Investment in Health Benefits is on the UpANDOVER, England - Despite the economic downturn, companies are more than doubling their spend on healthcare benefits, according to new research from Simplyhealth’s Bothered Britain Report 2009, which is released this month. The report investigates how attitudes, policy and behaviour have changed in the past year towards health-related issues, as well as looking at newer trends that are impacting on workplace health. Health Workers Face Postcode Lottery for Swine Flu Vaccine, Chemist+Druggist RevealsTONBRIDGE, England - Thousands of frontline health workers in England are trapped in a postcode lottery after Department of Health (DH) guidance on swine flu vaccination has left local health chiefs confused over who is eligible for the jab. Chemist+Druggist Reveals Frontline NHS Staff Won’t Get Swine Flu VaccineTONBRIDGE, England - Pharmacists have branded government swine flu vaccination plans “unacceptable,” Chemist+Druggist has revealed. The criticism comes after the profession was excluded from the first wave of healthcare staff to get the jab. Online Think Tank Big Think Launches New Multimedia Web Series Exploring Some of the Most Pressing Science and Medical Issues of our TimeNEW YORK - - World-Renowned Experts Explore the Implications and Impact of H1N1 and the Next Pandemic as well as the Debate over Personal Genomics Norovirus Aboard Cruise Ship Marco Polo Rapidly Eradicated by Revolutionary new Vaporisation ProcessLONDON - The cruise ship Marco Polo, whose round-Britain cruise had to be cancelled because hundreds of passengers became ill with the vomiting bug Norovirus, has been totally disinfected by SitexOrbis’ revolutionary infection control fogging service in just 5 hours at the Tilbury docks. Fi Europe: Expected To Be ‘Can’t Miss’ Event of 2009FRANKFURT - Food ingredients Europe (fieurope.ingredientsnetwork.com/home), the industry event connecting FMCG food & beverage manufacturers with raw & processed ingredients suppliers, is on track to outpace both food and trade show industry growth forecasts, it was announced today. Pig Out With The Get Well Soon Swine Flu Gourmet Food Hamper From Real Food DirectHENLEY-ON-THAMES, England - With Swine Flu spreading like wildfire, Real Food Direct has put together the perfect Get Well Soon gourmet food hamper (www.realfooddirect.co.uk) for friends and family recovering from the illness. Tasty treats like the Fairytale Gingerbread Deluxe Iced Pig, House of Dorchester Dusted Champagne Truffles and Farmyard Friends Pig Gems are smartly presented in a traditional wicker hamper, and can be ordered online for just GBP24.95. NanoPass Makes its MicronJet Technology Available to Increase Global Supply of Pandemic Influenza VaccinesNES ZIONA, Israel - - Intradermal Delivery of Vaccines can Provide Significant Dose Sparing Urgently Required in the Swine H1N1 Pandemic Orient-Express Hotels Reports Second Quarter 2009 ResultsHAMILTON, Bermuda - Second Quarter 2009 Earnings Summary - Second quarter total revenues, excluding Real Estate, of $132.0 million - Same store RevPAR down 24% in local currency, 33% in US dollars - Adjusted EBITDA before Real Estate of $26.7 million Key Events - Raised $141.3 million of cash in common share offering in May 2009 primarily for debt reduction - Completed sale of Lapa Palace for $42.0 million (EUR29.4 million), or 22x 2008 EBITDA - Entered into sale agreement for Windsor Court Hotel - Entered into agreement with the New York Public Library to spread future payments over 24 months - Same store revenue drop offset by 54% through fixed and variable overhead savings - Completed $16 million re-financing of Australian properties - Implemented launch of corporate brand strategy, including new website - Obtained tangible net worth covenant waivers on two facilities referenced in 2008 Form 10-K US Growth: Up In 2010, Down In 2011LONDON - A rollercoaster ride beckons for the US economy with growth showing signs of recovery next year before slumping again in 2011 - says Robin Bew, Editorial Director at the Economist Intelligence Unit. Demand for Private Swine Flu Tests as Government Stops TestingLONDON - - MediChecks.com is the First Company in the UK to Make Available a Swine Flu Test to Individuals and Companies Nationally Kids Go Free With DialAFlightLONDON - Travel company DialAFlight have announced plans to offer Free Child places to Dubai this summer. High-Tech ‘Smart’ Face Mask Helps Hong Kong Families Combat Swine FluHONG KONG - Beginning today, Hong Kong people and their children will have direct access to Filligent’s affordable patented anti-microbial face mask, the BioMask(TM). The revolutionary mask, which traps and kills germs like H1N1 upon contact, was launched at Asia’s leading drugstore chain, Watsons, today. In addition, Hong Kong’s biggest travel agency, Hong Thai, will be providing the BioMask(TM), on a complimentary basis, to all air travelers through the end of August. Up until now, the CE-certified, specialist mask has only been available to medical and healthcare professionals. The launch and availability of the BioMask(TM) in consumer retailers and service providers is significant because, as CEO Melissa Mowbray-d’Arbela says, “The BioMask(TM) is the first ‘intelligent’ face mask. You don’t have to be a health care worker or medical professional to use it correctly. Instead, the mask is very easy to put on, wear and dispose of properly. Thus, it’s one of the best forms of protection for ordinary people and their children during this year’s swine flu crisis.” WeDo Technologies Takes Revenue Assurance to the Next LevelLISBON - - Business Assurance Systems Will Help C-Level Executives to Face Management Challenges DialAFlight Fly Kids Free to USALONDON - This summer, DialAFlight have teamed up with United Airlines to offer free children’s fares to a whole host of US destinations. Only taxes and surcharges will apply to the ticket. Airlines in Turbulence - Virus Outbreaks and their Impact on the Aviation MarketLONDON - Frost & Sullivan’s Web Conference on the current global situation Virus outbreaks and their impact on the airlines will be discussed during a web conference that Frost & Sullivan will host on Wednesday, 3 June, at 4 pm BST. Global Airline Capacity for May Holds Steady, Reports OAGLONDON - Year on Year Decline has not Accelerated; 5% Fewer Flights and 2.7% Fewer Seats LONDON, May 20 /PRNewswire/ – Unit Clothing Mask Up to Combat Swine FluBRISBANE, Australia - Australia’s fastest growing action sports label, Unit Clothing is teetering on the edge of controversy once more following the launch of a campaign to promote its ‘Age of Panic’ theme. DialAFlight Announce Bookings Upsurge After Swine ScareLONDON - Tourist figures are returning to normal following the swine flu outbreak in Mexico, according to major carrier DialAFlight. Despite continued warnings from the press, governments and the World Health Organisation, travellers have not been deterred from booking holidays to ‘at-risk’ areas of the globe. Swine Flu - An Underestimated Threat, Says Economist Intelligence UnitLONDON - Empty offices and deserted restaurants are a real possibility if the Swine Flu virus successfully mutates, warns the Economist Intelligence Unit. The public has been suffering from “gloom fatigue” with constant bad news over the recession. As a result, the threat of this flu outbreak has been ignored. But this is highly dangerous and the pandemic could surge later in the year with dire results. Two of the EIU’s top analysts look at the economic and medical implications if the virus takes hold. Orient-Express Hotels Reports First Quarter 2009 ResultsHAMILTON, Bermuda - First Quarter 2009 Earnings Summary - First quarter total revenues, excluding real estate, of $91.0 million, down $24.9 million over prior year - Same store RevPAR down 18% in local currency, 26% in US dollars - Adjusted EBITDA before Real Estate of $9.9 million, down $7.0 million over prior year - First quarter net loss from continuing operations of $13.6 million - EPS loss from continuing operations of $0.27 per common share Key Events - Raised $141.3 million of cash in common share offering primarily for debt reduction - Closed on new $30 million secured construction loan to complete Porto Cupecoy - Sold a total of 11 additional residences at Porto Cupecoy during 1Q 09 - Reduced impact of revenue decline on EBITDA by 72% through fixed and variable cost savings - Agreed in principle resolution of tangible net worth covenants on two facilities referenced in 2008 Form 10-K - Received deposit and signed Memorandum of Understanding for sale of a European hotel and Letter of Intent signed on a second property - Enhanced corporate brand strategy - In discussions to amend agreements with the New York Public Library Viroblock SA Reports a 99% Boost of Efficacy of Facemasks Against H5N1PLAN-LES-OUATES, Switzerland - Viroblock SA announces that its antiviral products boosts the efficacy of facemasks by at least 99.0%, i.e. 100 times better and a peak performance of 1000 times, against avian influenza virus H5N1. Disposable facemasks are thus far not very effective against viruses, such as influenza, whose sizes are 0.02 to 0.3 microns. Swine Flu: Filtering Fact From Fiction About Face MasksSOUTHAMPTON, England - “Face Masks Need Filters to Provide Optimal Protection From Swine Flu” New Hand Sanitiser Proven to be Effective Against H1N1 Flu VirusLONDON - A new alcohol-free hand sanitiser, SOAPOPULAR, which has been recently launched in the UK may be the first line of defence against the spread of swine flu claims its Canadian manufacturers. Says Steven Orrett, CEO of SOAPOPULAR inc, based in Toronto, Canada, “the best defense is proper hand hygiene and hand washing - where water is not present or available, using SOAPOPULAR is the best option for not only killing germs that you come in contact with, but stopping the spread of viruses and infectious diseases.” Are we Ignoring H2N3 at our Peril?LONDON - Everyone is Blaming H1N1, but Could a Different Strain of Influenza be the Cause of Mexican Deaths? Clinica - The Medical Technology Industry’s Leading News Source - Wonders What Implications This Would Have for Mexico and the Rest of the World Maplecroft Flu Pandemic Maps Reveal Countries Most at RiskLONDON - With swine flu topping the agenda of business around the world, global risks specialist, Maplecroft has released three new maps and indices revealing the countries most at risk from an influenza pandemic. Mask for Swine Flu & the Masking of Your Immune SystemLONDON and BRIGHTON - With experts warning that four in ten people could catch the killer swine flu within months, the government have ordered 32 million protective face masks to help combat the disease. However, face masks could prove useless as your breath makes them damp and the virus can seep in! Arrayit to Mass Produce Rapid H1N1 Swine Flu Test ChipSUNNYVALE, California - Arrayit Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: ARYC), a leading manufacturer of products and services for disease prevention, treatment and cure, announced today that it is developing a microarray-based diagnostic test to detect the H1N1 swine flu virus. Help Stop Swine Fu - First Ever 24/7 Flu Widget AlertLUXEMBURG - How can I protect myself and others? What can I do to prevent spreading swine flu? Where did the latest outbreaks occur? All urgent questions related to the threatening pandemic of “Swine Flu”, where time is of essence and action needs to be taken immediately. RPSGB Warns Against Counterfeit Drugs for Swine FluLONDON - The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) today issued a warning to the public about the risks of buying online medicines for swine influenza, such as Tamiflu or Relenza. Travellers to Mexico so far Undeterred by Swine Flu OutbreakEDINBURGH - Data from leading flight search company Skyscanner (www.Skyscanner.net) shows that travellers planning trips to Mexico have so far been undeterred by the outbreak of swine flu influenza announced by Mexico’s Federal Health Ministry on the 22nd April. Face Mask That Kills Swine Flu Readied for Fight Against PandemicHONG KONG - Filligent, the Hong Kong-based biotech company, is mobilizing stocks of its anti-infective BioMask to help combat the global spread of the deadly new Mexican strain of Influenza A. The BioMask is the first medical face mask to kill the Influenza A virus within seconds of contact while retaining the breathability required by front-line workers and children, who are often the first to fall in a contagious episode. “Humanitarian organizations and governments are on the front line of containing infection, especially among children,” says CEO Melissa Mowbray-d’Arbela. “We’re allocating our resources to respond to their needs. The BioMask was designed specifically for situations like this.” |
