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Don’t Get Scammed: Avoiding Fraud After a Natural Disaster

YourUpdateTV

With hurricane season and wildfire season now in full swing in many parts of the country, damage and loss to homes in affected areas are unavoidable. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/ssyXH4X55KU The National Insurance Crime Bureau is warning those living in areas that could suffer from a natural disaster to not only be prepared for the disaster but to be aware of the potential for fraudulent contractors and vendors taking advantage of victims in its aftermath. Oftentimes, these deceitful actors will target neighborhoods affected by disasters and make an unsolicited stop at your home. They’ll take your money, often overcharging, and do shoddy or no work at all, promising that your insurance company will pay for it all. Insurance fraud related to natural disasters can add millions of dollars paid out by insurers, which results in higher premiums for policyholders. In some cases, individual homeowners are on the hook for up to tens-of-thousands of dollars they may not be able to recover. On Wednesday, July 14, NICB President & CEO David Glawe conducted a nationwide media tour with TV stations across the country to discuss how to avoid home repair fraud after a natural disaster and many other consumer friendly topics. During the media tour interviews David Glawe discussed: The steps homeowners can and should take prior to a natural disaster and how preparation can help reduce chances of becoming a victim of fraud The kind of fraud that takes place following disasters while victims are trying to put their homes and lives back together The best practices for disaster victims when hiring contractors or vendors and tips for avoiding dishonest contractors What the federal response will be following a natural disaster and what it entails for both recovery and helping to alleviate fraud problems The most common methods fraudulent contractors try to scam disaster victims The resources available to help homeowners and other disaster victims avoid potential fraudulent actors or report fraud when they encounter it About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

July 15, 2021 11:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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John Steven Joins ThreatModeler's Advisory Board

ThreatModeler Software, Inc.

John Steven is joining the advisory board of ThreatModeler Software, Inc. Mr. Steven has over two decades of software security experience including notable achievements in threat modeling, cloud security, architectural risk analysis, and security testing. In 2015, he founded Codiscope, a spin-off of Cigital which was acquired by Synopsys. He will be working closely with ThreatModeler’s executive team to help shape and guide the company’s planning and go-to-market strategies. “Threat modeling can frustrate organizations because they’re advised to over-rely on singular tactics, such as data-flow diagramming, and because they implement threat modeling as a point-in-time activity. I encourage organizations to treat threat modeling as a capability, incrementally maturing activity throughout their DevOps lifecycle,” said Mr. Steven. “ThreatModeler is uniquely positioned to help teams facilitate threat modeling capabilities throughout their SDL. from secure design, to security test planning, to defect or vulnerability triage and remediation.” Mr. Steven, currently the Chief Technology Officer at Concourse Labs and Founding Principal of Aedify Security LLC, possesses extensive knowledge in managing innovative security firms. His capabilities include identifying and solving cloud risk problems through automated cloud governance, as well as creating efficient threat modeling and security architecture. Mr. Steven is a keynote speaker, co-author of the BSIMM study and has helped several CISOs define and implement their security initiatives. “We’re delighted to welcome John Steven to ThreatModeler. We’re continuously striving to innovate and making one click threat modeling a reality. The experience and insights he brings to our mission will be invaluable,” said Archie Agarwwal, co-founder and CEO of ThreatModeler. About ThreatModeler Software, Inc. ThreatModeler is an automated platform that provides a sustainable, self-service threat modeling practice for applications and infrastructure that evolves as the infrastructure grows. ThreatModeler encourages collaboration through its simple process flow diagram-based functionality. It is easy to use in the creation of threat models which identify, prioritize and mitigate threats, while communicating them broadly. ThreatModeler integrates with JIRA, Jenkins, and Azure Boards and Pipelines, with bidirectional web services API also unifying stakeholders in collaboration. Teams are empowered to code and deliver new products with security built-in as early as the design phase, which is based on global security and compliance standards. Contact Details ThreatModeler Software, Inc Sarah Chan +1 201-266-0510 marketing@threatmodeler.com Company Website https://threatmodeler.com/

July 15, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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BettorEdge Surpasses $3.5 Million in Sports Betting Orders in Just Six Months, Since Inception

BettorEdge

BettorEdge, a Minneapolis-based online no-fee sports betting marketplace and social platform connecting sports fans, today announced it has facilitated more than $3.5 million in exchange orders since its launch in January 2021. High interest in the Stanley Cup Playoffs contributed to the boost in orders. Two of these playoff games ranked the highest in BettorEdge’s all-time top five games in volume of orders. The volume of orders on the platform doubled from May to June, as well. BettorEdge is a platform created with the bettor in mind. Instead of losing money to in-house favored lines, deposit fees, withdrawal fees, and the inability to withdraw funds when needed, fans on BettorEdge can trade bets with no fees attached. “Odds are stacked against the bettor with traditional sportsbooks, and we’re changing that,” said James Seils, Co-Founder of BettorEdge. “As bettors ourselves, we knew there was a need for a social marketplace and our growth in just six months validates the need for a betting experience like BettorEdge in this industry.” BettorEdge is uniquely positioned at the forefront of in-play betting as it gains momentum in the American market. Rather than relying on a pricing engine for every live play of a game, BettorEdge users set the market prices, effectively removing the hurdle of requiring a pricing engine. The PGA’s U.S. Open and Travelers Championship in June marked the two busiest weekends of in-play betting for the platform to date. “Our sole purpose is to innovate for the benefit of the sports bettor,” said Greg Kajewski, Co-Founder of BettorEdge. “Our growth is proof positive that putting the power back into the hands of the sports bettor through an engaging social media platform, is the type of experience that bettors are truly looking for. We’re excited to keep innovating our platform for the betterment of the sports bettor and excited to see how our growing audience utilizes our capabilities for the upcoming NFL season.” About BettorEdge BettorEdge was founded in 2019 following a University of Minnesota SportRadar Innovation Challenge. Iowa native founders, now Minnesota residents, had a vision of creating a more efficient sports betting marketplace that offered a better fan experience at no fee to the consumer within the US. BettorEdge has a strong emphasis on giving the edge to the bettor through offering a fair market, providing data and analytics and creating a seamless social community. Access to their webapp can be found at app.bettoredge.com and additional information at BettorEdge.com. Contact Details Hot Paper Lantern Bailey Irelan +1 614-795-3308 birelan@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://www.bettoredge.com/

July 15, 2021 09:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Bluberi Announces Launch of New Website and Corporate Rebrand

Bluberi

Bluberi (or “the Company”) today announced the launch of its new website, along with a complete rebrand of the Company. Bluberi has a strong 25-year history in the gaming industry, and its rebrand is focused on the culture of entertainment and energy that has been brought out by its new leadership team. The website launched on July 6 to showcase the brand, the team, and the Company’s wide range of games, which only continues to grow. Under CEO Andrew Burke, the Company has been reinvigorated with a focus on becoming the easiest slot manufacturer to do business with, as well as creating energizing games that players love. The new brand and website bring these ideals to life. “Derived from a hand-drawn design, the new Bluberi logo represents the people-first, authentic mission of the Company,” said Burke. “We are working hard to become the easiest company to work with, and we believe that the best way to do that is by focusing on the people involved in every transaction – both internally and externally. Everything we do at Bluberi is high-touch, and it is important that our logo and brand reflect that. It is creative, young, energetic, and inviting, and that reflects the people and the spirit of Bluberi.” The Company’s new website also features the brand artwork and the mission that informed it. When visiting the new bluberi.com, users will discover some playful effects, along with the information on games, careers, and company news that they expect; laid out in an easy-to-find fashion. The Company also plans to show off its new look, new team, and new energy at the upcoming Global Gaming Expo this October. “G2E will represent the culmination of over a year and a half of hard work, rebuilding the Company and rebranding to celebrate the culture and the history of Bluberi,” said Burke, “And while a culmination often signifies an ending, at Bluberi, we are just getting started.” Backed by more than 25 years of industry experience, Bluberi is an established and reliable company with an expansive vision to deliver the highest quality casino gaming experience to players in Class II, Class III, and TLS markets across the globe. We strive to provide industry-leading customer service by being the easiest company to do business with, and are proud to be an agile supplier; able to respond to customer feedback quickly as we grow to become a best-in-class gaming partner. To learn more, visit bluberi.com. Contact Details Lesley Hodges +1 702-290-5951 lesley.hodges@bluberi.com

July 14, 2021 08:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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Signarama® Signs Their Way into History with GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ Title

Signarama

Signarama, ® the world’s largest sign franchise, announced today that it has been recognized by GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ for setting the record for most signatures on a banner in one hour. During its World Expo event on June 28 th between 10:00AM and 11:00AM in West Palm Beach, the brand successfully captured the needed signatures on the 25-foot banner. The banner was sponsored by Signarama’s preferred vendor partner, GCI Digital Imaging, and themed to celebrate Signarama’s 35 th year in business in 2021 as a continuation of their “we love signs” campaign. “The Signarama brand is proud to hold this record title and it was wonderful to share the moment with our franchisees and vendor partners during our World Expo event,” said A.J. Titus, President of Signarama and United Franchise Group. “The GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ™ title attempt was also done in part to celebrate Signarama’s 35 years in business. We couldn’t think of a better way to commemorate this milestone!” The attempt itself was exciting to witness. The crowd exited the Grand Ballroom at the Palm Beach County Convention Center after the morning’s guest speakers and filed in an orderly fashion around the banner as the timer started. Special guest Jesse Cole, founder of Fans First Entertainment and owner of the Savannah Bananas, was dressed in his famous yellow suit and present among the crowd. Each signature was counted as attendees dropped a registration card into the famous Signarama “Mini” Mini Cooper vehicle on their way by. There was plenty of time still remaining in the hour as the crowd filed by in record time, so the Signarama team made the split-second decision to pick up the banner, and transport it down the escalators to the heart of the trade show floor in order to finish out the remaining minutes of the record attempt. The crowd followed behind the eye-catching procession chanting “we love signs” as they made the trip down the escalators and onto the trade show floor, where Signarama were able to gain a significant number of additional signatures! Guinness World Records adjudicator, Michael Empric, flew in for the event and was present to count each participant. He later officially announced and confirmed the record attempt totaling 689 signatures on-stage in front of all the participants. The minimum number to set this GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ™ title was 250. The official record title certificate and banner now hang proudly in Signarama Corporate Headquarters in West Palm Beach. Signarama is the world’s leading sign and graphics franchise with over 700 locations worldwide in over 20 countries. For more information about Signarama, visit Signarama.com. About Signarama Signarama, the world's largest sign franchise, offers branding and messaging solutions in addition to comprehensive sign and graphic services to consumers and commercial customers – from business signs, vehicle wraps, and digital signs, to advertising and marketing services. Signarama is part of a successful system of business-to-business franchise brands and development services under the United Franchise Group (UFG). For more information, visit signarama.com. For more information on the Signarama franchise opportunity, visit SignaramaFranchise.com. About United Franchise Group Led by Founder and CEO Ray Titus, United Franchise Group is home to an affiliated family of brands, including Signarama, Fully Promoted, Experimax, Jon Smith Subs, Transworld Business Advisors, Accurate Franchising, Venture X, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, Network Lead Exchange, Resource Operations International (ROI) and Graze Craze. With over three decades in the franchising industry and more than 1,600 franchisees throughout the world, United Franchise Group offers unprecedented leadership and solid business opportunities for entrepreneurs. Contact Details United Franchise Group Brittny Fuchs +1 561-812-6032 bfuchs@ufgcorp.com Company Website https://signarama.com/

July 14, 2021 09:40 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Leaders in built-in antimicrobial technology become a united powerhouse

Microban® International

Microban ® International is proud to announce that it is bringing together its Microban ® and Ultra-Fresh ® brands and technologies under a single umbrella. Following the initial acquisition of Thomson Research Associates in 2016, Microban International will now completely harmonize the two organizations, as these titans unite to operate as a single company under the Microban International name. By consolidating their services and combining over 100 years of collective industry experience, Microban International can better serve its partners all around the world and continue to revolutionize the industry. The Microban brand is widely recognized as the world leader in bespoke antimicrobial and odor-control solutions, delivering Protection That Lives On™ and redefining surface cleanliness. In parallel, the organization’s newly emergent ingredient brand – Ultra-Fresh – delivers improved freshness for a broad spectrum of surfaces. This exciting move will allow the company to harness the trusted Microban brand alongside its Ultra-Fresh offering to create the broadest and most powerful antimicrobial product portfolio in the industry. Microban will continue to develop innovative solutions for both product lines, and further extend its turnkey services and partner support – including technical, regulatory, and legal guidance – to remain a well-rounded and trusted advisor for all. With an ever-growing partner base in 172 countries, advanced facilities around the world, and the addition of Microban laboratories and offices in Canada, Shanghai and Taiwan, partners can look forward to even better coverage, support, and market penetration. Michael Ruby, Vice President of Global Business at Microban International, commented: “Microban is proud to take this step, not only for the company but for its partners. Pushing the boundaries of innovation and building long-standing, meaningful business relationships has always been at the heart of our organization, and this exciting step will allow us to foster, nurture and develop new and existing connections. This is an opportunity for us to move forward; to continue to invest in ground-breaking technologies that benefit end-users, creating the broadest product portfolio in the industry while extending the reach of our valuable turnkey services for all of our partners.” Joe Lyons, President of Microban International, commented: “This is an important moment for the industry, as we consolidate the power of the trusted Microban and Ultra-Fresh brands under one company – Microban International. At Microban International, our brands are truly our strength, and with this move, we will continue to build our brand presence in the consumer, building, textiles, commercial and healthcare sectors, and leverage our capabilities to become a trusted household name and continue as the reigning global market leader.” Click here to learn more about Microban International. About Microban International Part of Barr Brands International (BBI), Microban International is home to the most trusted and well-known global brands in the antimicrobial, odor control, and sanitization / disinfection markets – Microban ® and Ultra-Fresh ®. Our organization has experienced over 100 collective years of growth and has revolutionized the industry. As the global leader, our proactive systems keep products cleaner, and control odors better by preventing problems before they start. Microban International drives innovation by combining science and creative solutions that enhance high-quality consumer, textile, industrial and medical products around the world. Today, the Microban and Ultra-Fresh brands and our technologies are featured on thousands of products worldwide. The company is headquartered in North Carolina with operations in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit www.microban.com. Editorial contact for further information or follow-up Sarah Khan or Audrey Jestin at kdm communications limited, St Neots, UK Tel. +44 (0) 1480 405333 Fax: +44 (0) 1480 477833 email ideas@kdm-communications.com Contact Details © 2021 kdm communications limited ideas@kdm-communications.com Company Website http://www.microban.com

July 14, 2021 08:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Unique Stays Are Booming on Airbnb, with Big Opportunity for Hosts

YourUpdateTV

From a treehouse to a giant potato hotel, searches for unique homes on Airbnb have increased by 94 percent in 2021 compared to 2019, with Hosts of unique stays collectively earning $300 million globally. Recently, the Host of the Big Idaho Potato Hotel, Kristie Wolfe, teamed with Airbnb and YourUpdateTV on a satellite media tour to talk about why guests are so drawn to unique homes and the economic opportunity of hosting for those with unique spaces to share. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/R3kglXdaOA8 The Big Idaho Potato Hotel is one of the several unique stays that travelers are turning to break up the monotony of the past year. According to the Airbnb Report on Travel & Living, this fascination with unique stays is universal, with 55 percent of the 100 most wishlisted homes in the last year falling into unique categories. Unique home searches have increased by 94 percent in 2021 compared to the same time period in 2019. Searches for certain types of unique homes – such as yurts, huts and farm stays – have exploded by 10x compared to just two years ago. In fact, there are over 170,000 unique properties all over the world on Airbnb. Unique Hosts have also benefited from the increased interest in unique stays. Since the start of the pandemic, they have collectively earned $300 million globally. To help meet the pent-up demand, Airbnb launched the new Flexible Destinations tool for guests who aren’t committed to a specific destination and want to be able to filter for unique stays when finding trip accommodations. Spending time outdoors has become more important than ever, and parks are seeing a broader range of people visiting and enjoying in record numbers. As more and more people flock to these treasured places, it’s imperative to be safe and thoughtful about how to enjoy and experience them. Airbnb has teamed up with the National Park Foundation to encourage people to recreate responsibly in parks this summer and share some really helpful tips. This includes: Be mindful of where you plan to visit. Don’t overcrowd areas, as this may endanger the safety of yourself and others. When you’re ready to leave a park, make sure to pack up your garbage. Minimize waste by bringing food in reusable containers and utilize refillable water bottles. Remember to respect wildlife and always observe from a distance. And be an active part of making the outdoors safe and welcoming for park visitors of all identities and abilities. Whether you already have a unique space to share, or are interested in creating one, now is the time to consider joining Kristie in sharing it with people from all over the world, on Airbnb. If you’re interested in learning how to get started as a Host, go to airbnb.com/host About Kristie Wolfe: Kristie is a proud Idahoan who is passionate about living simply. In the winter of 2013, she fulfilled a lifelong dream of building her very own treehouse and sharing it with travellers from around the world. From the success of that unique stay, she has since been able to build a hobbit hole, refurbish a fire lookout and, of course, has made over a 6-ton spud guests can sleep in! About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

July 13, 2021 05:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Cyvatar Wins Grand Trophy in the Annual Disruptor Awards

Cyvatar

Cyvatar won its second Grand Trophy of the year during the 2021 Disruptor Company Awards. In addition to its Grand Trophy win, the company walked away with a gold award for security services and bronze for security cloud and SaaS. The disruptor awards judges recognize disruptors as highly persistent, mostly beginning from scratch without the constraints of traditionally accepted processes or business models. Instead, they use modern technology and tools to achieve superior end results. The excellence and innovation found in Cyvatar’s cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) offering has been recognized again and again since its debut last fall. The disruptor awards mark Cyvatar’s 17th win in eight months. “Like other disruptors, we do things differently at Cyvatar,” said Cyvatar Co-Founder and Chief Product and Strategy Officer Craig Goodwin. “We’re not hindered by legacy systems or bound by outdated solutions. We confidently face the challenges of providing security solutions that are effortless for our members to use and affordable for them to purchase.” Cyvatar brings the membership economy to cybersecurity with its innovative CSaaS model and a platform that has already become the de facto operating system for today’s security programs. It transforms cybersecurity for its customers and continually meets their ever-evolving business and security requirements. The company was selected from organizations around the world that vied for top honors. Its disruptive, game-changing platform delivers fast, affordable, fully managed security programs for any size business; processes designed to provide outcomes, continuous remediation, and ongoing solution maintenance; and the ability for all of its members to execute their security strategies at speed and scale. Does your organization need award-winning cybersecurity? Find out how Cyvatar can help. About Cyvatar Cyvatar is committed to effortless cybersecurity for everyone. As the industry’s first subscription-based, cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) company, it’s our mission to transform the way the security industry builds, sells, and supports cyber solutions. We empower our members to achieve successful outcomes by providing expert advisors, proven technologies, and a strategic process roadmap to guarantee results that map to their business drivers. Our approach is rooted in proprietary ICARM (installation, configuration, assessment, remediation, maintenance) methodology that delivers smarter, measurable security solutions for superior compliance and cyber-attack protection faster and more efficiently, all at a fixed monthly price. And because we’re a subscription, members can cancel anytime. Cyvatar is a global organization with operations around the world. Begin your journey to security confidence at https://cyvatar.ai/ and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Contact Details Cyvatar KC Higgins +1 303-434-8163 kc@cyvatar.ai Company Website https://cyvatar.ai/

July 13, 2021 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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ZOE Study Reveals Eating a Plant Rich Diet Reduces Risk of Developing COVID-19 and Going to the Hospital

ZOE

Researchers at health science company ZOE, Harvard Medical School, and King’s College London found that people who eat a high quality, gut-friendly diet* are less likely to develop COVID-19 or become severely ill. Alternatively, they discovered that those eating poorer quality diets are more at risk, especially if they live in a more socioeconomically deprived area. The findings are published in medRxiv online as a preprint. Key points from the study: Researchers analyzed data from nearly 600,000 ZOE COVID Study app contributors who completed a survey about the food they ate during Feb 2020 (pre-pandemic), making it the largest study in this space. People with the highest quality diet were around 10% less likely to develop COVID-19 than those with the lowest quality diet, and 40% less likely to become severely ill. This is the first longitudinal study of diet and COVID-19 and the first to show that a healthy diet cuts the chances of developing the disease in the first place. The scale of the study meant researchers were able to adjust for multiple confounding factors, which can be a challenge for studies of smaller sizes. The effect of diet on COVID-19 is independent of other known risk factors, including age, weight, race, ethnicity and underlying health conditions, but was amplified by social inequality. Measuring diet quality While it is already known that diet-related health conditions like diabetes, heart disease and obesity increase the chances of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19, it is not yet clear how the foods people eat affect their risk of catching the virus independently of these factors. To learn more about the interplay between food and health, the team analyzed data from 592,571 UK and US contributors who completed a survey about their eating habits within the ZOE COVID Study app. Based on analysis of symptoms or PCR test results reported in the app, 31,815 contributors (19%) ultimately caught COVID-19. Rather than looking at specific foods or nutrients, the survey was designed to look at broader dietary patterns which are reflective of how we actually eat. The survey produced a ‘diet quality score’ that reflected the overall merit of each person’s diet. Diets with high quality scores were found to contain plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts, as well as oily fish, healthier fats like olive oil, less processed foods and refined carbohydrates. High quality diet scores were also linked with a ‘healthier’ and a more diverse gut microbiome, which was also associated with a wide range of favorable health outcomes, including reduced inflammation and body fat and improved levels of blood lipids and glucose. For these aforementioned reasons, higher quality scoring diets were also referred to as ‘gut-friendly’ diets. A low diet quality score is associated with diets high in ultra processed foods and low amounts of plant-based foods, like fruit and vegetables. Connecting diet and COVID-19 risk The researchers found that people who ate the highest quality diet were around 10% less likely to develop COVID-19 than those with the least nutritious diet and 40% less likely to become severely ill if they developed COVID-19. Recent research on a smaller cross-sectional sample has shown that people who eat a plant-based or pescatarian** diet are less likely to become severely ill with COVID-19. However, this is the first study to show that a healthier diet actually reduces the chances of developing the disease in the first place. Importantly, the relationship between diet quality and COVID-19 risk still remained after accounting for all potential confounding factors. Factors included age, body mass index (BMI), ethnicity, smoking, physical activity and underlying health conditions. Mask-wearing habits and population density were also considered. Strikingly, the impact of diet was amplified by individual life situations, with people living in low-income neighborhoods and having the lowest quality diet being around 25% more at risk from COVID-19 than people in more affluent communities who were eating in the same way. Based on these results, the researchers estimate that nearly a quarter of COVID-19 cases could have been prevented if these differences in diet quality and socioeconomic status had not existed. This further highlights that improved access to nutritious, healthier food could be substantive for bettering public health, especially among the underprivileged members of the community. Professor Tim Spector, lead scientist at ZOE COVID Study and professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, said: “These findings chime with recent results from our landmark PREDICT study, showing that people who eat higher quality diets (with low levels of ultra-processed foods) also have a healthier collection of microbes in their guts, which is linked to better health. You don’t have to go vegan, but getting more diverse plants on your plate is a great way to boost the health of your gut microbiome, improve your immunity and overall health, and potentially reduce your risk from COVID-19.” Dr Sarah Berry, study co-lead and associate professor in nutritional sciences at King’s College London, said: “For the first time we’ve been able to show that a healthier diet can cut the chances of catching COVID-19, especially for people living in the poorest areas. Access to healthier food is important to everyone in society, but our findings tell us that helping those living in more deprived areas to eat more healthily could have the biggest public health benefits.” Professor Andrew Chan MD, MPH, gastroenterologist and director of epidemiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, and professor at Harvard Medical School, said: “ Diet quality is an established risk factor for many conditions that are known to have an inflammatory basis. Our study demonstrates that this may also hold true for COVID-19, a virus which is known to provoke a severe inflammatory response. We also highlight how diet quality is also an important social determinant of health. COVID-19 has laid bare how such social determinants underlie the severe racial and socioeconomic disparities in COVID-19 risk that we and others have documented.” Jonathan Wolf, CEO of ZOE, added: “At ZOE we’re using the latest data science to unpick the complex connections between diet and health, bringing together our expertise in COVID-19 and nutrition to help improve health for all.” NOTES TO EDITORS For more information about the ZOE COVID Study app or to request an interview with Professor Tim Spector, please contact Eleanor Griffiths: +44 (0)7950 335916 eleanor@joinzoe.com For more information about ZOE or to request an interview with Jonathan Wolf, please contact; Fiana Tulip: fiana@joinzoe.com Preprint available here: Diet quality and risk and severity of COVID-19: a prospective cohort study. The research team includes scientists from: King’s College London; Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA; The Broad Institute, Cambridge, USA; UTHealth, Texas, USA; Lund University, Sweden; ZOE Global Ltd. *A gut-friendly diet explained: A high quality diet contains more plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts as well as oily fish and healthier fats like olive oil and less processed foods and refined carbohydrates. This diet quality score is associated with a ‘healthier’ more diverse gut microbiome, which in turn is associated with a wide range of favorable health outcomes, including lower inflammation and body fat and improved blood lipids and glucose. **A pescatarian diet is predominantly vegetarian but includes fish and seafood. About ZOE ZOE is a healthcare science company helping people understand their body’s responses to food. By using machine learning combined with large scale human studies, ZOE is decoding the impact of nutrition on health. ZOE leads the PREDICT Studies and the ZOE COVID Study, which are the world’s largest community powered research programs of their kind in nutrition and COVID-19 respectively. Located in London and Boston, ZOE was founded by Professor Tim Spector of King’s College London, data science leader Jonathan Wolf and entrepreneur George Hadjigeorgiou. ZOE was named one of the Deloitte Fast 50 Rising Stars in 2019 for the company’s contribution to science enabled by technology and machine learning.For more information on ZOE’s mission and science, visit joinzoe.com About ZOE COVID Study The ZOE COVID Study is a not-for-profit initiative that was launched at the end of March 2020 to support vital COVID-19 research. The app was launched by health science company ZOE with scientific analysis provided by King’s College London. With 4 million contributors globally, the study is the world’s largest ongoing study of COVID-19 and is led by ZOE Co-Founder and King’s College London Professor, Tim Spector. The team has published over 20 research papers since March, most notably in Nature Medicine. To date the app is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. The funding was awarded to enable the app to continue collecting data from its 4million+ users to help the UK government's response to COVID-19 and beyond. The app provides unique insight on asymptomatic and symptomatic information across the UK with 1.2 million logging on a weekly basis. For more information on The COVID Symptom Study app visit covid.joinzoe.com. Contact Details ZOE Fiana Tulip +1 817-691-3031 fiana@joinzoe.com Company Website https://www.joinzoe.com

July 13, 2021 09:13 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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