association
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pets
Vaccine hesitancy among pet owners is growing – a public health expert explains why that matters
Vaccine hesitancy among pet owners is rising, with 22% of dog owners and 26% of cat owners expressing concerns, impacting public health and vaccination rates for pets.
Simon F. Haeder, Texas A&M University
When most people think about vaccines, they typically think about humans: Experts warn that when large numbers of people are unvaccinated, it can lead to severe consequences, including disease outbreaks and higher rates of illness and death, particularly among the most vulnerable. The economic costs to society can also be substantial.
However, vaccines also provide important protections for our nonhuman companions, including the most common pets: dogs and cats.
Yet, as my research published in 2024 in the American Journal of Veterinary Research and the journal Vaccine indicates, vaccine hesitancy is beginning to spill over into some people’s decisions about whether to vaccinate their pets.
Vaccines and pets
A large body of research has confirmed that U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccines are safe for most people. Yet vaccines have never been universally accepted, dating back to the first inoculations against smallpox. Vaccine hesitancy, or concerns over getting vaccinated, has only intensified in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Growing concerns about vaccines have important implications that go well beyond the individual making decisions about whether or not to get vaccinated.
Vaccines generally work through two important pathways. First, for the vaccinated individual, they provide direct protection by reducing the risk of contracting a disease; they also reduce the severity of a disease.
Vaccines also provide an indirect form of protection for society at large through a process commonly known as “herd immunity.” This occurs when a high percentage of people in a community have developed immunity, ensuring that future outbreaks affect fewer individuals and are quickly contained.
Humans, of course, are not the only species that benefits from the direct and indirect protections of vaccines. However, so far, very little research has examined vaccination in nonhumans.
My recent work specifically sought to extend scientific knowledge about dog and cat owners by using large, national surveys. Many of the findings were positive: The vast majority of cats and dogs have received core vaccines, which provide protection against rabies and other dangerous diseases. Core vaccines are those vaccines that are recommended for all dogs and cats.
Moreover, three-quarters of pet owners trust their veterinarian when it comes to vaccines. And even higher percentages felt confident discussing vaccine-related concerns with their veterinarian. They also understand that many vaccine-preventable pet diseases can be severe.
Pet owners also wanted their neighbors to vaccinate their pets: Most dog and cat owners, more than 80%, supported vaccination requirements for various core and noncore vaccines.
Yet, other findings raise concerns. Most prominently, my study, published in late 2024, identified 22% of dog owners and 26% of cat owners as vaccine hesitant regarding their pets. And although most pets were vaccinated against common diseases, a minority were not. This includes about 4% of dogs and 12% of cats that remained unvaccinated against rabies. For other diseases like parvovirus and distemper, vaccination rates were even lower. The study confirmed similar findings from my earlier 2023 study.
In the same 2024 study, many of the concerns raised by pet owners mirror those of humans: More than half of pet owners question the effectiveness of vaccines.
A similar percentage was concerned about vaccine safety and side effects. Many believed it was better for pets to contract a disease to get immunity than to get vaccinated. About 60% of pet owners thought that pets receive too many vaccines. Strikingly, nearly all pet owners preferred fewer vaccines to be administered to their pets at a time.
Going forward
When people choose to not vaccinate their pets, it can have important implications for society.
The most immediate impact will be on pet owners. Unvaccinated pets face a higher risk of illness and death from preventable diseases; although vaccines are not completely effective, and in some cases even vaccinated pets may be affected. This may impose substantial financial and emotional costs on their owners.
Veterinarians will also be affected. They may encounter pets with diseases they may not expect to see or have had limited exposure to in the past. The same holds for other professions dealing with pets, including groomers, boarders and walkers.
There are also broader implications for public health: Encounters with rabies, in particular, may become more common. Humans may be directly affected if they are bitten by an infected pet. Pets also come into contact with wildlife, increasing the potential for the further spread of rabies.
From a public health perspective, low vaccination rates for pets are just as concerning as those for humans. I believe that a comprehensive public health strategy is crucial for addressing the growing concerns among pet owners regarding vaccines. Such a strategy should not simply dismiss pet owners’ concerns as conspiracy theories, but should instead adopt a thoughtful approach that takes individuals’ specific concerns seriously.
Simon F. Haeder, Associate Professor of Public Health, Texas A&M University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Child Health
Sesame Workshop and NewYork-Presbyterian Join Forces to Champion Children’s Health
The two organizations will partner to foster healthy habits in young children and their families by offering free resources and videos and “Sesamatized” spaces
NEW YORK /PRNewswire/ — Today, Sesame Workshop, the global impact nonprofit behind Sesame Street, and NewYork-Presbyterian announced a partnership to improve health outcomes for young children by supporting their physical and emotional well-being through joyful learning moments engaging parents, caregivers, and community providers. Sesame Workshop is collaborating with NewYork-Presbyterian’s physicians and community partners on a social impact and mass media campaign featuring videos, educational materials, and “Sesamatized” physical spaces, to promote children’s health.
The partnership is launching with a six-part video series titled “Ask a Doctor,” featuring Sesame Street Muppets and NewYork-Presbyterian physicians. The videos are designed to educate and empower parents and caregivers on how to help young children stay healthy. They will cover topics including how to develop healthy sleep habits, deal with food allergies, and prepare for wellness visits. The series can be found on Sesame Workshop’s YouTube channel and will be available on NewYork-Presbyterian’s internal patient entertainment system.
“We are delighted to partner with NewYork-Presbyterian in our shared commitment to equity and health justice,” said Jeanette Betancourt, Ed.D., Senior Vice President of U.S. Social Impact at Sesame Workshop. “Our collaboration allows us to combine our expertise in healthcare, child development, and family and community engagement to make an impactful difference in the lives of those who need it most. In fostering healthy practices, especially in the early years, in ways that incorporate the perspectives and needs of parents and caregivers along with their community support networks, we are all working together to pave the way for a healthier, more equitable future.”
“We are thrilled to work with Sesame Workshop to empower parents and caregivers with important health information and meet families where they are,” said Dr. Deepa Kumaraiah, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of NewYork-Presbyterian. “Through fun learning moments that support the health and well-being of young people in our communities, we can help reduce health disparities and work toward health justice.”
A key focus of the partnership is a collaboration between Sesame Workshop and NewYork-Presbyterian’s neighboring community partners. Sesame Workshop will create educational materials with input from the children and caregivers in the communities NewYork-Presbyterian serves. Among the resources that will be available are bilingual Muppet videos, storybooks, parent guides, and activity books. “Sesamatized” physical spaces including décor featuring Sesame Street Muppets will open in the second half of 2025. The materials will be available where children and their families are, including community centers and NewYork-Presbyterian’s hospitals and clinics.
Additionally, two videos, featuring Elmo, Gabrielle, and other Sesame Street friends, that celebrate everyone of all hair and fur types complement NewYork-Presbyterian’s Dalio Center for Health Justice’s Crown Hair Care program, an initiative to provide inclusive hair care kits for pediatric and obstetric patients with curly, coiled, or tightly textured hair. These are also featured on NewYork-Presbyterian’s patient entertainment system.
About Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop is the global impact nonprofit behind Sesame Street and so much more. For over 50 years, we have worked at the intersection of education, media, and research, creating joyful experiences that enrich minds and expand hearts, all in service of empowering each generation to build a better world. Our beloved characters, iconic shows, outreach in communities, and more bring playful early learning to families in more than 150 countries and advance our mission to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. Learn more at www.sesame.org and follow Sesame Workshop on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X.
About NewYork-Presbyterian
NewYork-Presbyterian is one of the nation’s most comprehensive, integrated academic healthcare systems, encompassing 10 hospitals across the Greater New York area, nearly 200 primary and specialty care clinics and medical groups, and an array of telemedicine services.
A leader in medical education, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is affiliated with two renowned medical schools, Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. This collaboration means patients have access to the country’s leading physicians, the full range of medical specialties, latest innovations in care, and research that is developing cures and saving lives.
Founded 250 years ago, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has a long legacy of medical breakthroughs and innovation, from the invention of the Pap test to pioneering the groundbreaking heart valve replacement procedure called TAVR.
NewYork-Presbyterian’s 50,000 employees and affiliated physicians are dedicated to providing the highest quality, most compassionate care to New Yorkers and patients from across the country and around the world.
For more information, visit www.nyp.org and find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
SOURCE NewYork-Presbyterian
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