Current Events in July 2020

Owners of Windows 10 laptops are being warned of a new issue that causes Desktop Windows Manager (DWM) to crash unexpectedly when the laptop is repeatedly opened and closed. 

The issue, which Microsoft attributes to a bug rather than a hardware problem, reportedly affects laptops running any version of Windows 10 and configured to operate at 4K resolution. 

"This problem occurs because of an issue in the Microsoft DirectX Video Memory Management (Dxgmms2.sys) component," the company said. The documentation also indicates that this is tied to a bug in the Microsoft DirectX Video Memory Management software, so it likely is not a hardware problem.

"Through desktop composition, DWM enables visual effects on the desktop as well as various features such as glass window frames, 3-D window transition animations, Windows Flip and Windows Flip3D, and high-resolution support," Microsoft explained.

Problematic scenarios 

The DWM issues only crop up under certain conditions, including: 

• Scenario 1: When a user plugs a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) monitor into a laptop computer that is running Windows 10 and the monitor is configured to operate at 4K resolution. In the Control Panel, the Advanced settings screen of the Power Options item is set to Lid close action “Do nothing.” The issue could occur if 4K video is playing back and a user is repeatedly closing and opening the computer lid.

• Scenario 2: A user connects two 4K monitors to a Thunderbolt 3 docking station, configures a triple 4K display configuration in either "clone" or "extend" mode, and then repeatedly undocks and redocks the laptop.

Microsoft said it’s working on a fix for both of these issues. In the meantime, consumers are urged to avoid unnecessarily closing or undocking their system if they come across a problem. 

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 4,375,217 (4,307,542)

Total U.S. deaths: 149,684 (148,295)

Total global cases: 16,797,288 (16,534,345)

Total global deaths: 661,724 (655,084)

Poll shows reluctance to get vaccinated

While nearly everyone hopes drug companies are able to quickly come up with a vaccine against the coronavirus (COVID-19), it seems no one wants to be first in line to receive it. Fewer than half of all people responding to a new WebMD poll said they would be vaccinated within the first year of availability.

The poll of more than 1,000 respondents comes amid the release of early data from vaccine clinical trials, with debates about education, travel, and the reopening of business sectors often hinging on approval of one or more candidates by early 2021.

"The vaccine hesitancy revealed in the poll should be a wake-up call to policymakers and the medical community that we as a society need more effective strategies for living with coronavirus," said Dr. John Whyte, WebMD’s chief medical officer.   "Some people won't get it, others will wait, and still others aren't ready to commit either way.  Without widespread vaccine acceptance, we won't achieve the herd immunity that comes with it.”

More states see a surge in cases

At first, the surge in coronavirus cases was seen in Arizona, Texas, and California. But over the last few weeks, more states have seen large increases in the number cases.

While nearly every state has seen increases between June and July, Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi, and South Carolina have reported record one-day increases in cases this week.

Even states where stringent mitigation measures had flattened the curve are seeing increases. Cases are rising again in Virginia, with the state reporting the largest number of hospitalizations in nearly two months.

Pandemic has made many of us more savings oriented

The coronavirus pandemic has changed many things about consumers’ lives, and one change is how they approach money. When the economy shut down and millions were suddenly unemployed, a lot of people gained a new appreciation for having a rainy day fund.

A new survey of hourly workers from DailyPay and Funding Our Future found that just over half of those polled said they are more likely to save for the future. That contrasts with 15 percent of respondents who said they were less likely to save.

"Far too many Americans lacked savings even before this pandemic, and their struggles with financial stability have only intensified," said Kara Watkins, Funding Our Future's campaign manager. "This survey demonstrates the need for actionable solutions to help households save for an emergency and their future."

Gloves off

The evidence is fairly clear that masks reduce the likelihood of getting the coronavirus. It’s less clear when it comes to wearing disposable gloves.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued guidelines saying glove use shouldn’t be considered a necessary preventive tactic. The agency stresses that gloves "will not necessarily protect you from getting COVID-19 and may still lead to the spread of germs."

In the early days of the pandemic, gloves were thought to protect wearers from picking up the virus from surfaces. It’s now believed that the virus is spread mostly through the air. Also, some health experts think wearing gloves may provide a false sense of security.

The virus hits graduate schools hard

While most colleges are grappling with the impact of the pandemic, schools with graduate MBA programs face even tougher times. The Wall Street Journal reports that these programs were struggling before the pandemic hit -- now the situation is worse.

Purdue University has announced that its Krannert School of Management has stopped admitting students to its two-year resident M.B.A. program for the 2021 academic year. Similar action has been taken by the University of Missouri’s Trulaske College of Business and the University of St. Thomas’ Opus College of Business in Minnesota.

Once considered a hot ticket to success, applications to MBA programs have dropped sharply in recent years, down 70 percent since 2009.

Around the nation

• Illinois: A decision is expected soon about the future of high school sports for the fall. The Illinois High School Association will meet today and may take up the issue. “We expect this meeting will provide important guidance on how the IHSA will proceed with fall sports,” said Craig Anderson, IHSA’s executive director.

• New Jersey: Gov. Phil Murphy says his state is far from being “out of the woods” when it comes to new coronavirus cases. New Jersey reported 565 new cases on Tuesday, its largest daily total since early June. 

• Alabama: Alabama’s statewide mask ordinance expires this week after being in force for two weeks. State health officials acknowledged a slowing of new cases of the virus and have urged residents to continue wearing masks in public.

AMC Theaters, the U.S. largest movie theatre chain, and Universal have shaken hands on a new agreement that drastically shortens the length of time that films have to play in theaters before they can be parceled out for on-demand, rental, or for sale to a meager 17 days. 

Seventeen days might seem like an odd number, but it ensures that AMC will have a minimum of three weekends to play host to movie lovers. Typically, the standard release window runs somewhere between 70 days and 90 days.

COVID-19 prompts change in movie industry

The two movie giants have been wrestling for months over release windows -- a move brought on when Universal went direct to digital with Trolls: The World Tour and skipped traditional movie houses altogether.

Like many other things these days, the COVID-19 pandemic had a hand in that move. When Universal originally set a release date of April 10, 2020 for the Trolls movie, it had no idea theatres would be shut down and people forced to quarantine.

So instead of waiting until things got back to normal, Universal took an alternate route that paid off handsomely. Inside of three weeks, Trolls: The World Tour raked in nearly $100 million according to The Wall Street Journal. That’s more than Universal made with the first Trolls movie altogether.

Universal liked what it saw with that move and decided it was going to continue that release model. That got AMC’s dander up, and the chain’s CEO Adam Aron fired back, calling Universal’s plan “unacceptable” and threatening to ban all future Universal releases from AMC Theaters. 

Is the entire movie industry headed this way?

Yes, Trolls: World Tour is an example of where the industry is probably headed. Yes, AMC is in some serious financial trouble. And yes, iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, Google Play, and other digital platforms are taking a larger slice of the pie. But despite Universal’s good fortune, there doesn’t seem to be much uptake from its movie studio peers to leapfrog theatres completely.

A prime example would be WarnerMedia, whose CEO John Stankey told The Hollywood Reporter that theatrical films “have always been a major part of our ecosystem. I fully expect that as we evaluate our business going forward, we will continue to champion creative work that is worthy of the theatrical experience.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted LabCorp emergency use authorization to test people with no apparent symptoms of COVID-19. 

Previously, individuals had to have symptoms of the virus or meet other criteria, such as having been in contact with someone who recently tested positive, in order to get a coronavirus test. 

In a statement on Friday, the FDA said it cleared LabCorp’s COVID-19 RT-PCR Test to be used in two new ways after LabCorp provided scientific data “showing the test’s ability to detect SARS-CoV-2 in a general, asymptomatic population.” 

The test can now be used on asymptomatic individuals and for pooled sample testing. It requires a prescription. 

Increasing testing

FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn said expanding the test’s use to include pooled testing will help conserve testing supplies and allow more tests to be evaluated faster. 

"By authorizing another test for use with pooled samples, we also further help increase the possibility that patients may be able to receive results sooner, while also conserving vital testing supplies, which are under increased demand during the pandemic," Hahn said in a statement.

The FDA said the test could possibly lead to the development of screening programs to facilitate the reopening of workplaces and schools. 

“Continuing to facilitate increased access to accurate and reliable tests for all Americans is critically important, and the FDA continues to work around the clock with test developers to support this goal,” Hahn said. 

Asymptomatic cases pose risk

As researchers continue to study the novel coronavirus in search of treatments, studies have uncovered certain similarities between COVID-19 cases that produce symptoms and those that don’t. 

Researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University published a study on Monday that found a similar amount of the virus in the bodies of people with symptoms of COVID-19 and those without. 

“In a large cohort of individuals screened for SARS-CoV-2 by qRT-PCR, we found strikingly similar distributions of viral load in patients with or without symptoms at the time of testing during the local peak of the epidemic; as the epidemic waned, individuals without symptoms at the time of testing had lower viral loads,” the researchers said. 

“Because the distributions of viral loads in infected individuals irrespective of symptomatology are very similar, existing testing modalities that have been validated for detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in symptomatic patients should perform similarly in individuals without symptoms at the time of testing,” the study authors concluded. 

MyLife, a California company that sells subscriptions to a consumer background report service, has been charged with trying to trick consumers into purchasing an auto-renewing subscription to its service through the promotion of “teaser background reports” that allegedly included false claims.  

According to a complaint filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), MyLife published reports online that claimed to include information about arrest, criminal, and sex offender records, even if a person didn’t have these offenses on their record. 

The lawsuit claims MyLife posted deceptive reports online in order to draw business from employers, landlords, and others by saying that a searched-for person “may have” a history of criminal offenses.  

Deceptive sales tactics

The suit accuses MyLife of trying to dupe consumers into signing up for premium subscriptions that automatically renew by dangling the promise of information that may not actually have been on a person’s record. 

“MyLife displayed the teaser reports when someone typed a person’s name into a search bar at MyLife.com. If the person had no criminal, traffic, or sex offender records, the report typically suggested the person had such records,” the FTC said in statement on its website. 

The agency said MyLife also displayed prominent, large, clickable buttons that either invited the user to “View [searched-for person’s] Court, Arrest, or Criminal Records” or invited them to “View [searched-for person’s] Sex Offender Records” if exchange for paying for a subscription. 

Inaccurate information

Additionally, the suit claims MyLife failed to take the steps required to ensure its background reports were accurate. The company and its founder and CEO Jeffrey Tinsley are accused of violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act, using misleading billing practices, and violating the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act. 

MyLife also allegedly failed to explicitly state that it “had a policy of not making refunds and of discouraging cancellations.” 

In a statement, Acting Assistant Attorney General Ethan P. Davis of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, said the agency is committed to putting an end to deceptive sales practices like these.

“Americans should be able to shop online and by phone with confidence that they are not being deceived about the services they are buying or the terms of sale,” Davis said. “The Department of Justice is committed to working with the FTC to protect consumers from deceptive sales practices and from so-called credit reports that may contain inaccurate information and be used for improper purposes.”

TikTok -- the Chinese video-sharing social networking service used by more than a billion people -- says it wants to be transparent. 

Given the recent run of bad luck the company has had with the U.S. government, Amazon, Wells Fargo, and others, there may be a number of doubters who think the idea sounds fishy, but the company seems to think that the only way to reverse its bad luck is by proving that it’s on the up and up.

When TikTok uses the word “transparent,” what it’s saying is that it is taking steps to give outsiders complete access to the algorithms its app uses to categorize and share users’ videos. To add some muscle to its offer, the company says it will let experts “observe our moderation policies in real-time.”

Opening up the algorithm

TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer laid out his vision in a blog post on Wednesday, cheerleading the notion that “fair competition and transparency benefits us all.” Coming clean about TikTok’s issues, Mayer admitted that the app’s Chinese origin is an elephant it can’t seem to get out of the company’s boardroom, 

“With our success comes responsibility and accountability. The entire industry has received scrutiny, and rightly so. Yet, we have received even more scrutiny due to the company's Chinese origins,” Mayer said. He then threw down a challenge to the company’s competitors.

“We will not wait for regulation to come, but instead TikTok has taken the first step by launching a Transparency and Accountability Center for moderation and data practices,” he said. “Experts can observe our moderation policies in real-time, as well as examine the actual code that drives our algorithms. This puts us a step ahead of the industry, and we encourage others to follow suit.”

Angling for a more favorable position

Timing is everything, and that’s not lost of Mayer. The big wigs at Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google were in D.C. to face the House of Representatives' Judiciary’s antitrust panel on Wednesday. Even though TikTok officials were spared being grilled in person, it’s pretty likely that the platform’s name will come up before the gavel closes the session.

In the past, Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg has held up TikTok as an example of why American tech firms need to be free to counter the rise of China. In his prepared remarks, published Tuesday, Zuckerberg brought up the subject of competition between Facebook and its foreign rivals again by claiming that the playing field in China, in particular, is not level.

While Zuckerberg was waiting for his turn in front of legislators on Wednesday, Mayer took the opportunity to take a shot across Zuckerberg’s bow in hopes of making TikTok look like a good guy. 

“Facebook is even launching another copycat product, Reels (tied to Instagram), after their other copycat Lasso failed quickly,” Mayer wrote. “But let's focus our energies on fair and open competition in service of our consumers, rather than maligning attacks by our competitor – namely Facebook – disguised as patriotism and designed to put an end to our very presence in the U.S.”

Although experts have found that warmer weather could slightly slow the spread of COVID-19, a new study suggests that the risk of infection may increase with rising temperatures because of the way that consumers choose to stay cool. 

According to researchers from the University of Sydney, taking advantage of public places with air conditioning is much riskier in the midst of the pandemic. However, the researchers discovered that an electric fan is a viable option to stay cool and healthy this summer. 

“Authorities have acknowledged that the usual strategies recommended to protect individuals from heat-related illness such as seeking refuge in air-conditioned places, including dedicated cooling centers or shopping malls, risks further transmission of the virus,” said researcher Ollie Jay. “We also know that many of those who are most at risk of COVID-19 are those also at risk of heat-related illness, such as the elderly and those with cardiovascular or respiratory conditions.” 

Staying cool this summer 

To understand how the increasing summer heat could affect the spread of COVID-19, the researchers analyzed 105 major cities across the U.S. and determined how current cooling systems fare in the highest temperatures. Heat-related illnesses and the coronavirus are certainly causes for concern, so the researchers wanted to figure out how consumers could beat the heat and reduce their risk of developing COVID-19. 

Though air conditioning isn’t available to all consumers, the researchers wanted to assess how electric fans, combined with frequently applying cool water to the skin, holds up in the summer heat. The researchers looked back on two decades worth of data to see how effective this cooling method was on a wide variety of hot summer days. 

They learned that the majority of consumers in major cities across the country could experience sufficient cooling using this method of an electric fan and cool water applications. In the last 20 years, just an electric fan would have sufficed in over 75 percent of the cities that were analyzed for this study. 

They did discover that this method wasn’t foolproof in cities that regularly see the highest temperatures. However, in contrast to traditional public health advice, the researchers found that the majority of consumers would be able to stay at home -- and stay cool -- with an electric fan. 

Staying cool and healthy during the pandemic

Rising temperatures affect everyone differently, and there are health risks associated with periods of extreme heat. That’s why it’s important for consumers to listen to their bodies and do what’s best for them. However, during a time when experts are urging consumers to stay home and avoid public places, these findings highlight a way to stay both cool and healthy this summer.

“There is an urgent need for low-cost, accessible cooling strategies to protect the most vulnerable from heat-related illness and the spread of SARS-COV-2,” said Jay. “Our study challenges the outdated public health advice suggesting that fans are not beneficial in extreme heat.” 

Mental health struggles affect consumers of all ages -- kids, college students, and adults. However, finding the right treatment can be difficult. 

Now, researchers from Dartmouth College have found that something as simple as a text message can greatly benefit consumers in their mental health treatment. According to their new study, combining a texting service with other treatments can be a viable way for consumers to see improvements to their mental health. 

“This study is very exciting because we saw real improvement in those who utilized the text messaging-based intervention on top of normal care,” said researcher William J. Hudenko. “This was true for individuals with some of the most serious forms of mental illness. The results are promising, and we anticipate that people with less severe psychopathology may even do better with this type of mobile intervention.” 

Utilizing technology

To understand what effect texting could have on consumers’ mental health progress, the researchers provided a dedicated text-line to just under 50 participants involved in the study. The participants were dealing with mental illnesses like depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, and all were receiving support services like in-person therapy and medication. 

The text-line allowed participants to contact a licensed mental health professional with any concerns as they popped up throughout the day. The researchers assessed the participants’ progress at the three- and six-month marks and compared that with evaluations taken at the beginning of the study. 

The results showed that the text message intervention had overwhelmingly positive results. On a daily basis, the service was utilized about 70 percent of the time with no negative responses. Nearly 95 percent of the participants said having someone to text with throughout the day to help ease mental health concerns was beneficial to them. 

“A messaging-based intervention is an incredibly scalable, cost-effective way to help manage the enormous shortage of mental health capability in the U.S.,” said Hudenko. 

A great option for the pandemic 

The researchers explained that this intervention would be incredibly helpful in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only are consumers reporting higher levels of stress, but being confined to the house can make it harder for more people to have access to many traditional mental health services. However, texting is an easy way to help ease some of that stress. 

“Texting can help bridge this gap, by providing a means for mental health services to be continuously delivered,” said Hudenko. “A text-messaging psychotherapy is an excellent match for the current environment, as it provides asynchronous contact with a mental health therapist while increasing the amount of contact that an individual can have.” 

Twitter announced on Tuesday that it is updating its policies to prohibit links to content promoting hate speech and violence. 

Previously, a loophole in the social media site’s rules enabled users to post links to content that otherwise would have violated its policies had it been tweeted directed. Twitter will now display a warning notice when a link is clicked or could block the link altogether. 

Accounts that frequently share problematic links risk being permanently suspended and banned from making new accounts.

“Our goal is to block links in a way that’s consistent with how we remove Tweets that violate our rules,” the company wrote in a statement. “In some cases, the sharing of a link will also result in account suspension due to a zero-tolerance policy (for instance, if a link is shared to child sexual exploitation content).” 

Blocking harmful content

Twitter said URLs that direct users to malware or attempts to steal personal information will be limited, as will “spammy links that mislead people or disrupt their experience.” The platform is also striving to curb the spread of content including terrorism, child pornography, or links to illegal substances.

Accounts and links that discuss “QAnon” activity, a conspiracy theory popular among right-wing extremists, could also be suspended or blocked under a rule change rolled out last week.

“We will permanently suspend accounts Tweeting about these topics that we know are engaged in violations of our multi-account policy, coordinating abuse around individual victims, or are attempting to evade a previous suspension — something we’ve seen more of in recent weeks,” Twitter wrote last week.

The new policy will take effect on 30 July.

National real estate broker Redfin has analyzed its sales for June and found an interesting trend. Nearly 20 percent of its client’s winning offers waived the home inspection contingency.

In many housing markets, the competition for homes is fierce. The most attractive properties tend to draw multiple offers, meaning many shoppers who would like to buy the house lose out.

Redfin reports that its clients have increased their flexibility when it comes to contingencies in contracts, particularly the inspection contingency. Sellers sometimes worry that inspections will turn up flaws that they’ll be required to repair in order for the sale to go through. An offer without that contingency may look more attractive.

Redfin says its clients also waived the appraisal contingency with similar success last month. Both have proved to be winning strategies as buyers compete for homes, but both carry some risk for would-be buyers.

Risks to consider

The inspection contingency allows a buyer to walk away from the deal without penalty or request repairs if they find an issue during the inspection. If that contingency is waived, the buyer is taking a chance that there are no issues with the property that they would have to pay to resolve after settlement.

The appraisal contingency allows the buyer to cancel the contract or renegotiate the price if the appraisal is lower than the agreed-upon sale price. A mortgage company will insist on there being an appraisal if the amount is less than the sale price. But by waiving that contingency, the buyer would have to put more money down.

Redfin says buyers are taking on these risks because the market has become so competitive and many homes now receive multiple offers. They’ve also found that sellers don’t always accept the deal that offers the most money.

Lindsay Katz, a Redfin agent in Los Angeles, recently sold a home to a buyer who won out over 11 other bidders by waiving the appraisal and inspection contingencies and expediting the closing process.

"The $770,000 winning offer wasn't even the highest bid," Katz said. "We could've gotten another $30,000 for the house, but we opted to take the safe bet over the highest offer because there was so much uncertainty due to the pandemic."

Three factors affecting the market

More than half the sales Redfin handled in June had multiple offers, a situation created by three significant market forces. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is largely responsible for two of them.

After sheltering in place for two months, many renters decided they wanted to buy a home with more space. Because nearly everyone was working from home, proximity to the workplace was no longer a major factor. That created a sudden surge of buyers.

However, the supply of available homes continued to shrink during the pandemic. Many people who were thinking about selling their home have delayed putting it on the market, so the pace of homebuilding has remained sluggish.

Finally, mortgage rates have fallen to record lows, making home buying more attractive, especially when compared to renting. In June and early July, the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hit a number of successive lows as it approached 3 percent.

As coronavirus (COVID-19) cases surged in June, consumers’ confidence in the economy tumbled in July.

The Conference Board’s monthly Consumer Confidence Index fell to 92.6 from 98.3 in June. Creeping doubts about the economic future apparently led to the sharp decline.

When asked how things are at the moment, consumers actually had an improved outlook. The Present Situation Index, based on how consumers feel about current business and labor conditions, rose from 86.7 to 94.2.

But the Expectations Index – based on consumers' outlook for the short-term future -- plunged from106.1 in June to 91.5 this month. Lynn Franco, senior director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board, says optimism was growing in June following a sharp rebound in the economy. Then, reality apparently set in.

“Large declines (in confidence) were experienced in Michigan, Florida, Texas, and California, no doubt a result of the resurgence of COVID-19,” Franco said. “Looking ahead, consumers have grown less optimistic about the short-term outlook for the economy and labor market and remain subdued about their financial prospects. Such uncertainty about the short-term future does not bode well for the recovery, nor for consumer spending."

Things seem to be okay at the moment

Economists may take some solace in consumer attitudes about how things are now. The concerns consumers expressed to survey-takers are about what could happen in the future, not how things were going this month.

In fact, the percentage of consumers saying business conditions are "good" was relatively unchanged at 17.3 percent, while those claiming business conditions are "bad" fell from 42.5 percent to 39.1 percent. 

Despite persistently high unemployment, consumers' assessment of the job market was increasingly favorable. The percentage of consumers saying jobs are "plentiful" increased from 20.5 percent to 21.3 percent, while those claiming jobs are "hard to get" decreased from 23.3 percent to 20.0 percent.

Trouble ahead

It’s clear from the survey that many consumers see trouble ahead. When the survey was completed at mid-month, it was uncertain whether Congress would extend extra unemployment benefits for millions that are scheduled to expire at the end of the month.

It’s now fairly certain that some type of extension is in the works, though Republicans and Democrats are still at odds over how much the extra payments should be. Meanwhile, both parties and the White House appear to favor another direct payment to every American adult to stimulate the economy.

At mid-month, however, consumers were not at all optimistic about the short-term future. The percentage of consumers expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months declined from 42.4 percent to 31.6 percent.

LIQ-E S.A. de C.V. is recalling all lots and all bottle sizes of Optimus Instant Hand Sanitizer.

The products may contain methanol (wood alcohol), which can produce nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death.

There are no reports of adverse events to date.

The following products, manufactured between April 27, 2020, and May 8, 2020, and sold throughout the U.S., are being recalled:

55 Gal Blue Drum Lot Numbers:

Master Cartons Lot Numbers:

The hand sanitizer comes in a 55 Gal (208 L) plastic blue drum, and in 8.5-Fl oz. (250 mL), 1 gallon (3.78 L), and 275 gallon (1,040L) clear plastic HDPE bottles or tank with a green and white label.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product should stop using and return it to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions may contact the company toll free: at 5281 81316021 from 9:00am – 5:00pm (CT), or by email at Ignacio.ortiz@liqesa.com.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 4,307,542 (4,238,500)

Total U.S. deaths: 148,295 (146,968)

Total global cases: 16,534,345 (16,296,665)

Total global deaths: 655,084 (649,662)

Testing delay not improving

Quest Diagnostics has once again warned of delays in getting results from coronavirus (COVID-19) tests. The company said delays are particularly severe for molecular coronavirus diagnostic tests, or PCR tests, which determine whether someone has the virus.

“Demand for our molecular diagnostic testing remains high as the virus has spread across much of the United States, particularly the South, Southwest, and West,” the company said in a statement. “Persistent high demand has strained our testing capacity and extended delays for test results.”

As a result, Quest says its average turnaround time for reporting test results is now over two days for priority one patients and seven days for all other patients.

Gates sees a falling death rate

Amid all the gloomy news about the pandemic, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has a reassuring prediction.

In an interview with CNBC, Gates said he believes the death rate from the virus will recede by the end of this year. He says improved treatments will keep more people from dying. He said remdesivir has shown good results in treating the most severe cases of the virus.

Gates also pointed to two other antiviral drugs that scientists are currently testing. Their advantage, Gates says, is they can be taken in pill form instead of being injected with an IV in a hospital setting.

Pandemic inhibits cancer screenings

There’s growing evidence that concerns about the coronavirus caused many people to put off important medical appointments. A study by TriNetX shows cancer screenings declined 89 percent after the virus resulted in shelter-in-place orders.

"These startling results do not bode well for the future," said Jack London, PhD, professor emeritus of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University. "Oncologists will likely be seeing later stage patients initially which will significantly impact patient treatment and prognosis."

In some cases, patients had little choice. In the early days of the pandemic, most hospitals and medical facilities were closed to anyone other than COVID-19 patients.

CES 2021 will be all-virtual

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) each year is Las Vegas’ biggest event, last year drawing 179,000 people from around the world. But in today’s coronavirus world, how is that going to work?

The answer is, it’s going to be all-digital. All those futuristic, “gee-whiz” technology products will have to be observed from a distance and on a video screen. 

"Amid the pandemic and growing global health concerns about the spread of COVID-19, it's just not possible to safely convene tens of thousands of people in Las Vegas in early January 2021 to meet and do business in person,” said Gary Shapiro, CEO at CTA, which puts on the annual exhibition. “Technology helps us all work, learn, and connect during the pandemic — and that innovation will also help us reimagine CES 2021 and bring together the tech community in a meaningful way.”

Big expansion for Lysol

You may not have heard of Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC, but it makes a very familiar consumer product -- one in heavy demand these days. The maker of disinfectant cleaner Lysol is now launching a new business selling cleaners and consulting services to hotels and airlines.

The company -- which also makes Dettol soap, Finish dishwasher tablets, and Harpic toilet cleaner -- said it had actually benefited from consumers’ sudden germ phobia, recording a surge in second-quarter sales. 

In the months ahead, the company said it will try to position itself as consumers’ and businesses’ go-to hygiene expert, taking advantage of Lysol’s high brand recognition.

Around the nation

• Missouri: Previously, COVID-19 protests had to do with shutdowns and wearing masks. But on Monday, protesters in Missouri called for the state to impose virtual learning in areas of the state where the virus is spreading fastest.

• Oregon: Multnomah County recorded a record 119 new coronavirus cases on Monday, about half of those that occurred throughout the state. “This disease is widespread in Multnomah County,” Dr. Jennifer Vines, the county health officer, said during a news conference. 

• New York: New York continues to place states on its “watch list,” requiring travelers from those states to self-quarantine after arriving in the state. Meanwhile, Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted that he was “appalled” that Long Island residents crowded into a concert venue over the weekend.

Hassles with vehicles and home improvement lead the way in the latest annual survey from the Consumer Federation of America (CFA).

Thirty-one agencies from 19 states were part of the research mix. Each was asked to report the most common, fastest-growing, and worst complaints they received in 2019. In addition, the survey dug a little deeper into areas like new consumer problems and new laws enacted in an agency’s jurisdictions to protect consumers.

The Top 10 complaints

The CFA reports that the top problems reported to state and local consumer agencies last year were:

1. Auto: Exaggerations or falsifications in advertising or sales of both new and used cars, shady financing practices, defective vehicles, faulty repairs, car leasing and rentals, and towing disputes.

2. Home Improvement/Construction:Second-rate work, failure to start or finish the job, and neglecting to have required licensing or registration.

3. Retail Sales: False advertising and other deceptive practices, faulty merchandise, failure to deliver, and problems with rebates, coupons, gift cards, and gift certificates.

4. Landlord/Tenant: Unsafe or unhealthy living conditions, failure to make repairs or provide amenities promised to the renter, deposit and rent disagreements, and illegal eviction tactics.

5. Credit/Debt: Billing and fee disputes, mortgage issues, credit repair and debt relief services, predatory lending, and illegal or abusive debt collection tactics.

6. (Tie) Communications: Misleading come-ons, installation issues, service problems, billing disputes with telephone and internet services. Services: Misrepresentations, poor workmanship, failure to have required licensing or registration, and neglect.

7. Health Products/Services:Misleading claims, unlicensed practitioners, failure to deliver, and billing issues.

8. Utilities: Complaints about everything that powers a consumer’s life -- gas, electric, water and cable billing and service.

9. (Tie) Fraud: Sweepstakes and lottery shams, work-at-home schemes, grant offers, fake check scams, as well as imposter scams and other common frauds; Household Goods: Misrepresentations, failure to follow-thru, and repairs issues in connection with furniture and major appliances.

10. Internet Sales: Misrepresentations or other deceptive practices, failure to deliver purchases made online.

While many of these scams continue to be a huge problem for consumers today, experts want to remind consumers that there are ways to address and settle these issues.

“Many complaints can be resolved through mediation, and some consumer agencies can also take formal legal action when that is warranted,” wrote Susan Grant, CFA Director of Consumer Protection and Privacy in an email to ConsumerAffairs. “But when it comes to fraud, prevention is the key since the money and the culprits often disappear without a trace.”

New scam wrinkle

Grant said that the CFA’s survey also uncovered a new scam new trend that fraudsters are trying to capitalize on. When pulling off some sort of phone fraud on consumers, scammers are now trying to get a willing target to carry their phone with them to the bank to withdraw funds or to stores to buy gift cards in order to make payments. 

“This enables the crooks to essentially hold the victims captive and tell them how to respond if a bank teller or cashier becomes suspicious and starts asking questions,” said Grant. “The public education that state and local consumer agencies provide is crucial for preventing fraud and abuse.”

One important note about the survey: since the data is derived from 2019, there’s no coronavirus-related results. Given the pickle consumers are in thanks to the pandemic, it’s a sure shot that next year’s survey results will be, at least, a little different.

Several recent studies have highlighted how the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened stress levels for families. Now, researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center are exploring how this stress is affecting the mental and physical health of parents and their kids. 

According to the study findings, the pandemic has had a negative impact on families’ physical and emotional well-being, affecting everything from kids’ behavior to parents having enough healthy, affordable food to put on the table. 

“COVID-19 and measures to control its spread have had a substantial effect on the nation’s children,” said researcher Dr. Stephen Patrick. “Today an increasing number of the nation’s children are going hungry, losing employer-sponsored insurance, and their regular childcare. The situation is urgent and requires immediate attention from federal and state policymakers.” 

Structural changes leading to mounting stress

The researchers surveyed families across the country to get a deeper understanding of how families have been affected both mentally and physically by the pandemic. They answered questions about how they handle childcare, their health -- both physical and mental -- food insecurity, and health insurance. 

The biggest takeaway from this study is that families nationwide are in need of support in several areas, including better physical and mental health services that are equipped to handle families during these times. 

The study findings showed that food insecurity spiked in the months since the pandemic hit. Not having enough quality food is cause for concern at any time of year, but since day-to-day life has become more precarious, even more families are struggling to get healthy, affordable meals to their kids. 

Just about one-quarter of all parents that were surveyed lost childcare since the start of the pandemic; another 15 percent of parents reported worsening behavior for their young ones since they’ve been home. The researchers believe these two factors are related because losing a regular babysitter or time spent in daycare affects how kids socialize and play. Extra time at home, away from other kids, can rub off on how young ones behave with their parents and siblings. 

Mental health takes a hit

The study findings also suggest that mental health has worsened during the pandemic, with nearly 30 percent of parents reporting poorer emotional regulation. Mothers were hit the hardest by these mental health struggles, as were parents of younger kids. 

Overall, the researchers are worried about how the pandemic has affected both parents and children, and these findings emphasize just how difficult this time has been for families. 

“The loss of regular childcare related to COVID-19 has been a major shock to families,” said researcher Dr. Matthew M. Davis. “In almost half of all cases where parents said that their own mental health has worsened and that their children’s behavior had worsened during the pandemic, they had lost their usual childcare arrangements. We need to be aware of these types of stressors for families, which extend far beyond COVID-19 as an infection or an illness.” 

How old is the car you drive? If you’re like most Americans, it’s probably close to 12 years old, according to new research from vehicle registration tracking firm IHS Markit. The study also revealed that 1 in every 4 vehicles are at least 16 years old. Both are new all-time highs.

Of the many auto-buying trends the coronavirus pandemic is shaking out, one is average vehicle age. As COVID-19 was forcing consumers to weigh out their cyclical goods expenditures, the prices of vehicles were going the other way, forcing consumers to look for longer-term financing or hold onto their cars and trucks longer.

“At the start of 2020, all signs were pointing to moderate growth of the average age of vehicles through the first half of the decade, and there was certainly growing pessimism about how long the strong economic fundamentals could last,” said Todd Campau, associate director of Aftermarket Solutions at IHS Markit. 

“However, the COVID-19 pandemic has created the perfect storm to accelerate U.S. light vehicle average age in coming years. This should be a positive side effect for the aftermarket, as the majority of repairs for older vehicles come through the aftermarket channel” such as auto service/repair and extended warranties.

The low demand factor

A beleaguered U.S. economy and rising unemployment are both factors that have influenced the increase in average vehicle age, and it’s only likely to rise at a faster rate in the near future due to the pandemic. 

The simple truth is that there are fewer people who need to drive to work in a job market that has increasingly transitioned to a work-from-home model. That means consumers are putting fewer miles on their vehicles, which will allow many cars and trucks to last longer. 

In normal times, consumers who might have been good candidates for a new vehicle are now driving their old one until things clear up or opting to purchase a preowned or used vehicle. Some businesses have been able to read the tea leaves to get into a position to profit from that trend.

“We went out and bought a lot of preowned (cars) and said if customers can’t get new, this demand is so strong they will switch to preowned,” AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “That is exactly what happened.”