Mommy's MAG Life: Covid-19

TikTok Provides Its Community with Access to Credible COVID-19 Resources and Information

Covid-19 7/08/2021 08:58:00 AM

One of the ways that TikTok helps its community stay safe and informed during the pandemic is by ensuring that it provides the right public information and resources on the platform. Likewise, through partnerships with government institutions, such as the Department of Health, TikTok can assist in sharing credible information that will help keep the public well-informed.

According to Kristoffer Rada, TikTok Head for Public Policy, "TikTok is taking a proactive and holistic approach to countering misinformation on the platform. We have teamed up with experts across the industry, civil society, and public health, along with our own Content Advisory Council, in order to develop adequate policies, enforce strategies, and be able to stay ahead of rapidly evolving content. The current partnership we have with the DOH reinforces this commitment. As part of the Check The FAQs campaign we actively remove misleading or false COVID-19 information. Through our creators and medical professionals on the platform we also help promote accurate information that would help Filipinos make an informed choice about getting vaccinated."

Dr. Beverly C. Ho, MPH, DOH Director for Health Promotion, says, "Parallel to our COVID-19 Vaccination campaign RESBAKUNA: Kasangga ng BIDA, TikTok, along with all the Filipino health creators, have been our allies in the battle against vaccine misinformation and hesitancy during this pandemic. The Health Promotion Bureau recognizes the potential this partnership holds in increasing vaccine confidence, easing the apprehensions of the people, and in forwarding correct information to a wider audience." She adds, "HPB is thankful that the Check The FAQs campaign has put various equally entertaining and informative content in the limelight. We look forward to more of these engaging materials as we continue to get more Filipinos vaccinated. Sama-sama tayong lahat sa #BIDABakunation!"

TikTok’s Community Guidelines are designed to help combat medical misinformation on the platform by prohibiting users from posting false or misleading content, particularly in relation to COVID-19. This includes misinformation regarding vaccines, anti-vaccine disinformation, and paid advertising that promotes against vaccination. The TikTok platform also houses a dedicated Check The FAQs banner that sits on the discover page, which connects users to credible Covid-19 information as well as creative videos, not only from our creators but also from healthcare professionals.

Call-to-action type content related to COVID-19 vaccines are only accepted on a case-to-case basis, provided that they are in the interest of public health and safety. Through specially trained teams, false or misleading content, along with accounts that spread misinformation, are identified and removed from TikTok. Community members are also encouraged to report misinformation and any content that violates TikTok's Community Guidelines. With the help of industry-leading threat detection platforms, suspicious networks and activities are also identified and flagged within the app as well. Any Covid-19 content shared on TikTok is carefully screened for accuracy, with the help of fact-checking partners, which includes Agence France-Presse (AFP). The DOH itself reviews all the vaccination-related videos shared on TikTok's Covid-19 mainpage, and approves the ones that contain the right information about the vaccines.

Only content that contains verified facts are widely distributed into users' For You feeds, helping minimize the potential spread of false information within the app. Anti-vaccine and Covid-19 misinformation will not be recommended to users and will carry a banner that warns viewers of misinformation. TikTok removes false content, and redirects searches related to COVID-19 or vaccine disinformation to the app's Community Guidelines. Also, anti-vaccine hashtags are not completed in search. TikTok users who explore coronavirus-associated hashtags will see an in-app notice, which provides direct access to credible sources, including the World Health Organization (WHO) website, as well as local public health agencies.

View the latest COVID-19 updates and information on TikTok. Download the app on your iOS and Android devices today.

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Lab tests confirm Lysol products’ active ingredients are 99.9% effective against COVID-19 virus

Covid-19 8/26/2020 07:21:00 PM

A recent study on the viricidal efficacy of surface cleaning and disinfection products against COVID-19, verified that Lysol disinfectants contain active ingredients that effectively incapacitate SARS-CoV-2.

Lab tests conducted by Microbac Laboratories, Inc., in compliance with European EN 14476 and US EPA ASTM 1052/1053 international standards, showed that Lysol products are effective in inactivating the virus strain which causes Covid-19 pandemic—demonstrating reduction of infectious virus in 5 minutes.

The study published in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC), the official publication of the Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, thus confirm that Lysol is indeed 99.9% effective against the novel coronavirus.

“Our hope is that these findings will be useful to the infection prevention and control community in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a positive development and is fully consistent with our expectations. We will continue to develop scientific evidence to support our product portfolio to enable effective, science-led communication around hygiene,” said Dr. Bruce Charlesworth, RB Chief Medical Officer.

This finding is timely and ever-significant for Lysol Philippines’ continuous effort to aid in breaking the chain of infection, as encapsulated in its “Disinfect to Protect Mission”. The disinfectant brand has been leveraging on the science behind its products in an effort to be instrumental in mitigating the contagion of COVID-19. With the lab findings, Lysol finds renewed confidence in what they can offer in the nation’s fight against the virus.

“More than our enduring priority of ensuring that households are protected from illness-causing germs, we at Lysol, also pledged commitment to create a bigger impact on communities especially at a time like this,” said Gonzalo Balcazar, RB General Manager for Southeast Asia, Hygiene. “And this development could not have come at a better time as we further our efforts towards helping the country strengthen its move to manage the threats of COVID-19.”

Lysol Philippines has also been partnering with like-minded organizations for concerted efforts towards controlling the outbreak. This is as seen in its recent partnerships with the Philippine Red Cross to boost mass testing especially among vulnerable groups, and Discovery Hospitality Corporation for a disinfection program in its hotel and resort properties.

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Lysol Funds P36M to help Philippine Red Cross battle COVID-19

Covid-19 6/02/2020 12:26:00 AM

One of the companies that leads when it comes to disinfecting, Lysol Philippines has partnered with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) for Disinfect to Protect, a joint mission to ensure everybody is protected from illnesses, by breaking the chain of infection.

Through the endeavor, the disinfectant brand will donate P36 million to boost mass testing in support of government efforts, bring it to the most vulnerable groups, and encourage Filipinos to sanitize their surroundings to protect them from disease-causing germs.

Half of the donation will be used to build a COVID-19 mass testing center in Cagayan De Oro city. To be known as the Philippine Red Cross Molecular Laboratory, the facility will have 2 polymerase chain reaction machines that can process 2,000 tests per day.

Lysol’s contribution will also be earmarked for the laboratory’s operations and maintenance costs, including hiring of personnel.

The other half of the donation—P18 million—will go to the COVID-19 Samaritan Fund to shoulder processing fees to test around 4,500 Filipinos from the most susceptible groups, including the elderly, pregnant women and those with pre-existing health conditions, especially in poor communities.

Lysol will also turn over P5 million worth of its products to help disinfect PRC sample collection areas, as well as testing laboratories, to keep frontline healthcare workers and communities protected against the novel coronavirus.

To break the chain of COVID-19 infection in the household level, the brand is also encouraging Filipinos to practice proper handwashing, and regularly cleaning and disinfecting their surroundings—including frequently-touched surfaces at home and workplaces—with disinfectant sprays and multi-purpose cleaners.

“We feel humbled to be partnering with the Philippine Red Cross in their efforts to strengthen the country’s COVID-19 testing capacity and expand its coverage to needy sectors of society, as we keep the Philippines’ medical front-liners safe against an unseen enemy while creating awareness on the importance of hygiene and disinfection,” said Gonzalo Balcazar, RB General Manager for South East Asia, Hygiene. “More than ensuring households are protected from illness-causing germs, Lysol sees this partnership, and our ‘Disinfect to Protect’ mission as creating a bigger impact on various communities.”

“We welcome Lysol as our partner in helping control the spread of COVID19. They are a company who has invested most of their resources in studying pathogens and developing solutions that can kill these. They know what we are up against, and how we can stop the infection,” said Sen Gordon, Chairman of Philippine Red Cross.

To know more about the Disinfect to Protect mission, please visit the Lysol Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/LysolPH) or Philippine Red Cross (https://www.facebook.com/phredcross).

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