Influenza concept and seasonal flu virus spread caused by infectious microbes with human symptoms of fever infecting the nose and throat as deadly microscopic cells with 3d illustration elements.

Lysol recently announced the launch of Lysol Germ-Cast, a free app and web plug-in that provides daily data on flu and COVID-19 incidence levels at the county level, as well as a three-week flu forecast. Through data-powered information provided by public health company, Kinsa, Lysol Germ-Cast aims to help the public protect themselves and their loved ones from illness-causing germs by giving them the tools to stay informed and vigilant.

The launch of Lysol Germ-Cast comes at a time when the appetite for current and accurate information on illness levels is at an all-time high. In addition to illness incidence level information and flu forecasts, Lysol Germ-Cast will also provide information like daily tips, tricks and guidance to help stop the spread of illness-causing germs.

"The unprecedented times we're living in are about to become even more so, as we prepare for the unique challenge of a flu season coinciding with the continued COVID-19 pandemic," said E. Yuri Hermida, executive vice president of North America Hygiene for Reckitt Benckiser (RB), the owner of the Lysol brand. "At RB we know that the best weapon against germs is knowledge, and with the launch of Lysol Germ-Cast we hope to put the power of information into the hands of consumers to help them make informed decisions and prevent the spread of illnesses like the COVID-19 virus and the flu."

By turning the thermometer into an app-enabled communication system, public-health company Kinsa aggregates anonymized data at the first sign of sickness, ahead of illnesses being reported to the healthcare system. Kinsa then applies machine learning and AI to identify hotspots before they emerge. This early warning system for contagious illness provides a leading indicator of COVID-19 and enables accurate predictions 12-20 weeks ahead for the flu. With the launch of Lysol Germ-Cast, the population health insights from Kinsa's network of nearly 2 million smart thermometers will help alert families to illness levels in their area.

Perhaps the data could also be beneficial to building service contractor and facility managers as they work to combat both COVID-19 and the flu.

"Our mission is to curb the spread of contagious illness by creating an early detection and warning system," said Inder Singh, founder and CEO of Kinsa. "Now, more than ever, knowing what, where and how fast illness is spreading is vital to making data-driven decisions for our families, schools, communities and beyond. We're excited to partner with Lysol to provide these insights so we can all take preventive measures early to stop the spread."