Current Events in May 2020

Giant Bicycles Canada of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is recalling about 364 Giant Pinner DH and VP Harrier bicycle pedals sold throughout Canada.

The locking fastener can fail allowing the pedal to slide off the spindle, posing a fall hazard.

The company has received 20 reports of the pedal detaching, and one report of injury.

The Giant Pinner DH pedals have the "Giant" logo marking on them, and the VP Harrier pedals are marked with "Harrier."

The locking fasteners at the end of the spindles are attached flush to the pedals.

Giant Pinner DH and VP Harrier pedals that have locking fasteners protruding at the end of the spindle are NOT included in this recall.

The pedals, manufactured in Taiwan, were sold from June 2017, to May 2020.

What to do

Customers who purchased the pedals immediately stop using and return them to the place of purchase for a free replacement.

Consumers with questions may contact the company online at https://www.giantbicycle.ca/contact/

Ramar Foods of Pittsburg, Calif., is recalling Peekaboo brand Mint Chocolate Chip with Hidden Spinach Ice Cream.

The product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recalled product comes in a 14-oz. printed paper container with UPC# 8685400001, and a Best Before date of 10/08/2021 printed on the bottom, and was sold at Target stores in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product should not consume it and will be offered a full refund.

Consumers with questions, or who would like to request an immediate refund, may contact Ramar Foods at (844) 491-7869, Monday through Friday, from 8am – 5pm (EST) or by email at ramarfoods5691@stericycle.com.

Dr. Rick Bright, a former leading authority on biomedical advanced research and development, said Thursday that his warnings to the Trump administration regarding shortages of personal protective equipment were not taken seriously. 

Bright said he received word from manufacturers that the supply chain for masks and other personal protective equipment was “diminishing rapidly” as early as January. However, his warnings to superiors and White House officials were “met with indifference.” 

"I believe Americans need to be told the truth," Bright said. "We did not forewarn people. We did not train people. We did not educate them on social distancing and wearing a mask as we should have in January and February. All those forewarnings, all those educational opportunities, for the American public could have had an impact in further slowing this outbreak and saving more lives."

Deadly consequences 

During a hearing before House lawmakers on the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, Bright said countries that the U.S. relied on to supply a large number of masks were blocking exports and stopping transfers of those masks to the United States. 

When he told his superiors about the shortage of N95 respirators, they said they were either “too busy, they didn't have a plan, they didn't know who was responsible for procuring those," Bright said.

He believes the lack of concern among those at the top led to shortages and a delay in production that cost lives. 

"I believe lives were lost, and not only that, we were forced to procure these supplies from other countries without the right quality standards," Bright said. "So even our doctors and nurses in the hospitals today are wearing N95 marked masks from other countries that are not providing the sufficient protection that a U.S.-standard N95 mask would provide them."

Vaccine distribution concerns

Additionally, Bright warned lawmakers on Thursday that there’s no strategy for mass production of a coronavirus vaccine, should one be deemed successful enough to deploy as a treatment in the coming year.

"If you can imagine the scenario this fall or winter, maybe even early next spring, when the vaccine becomes available, there's no one company that can produce enough for our country or for the world. It's going to be limited supplies," Bright said. "We need to have a strategy and plan in place now to make sure that we can not only fill that vaccine, make it, distribute it, but administer it in a fair and equitable plan.

"We do not have that yet, and it is a significant concern," he said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a health advisory to doctors, warning about a mysterious pediatric illness that may be linked to COVID-19. 

Health officials say cases of “multisystem inflammatory syndrome” (MIS-C) have been reported across Europe and in at least 18 states and the District of Columbia. Cases started popping up more frequently in April. 

At least 110 cases have been reported in New York, 17 in New Jersey, and at least six in California. Other states, including Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio and Washington, have reported small numbers of cases. In New York, three children have died from the illness. 

"Beginning about four or five weeks ago, in Europe they started to describe a form of what really sounded like toxic shock," Dr. Jeffrey Burns of Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston told CNN. "There were just a few at first and then more.” 

Presents in children exposed to COVID-19

Health officials are still seeking answers to many questions about the illness. Doctors in Italy who treated children with the illness said its symptoms are similar to those of toxic shock syndrome or Kawasaki disease. With both illnesses, children’s coronary arteries become severely inflamed. 

However, the new illness isn’t Kawasaki disease, as was initially believed. Given the number of cases, doctors have agreed that this is a different inflammatory syndrome -- and it appears to be associated with COVID-19. Many of the children with MIS-C also tested positive either for current COVID-19 infection, or a past infection.

"During March and April, cases of COVID-19 rapidly increased in New York City and New York State. In early May 2020, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene received reports of children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome," the CDC health advisory reads.

Limited information 

The CDC said in its alert that there is “limited information currently available about risk factors, pathogenesis, clinical course, and treatment for MIS-C.”

The agency said it’s requesting that health care providers report suspected cases to public health authorities to “better characterize this newly recognized condition in the pediatric population."

Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.)

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 1,420,299 (1,395,265)

Total U.S. deaths: 85,992 (84,313)

Total global cases: 4,483,864 (4,387,438)

Total global deaths: 303,825 (298,392)

CDC issues business reopening guidelines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a long-awaited set of guidance that offers advice on how businesses that attract crowds of people should reopen. The agency has been under pressure from elected officials to offer guidance.

The CDC documents suggest that workplaces refrain from reopening until they are prepared to protect employees who are at a higher risk of the most severe effects of the virus -- mainly people over age 65. If businesses can meet that threshold, the CDC strongly recommends an intense cleaning and sanitation protocol.

The CDC guidance also advises employers to require workers to stay home if they feel sick.

Retail sales suffer record decline

Retail sales plunged a record 16.4 percent in April as the coronavirus (COVID-19) closed many stores and forced others to operate on a limited basis. The drop was significantly worse than expected.

“Consumers couldn’t get out to shop last month as the pandemic virus fight kept them at home, and the result is an economy that has simply collapsed,” Chris Rupkey, chief financial economist at MUFG Union Bank, told CNBC. “We have never seen economic data like this before in history.”

Consumers increased their spending online, but brick and mortar stores suffered. Sales at clothing stores were off a staggering 78.8 percent last month. Restaurant revenue is projected to drop by 25 percent this year as full-service restaurants have closed -- with some never to reopen -- and consumers have spent less. 

Free app screens for the coronavirus

Microsoft is teaming with United Healthcare to launch a free app to help employers screen employees for COVID-19 symptoms. It’s aimed at helping businesses reopen while keeping employees and customers safe.

The app, called ProtectWell, incorporates CDC guidelines and the latest clinical research to limit the spread of COVID-19 by screening employees for symptoms and establishing guidelines to support the health and safety of the workforce and workplace.

The app also includes guidelines and resources to support a safe workplace environment, including physical distancing, personal hygiene, and sanitation. Employers will be able to customize content specific to their workforce for a personalized experience.

The toll on caregivers’ mental health

Nearly 60 percent of health care workers believe the coronavirus and its impact on their patients have worsened their mental health. A survey by KMPG, an audit and tax advisory firm, found that to be an eight percentage point gap when compared with other industries.

But the survey also noted a resilience among those on the front lines of health care. Personnel participating in the survey reported greater connections, collaboration, and higher quality of their work.

"COVID-19 is a career-defining event for many health care professionals, given the severity of the condition, the necessary protocols to prevent coronavirus from spreading, and that many have families at home that are dealing with the effects of social distancing," said Ashraf Shehata, national sector leader for health care & life sciences at KPMG.

Around the nation

• Virginia: The state began the process of reopening today, with the first phase of removing operating restrictions beginning at midnight. Meanwhile, Virginia has separated its reporting of diagnostic and antibody test results after critics said the combined numbers gave a distorted view. 

• Illinois: The state has launched a web portal to address the massive wave of unemployment that was triggered by the pandemic shutdown. It’s “Get Hired” page matches job seekers with companies that need employees. An estimated 1 million Illinois residents have lost their jobs since March.

• Louisiana: One of the first states to be hit hard by the coronavirus, Louisiana today began its phase one reopening. The state is allowing a number of businesses, including restaurants and casinos, to reopen as long as strict safety protocols are followed.

The Treasury Department has updated its guidance to state that business owners who borrowed less than $2 million from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) aren’t likely to face an audit. 

The federal emergency funding was extended to small businesses struggling in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic to cover up to eight weeks of payroll costs, mortgage interest, and other expenses. In order to receive the money, businesses had to confirm that “current economic uncertainty” necessitated the application. 

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin warned of “severe consequences” for companies that tapped the federal funding but were not struggling financially due to their ability to access other forms of capital. 

Now, the Treasury and Small Business Administration has updated its “frequently asked questions” section to state that businesses won’t face federal scrutiny if they borrowed less than $2 million. 

“Given the large volume of PPP loans, this approach will enable SBA to conserve its finite audit resources and focus its reviews on larger loans, where the compliance effort may yield higher returns,” the agency said in the FAQ.

Larger loans could face questioning

Companies that borrowed more than $2 million are subject to additional scrutiny from the Treasury Department and the SBA. Firms that don’t have documentation or records to certify that they needed the loan may be asked to repay the loan balance, according to the FAQ.

A recent analysis by CNBC found that many large public companies indeed had access to other forms of capital when they applied to receive federal support during the pandemic. Close to 350 businesses that received PPP money -- including those that had access to other forms of liquidity -- haven’t discussed returning the money.  

Businesses concerned that they may not meet the criteria for receiving federal aid have until May 18 to return the funds. 

While many consumers worry about their coffee intake, recent studies have found that the popular morning beverage could come with countless health benefits, including fighting obesity.

Now, researchers at Anglia Ruskin University have found that having two to three cups of coffee per day could help women keep off excess body fat. 

“Our research suggests that there may be bioactive compounds in coffee other than caffeine that regulate weight which could potentially be used as antiobesity compounds,” said researcher Dr. Lee Smith. “It could be that coffee, or its effective ingredients, could be integrated into a healthy diet strategy to reduce the burden of chronic conditions related to the obesity epidemic.” 

Health benefits of caffeine 

To understand what health benefits consumers can reap from coffee, the researchers evaluated responses to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. They looked specifically at how coffee consumption affected consumers’ trunk fat and overall body fat. 

Overall, greater coffee consumption was linked with a reduction in body fat, but more significant changes were seen in women than in men. 

The researchers learned that body fat was nearly three percent lower overall for women who drank two to three cups of coffee per day, but older women benefitted even more from the extra boost of caffeine. For those in the 45-69 year-old age group, having two to three coffees each day was linked with over four percent lower body fat, whereas for younger women, body fat was lowered by roughly 3.5 percent. 

The study also found that it didn’t matter whether the participants drank decaf or fully caffeinated coffee, as the results remained consistent. 

Because caffeine affects everyone differently, it’s important that consumers to know how much their bodies can handle before upping their coffee intake each day. However, for those that can manage adding an extra cup or two each day, coffee could help maintain a healthy weight. 

Many states have enacted taxes on sugary drinks in an effort to curb consumption, and many of these efforts have been aimed at the youngest population. 

Now, researchers at the American Heart Association have found that sugary drinks could increase the risk of cardiovascular disease for women. 

“Although the study is observational and does not prove cause and effect, we hypothesize that sugar may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases in several ways,” said researcher Cheryl Anderson, PhD. “It raises glucose levels and insulin concentrations in the blood, which may increase appetite and lead to obesity, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.”

Cutting back on sugar

The researchers analyzed data from the California Teacher’s Survey, which included responses from over 106,000 women. None of the study participants had any major health conditions when the study began in 1995, and most were in their early 50s. 

The women reported on their typical daily food and drink intake, and the researchers compared that information with local hospital records to determine how many of the participants experienced cardiovascular-related symptoms. The researchers tracked the participants’ health for 20 years to evaluate the effect that sugary drinks could have on cardiovascular disease. 

The researchers discovered a relationship between sugary drink consumption and cardiovascular health, though different kinds of drinks yielded different results. 

A fruit drink loaded with sugar yielded the greatest risk for the women, as those who drank one of these types of beverages each day increased their risk for cardiovascular disease by over 40 percent. Comparatively, drinking a soda every day was associated with a 23 percent increased risk. Drinking any type of sugary drink on a daily basis increased the average risk for cardiovascular disease by over 25 percent. 

Sugary drinks can increase consumers’ risk for any number of health conditions, so the researchers recommend that sticking to water is the safest way to ensure optimal health. 

“In addition, too much sugar in the blood is associated with oxidative stress and inflammation, insulin resistance, unhealthy cholesterol profiles, and type 2 diabetes, conditions that are strongly linked to the development of atherosclerosis, the slow narrowing of the arteries that underlies the most cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Anderson. 

It’s probably safe to say that pegging when everything will be back to pre-pandemic normal is a leap in the dark. Just when airline associations were forecasting that things might not be back to normal until 2023, one travel research company is reading some bright spots in its tea leaves.

On Friday, Skift’s Rafat Ali blogged that, yes, the travel industry will have to learn to crawl before it learns to walk. But what he sees as he surveys the travel scene are six things that bode well, at least for travelers in the U.S.

• Online flight searches were in the proverbial tank thanks to the shutdown, but Ali sees some upward movement, albeit on a small scale.  

• Travelers who prefer to hit the road over flying the skies are showing renewed interest in campers and RVs. Ali notes that Honolulu, Las Vegas, and Louisville have come up tops in travel transactions for the U.S. summer.

• New York City -- the coronavirus’ favorite place to lurk as well as a destination for nearly 70 million travelers every year -- is considering reopening the tourism sector and has a plan in place to make it happen.

• Lodging across America hit rock bottom thanks to the spread of COVID-19, but Skift sees early signs of microscopic but real occupancy recovery. HotelNewsNow’s tracking of hotel occupancy shows that stay-overs are enjoying a fourth consecutive week-to-week increase in demand.

• Extended stay hotels such as Extended Stay America are doing well compared to the traditional hotels and motels. Skift notes that the extended stay hotel sector held a 72 percent occupancy rate in March compared to the 42 percent hotel industry-wide average.

• Amtrak, sensing that some travelers might feel safer in a train than a plane, is also reopening some routes on the busiest Northeast corridor.

Between the lines

We’re far from being out of the woods, but any forward movement, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction. 

It’s worth shouting out travel sector companies like Airbnb, which is doing everything it can to take the worry out of staying at one of their host’s places. But it’s something that the company has to commit to long term.

“The coronavirus pandemic has raised the stakes when it comes to making customers feel safe and comfortable. Sharing economy companies, such as Airbnb and Lyft, will have to find ways to convince customers their services are safe, while not imposing such severe standards on hosts and drivers that they abandon work.” Axios’ Ina Fried wrote.

Gasoline prices resumed their seasonal climb over the last week as more states lifted stay-at-home restrictions and motorists started buying more fuel. Some of the biggest increases occurred in the Midwest and Great Lakes states.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of gasoline is $1.87 a gallon, a nickel increase over last Friday. The average is $1 less than at this time last year. The average price of premium gas is $2.49, four cents higher than a week ago. The average price of diesel fuel is $2.41, a penny less than last week.

“Pump prices are fluctuating throughout the country as demand increases and gasoline stocks decrease,” said Jeanette Casselano, a AAA spokesperson. “The boost in demand continues to push pump prices up around the country, as more states re-open businesses. Motorists in the Great Lakes, Central, South, and Southeast states are seeing the most volatility at the pump.”

For those in the Southeast, it was the good kind of volatility. At a time when prices are rising in most states, motorists in Georgia enjoyed a four cents a gallon drop in the average price of gas. 

The Southeast is once again the region with the lowest fuel prices while low prices in the Great Lakes states have evaporated over the last two weeks. Wisconsin, which led the nation with the lowest prices for gas, has seen its statewide average surge 46 cents a gallon in the last two weeks.

“For those wondering where those low gas prices in the Great Lakes went, spot gasoline in Chicago, the foundation for the Great Lakes, has surged 286% over the last ~4 weeks,” Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, wrote in a tweet.

The states with the most expensive gas

These states currently have the highest prices for regular gas, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Survey:

• Hawaii ($3.18)

• California ($2.77)

• Washington ($2.45)

• Oregon ($2.38) 

• Nevada ($2.33)

• New York ($2.16)

• Illinois ($2.13)

•  Pennsylvania ($2.11)

• Arizona ($2.08)

• Alaska ($2.06)

The states with the cheapest regular gas

The survey found these states currently have the lowest prices for regular gas:

• Oklahoma ($1.51)

• Arkansas ($1.51)

• Mississippi ($1.51)

• Missouri ($1.53)

• Texas ($1.54)

• Kansas ($1.56)

• Alabama ($1.57)

• South Carolina ($1.59)

• Louisiana ($1.61)

• Tennessee ($1.62)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.)

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 1,395,265 (1,372,855)

Total U.S. deaths: 84,313 (82,548 )

Total global cases: 4,387,438 (4,298,269)

Total global deaths: 298,392 (293,514)

Scientists give blood plasma treatments a green light

Another potential treatment for the coronavirus (COVID-19) appears to be headed for the fast track. Researchers at Mayo Clinic, Michigan State University, and Johns Hopkins University are reporting that their study shows administering blood plasma from recovered patients to those with the disease is safe.

The research team looked at the cases of 5,000 hospitalized patients in the U.S. who underwent the convalescent plasma treatment. It found the blood transfusions caused few serious side effects, and there wasn’t an excessive mortality rate.

The antibody treatment has been used in the past to treat other forms of virus. The successful results should lead to a Phase 2 clinical trial which will determine how effective the treatment is against COVID-19.

McDonald’s sets rules for re-opening

In an exclusive report, The Wall Street Journal cites a 59-page memo from McDonald’s to its franchisees which sets guidelines for reopening dining areas that have been closed since mid-March.

The company is asking owners to commit to cleaning bathrooms every half-hour and cleaning ordering kiosks after each use. Besides the extra labor costs, McDonald’s is asking for infrastructure investments, including devices to open bathroom doors with feet instead of hands.

The fast-food chain also wants restaurants to spend $310 on automatic towel dispensers and $718 for touchless sinks, according to the report.

Millions more unemployment claims

The number of Americans filing for first-time unemployment benefits went down in the last week but remains in the millions. The Labor Department reported today that 2,981,000 people filed for benefits in the week ending May 9.

The previous week's level was revised up by 7,000 from 3,169,000 to 3,176,000. The four-week moving average of claims is 3,616,500, a decrease of 564,000 from the previous week's revised average. 

Since the coronavirus caused the shutdown of wide areas of the U.S. economy, more than 36 million people have filed claims for unemployment benefits

Baseball in July?

Sports leagues have been sidelined by the coronavirus, but Major League Baseball is actively discussing how to salvage part of its season. In a proposal to the players’ union, the league has suggested an 82-game season that would kick off in July.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the proposal involves a number of safety steps, including frequent testing of all personnel for the virus. Even so, league officials acknowledge that someone is likely to test positive at some point during the shortened season.

For there to be a baseball season starting in July, it’s likely agreement between the league and its players must come soon. Spring training was interrupted in early March and would need to resume before the players take the field.

Permanent virus

Here’s a sobering through: the coronavirus might never go away. That possibility comes from Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) health emergencies program.

At a media briefing in Geneva today, Ryan said there may be treatments, and even a vaccine, but COVID-19 may become one of the viruses that kill people each year.

HIV hasn't gone away," Ryan said. "I'm not comparing the two diseases, but I think it is important that we're realistic. I don't think anyone can predict when or if this disease will disappear." 

Around the nation

• Massachusetts: CVS Health said it is opening 10 new drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites across the state tomorrow as part of its efforts to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The additional sites will utilize self-swab tests and are part of the first rollout of new CVS testing sites across the country.

• Michigan: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s feud with state residents protesting her orders shutting down the state continues. Asked about the daily protests at the Michigan capital, Whitmer told interviewers that the protests are making it more likely that she will extend the shutdown order beyond May 28.

• Florida: Gov. Ron DeSantis has put out the welcome mat for professional sports teams that want to play and practice in Florida. Fans, however, would not be allowed in the stands. DeSantis has already declared sports to be “essential services” and has allowed WWE and UFC events to be staged in the state without fans.