Current Events in July 2020

A Russian hacking group is reportedly targeting organizations carrying out research on a COVID-19 vaccine, according to intelligence agencies from the U.S., U.K., and Canada. 

In an advisory published Thursday by the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), security officials warned that a hacking group called APT29 (also called “the Dukes” or “Cozy Bear”) is targeting health care organizations in the three countries.

The group is using malware and spear-phishing attacks to try to steal coronavirus vaccine research. Officials didn’t say how much vaccine information the Russian group has stolen or how the group’s actions have impacted research efforts.

"APT29's campaign of malicious activity is ongoing, predominantly against government, diplomatic, think tank, healthcare and energy targets to steal valuable intellectual property," a press release on the advisory said.

History of hacking

The hacking group previously carried out a phishing attack on Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman John Podesta in 2016. 

“APT29 has a long history of targeting governmental, diplomatic, think-tank, health care and energy organizations for intelligence gain, so we encourage everyone to take this threat seriously,” said Anne Neuberger, the National Security Agency’s cybersecurity director.

Dominic Raab, the U.K.’s foreign secretary, said it’s “completely unacceptable that the Russian Intelligence Services are targeting those working to combat the coronavirus pandemic.”

“While others pursue their selfish interests with reckless behavior, the UK and its allies are getting on with the hard work of finding a vaccine and protecting global health,” Raab said in a statement, adding that the U.K. will "continue to counter those conducting such cyber attacks.” 

The NSA said it remains “steadfast in its commitment to protecting national security by collectively issuing this critical cybersecurity advisory as foreign actors continue to take advantage of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.” 

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 3,499,771 (3,454,190)

Total U.S. deaths: 137,420 (136,807)

Total global cases: 13,589,273 (13,391,024)

Total global deaths: 584,990 (580,038)

Georgia governor overturns local mask orders

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has moved to overturn mandatory mask orders imposed by some local jurisdictions in the state. He signed the executive order as new cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) have continued to mount.

Kemp’s order, which “strongly encourages” wearing masks in public, argued that mandatory mask orders are unlawful. However, the governor’s order extends social distancing requirements statewide.

Elected officials in cities and counties that enacted mask mandates did not take kindly to the governor’s order, with many expressing outrage.

Abigail Disney questions company’s theme park reopening

Abigail Disney, the granddaughter of Disney Company co-founder Roy Disney, has stepped up her criticism of the company that bears her name. In an interview with CNBC, she questioned Disney’s reopening of its Florida theme parks at a time when cases of the coronavirus have spiked in the state.

“I’m confused about how they think they can possibly protect their guests and their employees,” Disney told the network.

The Disney Company began Disney’s phased reopening of its Florida theme parks over the weekend after implementing safety protocols such as a mandatory mask policy and temperature screening. Capacity restrictions also were implemented. 

Weekly jobless claims remain above 1 million

In a sign that the coronavirus’ economic blow may be worse than expected, more Americans were added to the unemployment rolls last week. The Labor Department reports that initial claims for jobless benefits totaled 1.3 million in the previous week, the 17th straight week claims have been more than 1 million.

In a note to investors, Michael Pearce, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics, cited the numbers as “clear signs” of long-term damage to the economy. He said the unemployment rate will likely remain high.

“Absent a vaccine, the need for ongoing physical distancing will prevent a full recovery,” he predicted.

Johnson & Johnson ahead of schedule on a vaccine

Johnson & Johnson, just one of the pharmaceutical companies working on a COVID-19 vaccine, said it hopes to begin late-stage clinical trials on its candidate in September, ahead of schedule.

The company made the announcement during today’s earnings call, in which it reported a second-quarter decline of 9 percent. The company also does not expect to profit from any successful vaccine.

“We are bringing together our best minds, our global footprint and our sophisticated supply chain technology to deliver on our commitment to provide the vaccine on a not-for-profit basis for emergency pandemic use, globally,” said CEO Alex Gorsky.

Survey: employees generally satisfied with workplace reopenings

After having employees work from home for several weeks, many businesses are reopening their doors to workers. A new survey by the American Staffing Association shows employees are generally satisfied with the process.

Seventy-nine percent of those in the Harris Poll survey said they were satisfied with their employers' pandemic-related return-to-work plans, with men slightly more satisfied than women.

Companies’ cleanliness protocols, remote work policies, communication, and COVID-19 benefits all drew at least an 80 percent approval rating from employees.. 

Around the nation

• Virginia: The Richmond School Board has voted to conduct all classes online for the first half of the school year. The board rejected a proposed hybrid plan that cities in other states have adopted or are considering.

• Arizona: The Arizona Department of Health Services is bringing in 600 out-of-state nurses to help hospitals deal with the recent surge in coronavirus cases. “We’ve prioritized providing these staffing resources to fill critical resource gaps in hospitals and ensure they can continue to provide excellent care across the state,” said Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ.

• California: State officials say they will once again restrict COVID-19 tests to the most vulnerable population. California has experienced a shortage of tests as the number of new cases has set several single-day records.

Reports from various sources claim that the Twitter accounts of several high profile celebrities, politicians, and business leaders were hacked as part of what appears to be the hyping of a cryptocurrency scam.

The accounts were a who’s who of the rich and famous: former President Barack Obama, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian West, Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, Joe Biden, Bill Gates, and Mike Bloomberg. Collectively, they all posted similar tweets asking for donations via Bitcoin. An example would be Mike Bloomberg’s situation, in which the hacker played up the con that the money was going to an organization called CryptoForHealth.

Inside job

The interesting thing about this hack is that all signs point to it starting from the inside with one of Twitter’s own employees. Purportedly, that employee gave the hacker(s) access to an admin tool which, in turn, gave them access to any Twitter account they wanted.

"We used a rep that literally done (sic) all the work for us," an anonymous source told Motherboard. Another source said they paid the Twitter insider to do the dirty deed.

“We are giving back to our community,” is how the tweets started off. “We support Bitcoin and we believe you should too! All Bitcoin sent to our address below will be sent back to you doubled! Only going on for the next 30 minutes.”

If there’s a sucker born every minute, you can imagine how many suckers the hacker found in that half-hour. In its reporting of the incident, TechCrunch tracked down someone in the underground hacking scene who said the hacker was able to make off with more than $100,000. 

Once the hacker was happy with their haul, they used the same admin tool to reset the email addresses of the hacked accounts, making it darn near impossible for the account holders to reclaim control of their accounts.

Twitter is scratching its head

As of Thursday afternoon, Twitter was still trying definitively to find out what happened. 

It tweeted that its internal investigation is continuing, but the platform says it’s taken “significant steps to limit access to internal systems and tools while our investigation is ongoing.”

Update

Business Insider asked cybersecurity experts to take a deeper dive into the Twitter hack and those experts reported back with the possibility that the attack could have been a sign of a broader, more nefarious scheme.

"If you suddenly had access to some of the most prolific, powerful people, what would you do?" Kevin O'Brien, CEO of the cloud email security company GreatHorn, told Business Insider. "Would you say that you wanted to get some bitcoin? That's a bizarrely small use of this level of access."

In O’Brien’s estimation, taking the route of posting the cryptocurrency request tweets might have been the hackers’ way of testing the water to see how far into Twitter’s systems they could go. One of O’Brien’s peers, Ryan Olson, vice president of Unit 42 at Palo Alto Networks, agreed. 

"Noisy attacks are a great way to distract security teams from other malicious activities," Olson said.

As COVID-19 cases continue to climb, CVS and Target are joining the list of retailers that will require customers to wear face coverings in their U.S. stores. CVS’ new policy will go into effect on Monday, while Target’s will go into effect on August 1.  

Target said the move to make masks mandatory at all of its locations “builds on the more than 80% of our stores that already require guests to wear face coverings due to local and state regulations.” 

Target said customers who don’t already have a mask will be given a disposable one at store entrances. 

Retailers increasingly take up mask requirements

Earlier this week, Walmart, Kroger, Best Buy, and Kohls all announced that they would be requiring all shoppers to wear a face covering in stores to prevent the spread of the virus. Dacona Smith, Walmart’s COO, said wearing a mask “is a simple step everyone can take for their safety and the safety of others in our facilities.” 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends that everyone “should wear a face cover when they have to go out in public” to prevent the virus from spreading from person to person. 

To date, more than three million people in the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19. Studies have found that mask-wearing is a highly effective way of mitigating the spread of the virus. 

“Up to this stage, we do not have a safe and effective vaccine. What remains practical is still either social-distancing measures or wearing masks,” said researcher Dr. Yuen Kwok-yung, a leading microbiologist from Hong Kong University.

A new study conducted by researchers from Penn State explored the ripple effect that’s created following the death of a loved one from COVID-19. 

According to their findings, approximately nine family members are left to grieve the loss of a close relative due to the coronavirus. On a national scale, if the virus takes 190,000 lives, nearly two million Americans would be grieving lost relatives. 

“It’s very helpful to have a sense of the potential impacts that the pandemic could have,” said researcher Ashton Verdery. “And, for employers, it calls attention to policies around family leave and paid leave. At the federal level, it might inform officials about possible extensions for FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act). There could also be some implications for caretaking. For example, a lot of children grow up in grandparent-led houses and they would be impacted.” 

The bereavement multiplier

The researchers created what is known as the “bereavement multiplier” to better understand the far-reaching effects of COVID-19-related deaths on surviving family members. They used current census data to evaluate kinship networks, which include grandparents, parents, children, siblings, and spouses. 

Though this study is based off of previous ones that sought to discover similar results, the researchers believe that their bereavement factor is the most precise way to understand how the virus is spreading and how families are being affected. 

“The big challenge with the former work was that we used a certain percentage of infections and a certain percentage of deaths,” Verdery said. “In that model, there is an inherent prediction that if so many people are infected, there would be a certain number of people who would die and, then, the model estimated how many people will be affected by those deaths. But, thinking through this, we wanted to create a statistic that is easy to understand and one that doesn’t rely on specific predictions about death counts.” 

Ultimately, the researchers determined that the bereavement multiplier hovers around nine. This means that approximately nine close family members are left to grieve the death of a loved one because of COVID. The team hopes that these findings provide insight into specific regions that could be hit particularly hard by the virus so that consumers can understand the wide-reaching effects of these deaths. 

“Our statistics are based on national averages, so it might not translate perfectly, but you could imagine that this could serve as a baseline level to go forward and understand the differences between areas where the outbreaks are severe and places where the outbreaks may not be so severe,” said Verdery. “There are regional differences in some of these kinship statistics that would make it less than perfect, but it would be a reasonable first approximation.” 

JetBlue and American Airlines are joining forces in a mutually beneficial partnership designed to offer seamless connectivity for travelers in the Northeastern U.S. and more choices for fliers across their complementary domestic and international networks. 

You can add one more benefit to that for the companies -- taking a huge bite out of Delta and United’s business. Quantifiably, this marriage gives the airlines a 23 percent share of the market, nearly six points ahead of Delta and 10 points ahead of United.

What travelers will see

If all goes according to plan, travelers will be treated to three major benefits from the new partnership, including:

• New and expanded routes: In the new scenario, American will launch international service from New York’s JFK airport to Tel Aviv, Athens, and Rio De Janeiro on top of their current routes to London and Madrid. Meanwhile, JetBlue will take care of the other two New York airports, LaGuardia and Newark, and focus on East Coast, West Coast, and Southeast routes.With its fingers crossed, American Airlines said that once the COVID-19 pandemic ends, the partnership will be a boost for the company by virtue of adding new long-haul markets in Europe, Africa, India, and South America.

• More destination choices and loyalty benefits: JetBlue and American will operate interdependent codeshare flights, giving travelers a greater array of schedules, competitive fares, and nonstop access to more destinations. The deal is particularly good for JetBlue, giving the airline connectivity to more U.S. destinations, a broad global network, and an improved frequent flyer proposition. American will complement JetBlue’s improved and expanded service with new international routes. For travelers who are looking for perks, the airlines promise loyalty members that they will enjoy new benefits and that the airlines are exploring additional premium experiences to offer customers.

• Seamless experience: As you can imagine, interlacing the systems of two airlines could become a can of worms for consumers. American and JetBlue say they’re aware of that pitfall and will be doing all they can to create a “seamless experience,” including the ability to book a single itinerary on either website, convenient connections, and an improved on-the-ground experience.

“This is an incredible opportunity for both of our airlines,” said American Airlines President Robert Isom. “American has a strong history in the Northeast, and we’re proud to partner with JetBlue as the latest chapter in that long history. Together, we can offer customers an industry-leading product in New York and Boston with more flights and more seats to more cities.”

While a great deal of pet-related research has centered around the benefits pets can bring to owners, a new study is exploring what consumers can do to ensure their pets are as healthy as possible. 

Researchers from the University of California, Davis found that the best time to get dogs neutered depends on their breed. They analyzed nearly three dozen breeds and determined that different breeds respond to the procedure differently, and it’s important for pet owners to be aware of the risks. 

“There is a huge disparity among different breeds,” said researcher Benjamin Hart. “Some breeds developed problems, others didn’t. Some may have developed joint disorders but not cancer or the other way around.” 

Knowing when to neuter

The researchers analyzed 15 years’ worth of patient data from the UC Davis Veterinary Teaching Hospital to determine the risks associated with spaying or neutering different breeds. Breed, sex, and age were the primary factors assessed in the study, and the researchers were interested in seeing the risks of cancer and joint disorders. 

The biggest takeaway from this study is that different breeds respond differently to being spayed or neutered. However, sex and body size are important for pet owners to consider when thinking about potential risks associated with the procedure. 

While female golden retrievers were 10 percent more likely than males to experience complications from being spayed, Boston terriers were the opposite, with males more likely than females to develop complications post-procedure. 

Size also played a key role, as the study revealed that smaller dogs tended to have fewer complications overall. The researchers explained that larger dogs were more likely than smaller-sized breeds to develop either joint disorders or cancer. 

Get an expert opinion

Though many consumers worry about spaying or neutering too early, this study found that for most breeds, age wasn’t a huge risk factor. 

Because there are so many specific differences among the breeds, the researchers encourage consumers to look closely at their findings to determine the potential risks for their pet. Moreover, each dog is as unique as their breed, and so it’s important that consumers have an open dialogue with their veterinarians prior to spaying or neutering their pets. 

“We think it’s the decision of the pet owner, in consultation with their veterinarian, not society’s expectations that should dictate when to neuter,” Hart said. “This is a paradigm shift for the most commonly performed operation in veterinary practice.” 

Chrysler is recalling 925,239 model year 2008-2010 Chrysler Town and Country, and Dodge Grand Caravan and model year 2007-2011 Dodge Nitro vehicles.

The vehicles may have a loose or missing brand emblem in the center of the steering wheel. The loose emblem or the securing nuts for the emblem within the driver airbag module may become projectiles in the event of a driver airbag deployment, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag cover with a redesigned cover free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin August 26, 2020.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at (800) 853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W09.

Toyota is recalling about 183,000 model year 2018-2020 Tundra pickup trucks.

The wire harness connected to the front turn signal bulbs was assembled incorrectly, causing them not to illuminate as brightly as intended.

What to do

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will modify the wire harness connected to the front turn signal bulbs free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin in mid-September 2020.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at (800) 331-4331

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recently said that a second stimulus check “could well be” part of the next coronavirus relief bill. However, that next round of checks could come with a $40,000 income eligibility cap. 

“I think the people who have been hit the hardest are people who make about $40,000 a year or less,” he said, adding that the country “needs one last boost.” 

However, some lawmakers are not fully on board with the idea of limiting eligibility. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said during a news conference at the U.S Capitol that the coronavirus pandemic has taken a financial toll on many families, not just those making under $40,000 per year. 

“I think there are many families, depending on the size of the family, so many different things, that $40,000 would have to be explained, justified, the rest,” Pelosi said. “But I think families making over $40,000 probably need assistance. Again, just depending on their family situation.”

Critics of the proposal to limit eligibility have suggested a targeted stimulus to assist households that have had their income cut during the pandemic. 

“Replacing this lost income will help keep consumers current on bills and maintain a level of spending that is beneficial to the economic recovery,” Greg McBride, chief financial analyst for Bankrate, told Forbes.

Uncertainty regarding eligibility 

While it’s uncertain whether the $40,000 cutoff will be imposed, McConnell says the next round of checks will be distributed the same way as the first. 

"We are looking at another direct payment," McConnell said on Tuesday.

Lawmakers are set to discuss stimulus check qualifications later this month. 

"As soon as the Senate gets back [from its current break], we are going to sit down on a bipartisan basis with the Republicans and the Democrats," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC. 

Mnuchin said the goal is for the next legislation to be passed between July 20 and early August.

Unless Congress acts in less than two weeks, people drawing an extra $600 per week in unemployment benefits will go back to receiving what their state normally pays.

The Trump administration has reportedly told lawmakers it could go along with a partial extension of the extra benefits, but not at the $600 level. At any rate, people living on unemployment benefits are preparing to tighten their belts at the end of the month. 

It may come as no surprise that at least half of the Americans receiving the extra benefits believe they are “at very high financial risk” if the extra benefit expires as scheduled. Only about 12 percent of respondents in a survey by CouponLawn believe they would face little risk financially.

The survey shows a significant percentage of respondents say the extra money goes to pay household bills, including electricity, water, and internet bills. A small amount of their weekly budget is allocated for child care.

Bonus payments were part of the CARES Act

Each state administers its own unemployment benefits program. The amount of money an unemployed person receives each week varies by state, but it’s usually based on the recipients’ most recent wages. 

The extra $600 comes from the Treasury Department and was allocated under the CARES Act, which was passed in March to stimulate the economy after the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) shutdown and help newly unemployed people keep their heads above water.

At the time the CARES Act passed, some in Congress expressed concern that the extra pay would disincentivize some people from going back to work. As lawmakers have discussed an extension, a consensus is growing around reducing the amount of the extra stipend.

Critical lifeline

Policymakers agree that the bonus payment served as a critical lifeline to millions of Americans who suddenly found themselves out of work through no fault of their own. A study by the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University, published last month, concluded that the payments kept the rise in the nation’s poverty level in the low single digits.

“In the absence of the CARES Act, we project that poverty rates would rise to 16.3 percent given the composition of April 2020,” the authors wrote. “With the CARES Act, however, we project that poverty rates may return to pre-crisis levels if access to the benefits is adequate.”

The Washington Post reports that the administration and lawmakers are now discussing how much the extra payment should be if it is pared back from $600. The Post says $400 and $200 are amounts that have been floated back and forth. 

The Post reports that the extra payments could be made weekly, with recipients also receiving a second stimulus check.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 3,454,190 (3,366,845)

Total U.S. deaths: 136,807 (135,802)

Total global cases: 13,391,024 (13,135,616)

Total global deaths: 580,038 (573,869)

Study raises vaccine hopes

Moderna, one of the first biopharma firms to start work on a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, has reported what it says is a promising result from a small trial on healthy subjects.

The company reports that the results showed mRNA-1273 “induced rapid and strong immune responses against SARS-CoV-2,” the clinical name for COVID-19. The study was led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Some health experts see hope in the findings because the vaccine produced robust antibodies that were stronger than those normally produced in people with the virus. In an interview with Bloomberg News, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of NIAID, said the fact that the vaccine produced “neutralizing” antibodies is a big deal.

U.S. sets another single-day record for new cases

Another day, another record number of coronavirus cases. The tally kept by Johns Hopkins University shows there were 67,417 confirmed cases of the virus Tuesday, eclipsing the old record set last week.

Nearly half the new cases were reported in just three states -- Texas, California, and Florida. President Trump says the pace has accelerated in recent weeks because of an increase in testing.

Medical technicians reportedly processed 760,282 tests on Tuesday, the second-highest number of tests conducted in a single day.

Chipotle pivots to more drive-thru lanes

Starbucks can thank its lucky stars that it began adding drive-thru lanes to its stores a decade ago. When the coronavirus shut down restaurants, it was able to weather the economic shock.  Chipotle Mexican Grill is playing catch up.

The popular Mexican food chain said it is adding more drive-thru locations to stores and plans to hire 10,000 more employees to handle the business from customers placing digital orders. 

The company said it plans to add drive-thru windows at more than 60 percent of the stores it will open in the future, demonstrating how the pandemic may be permanently changing the restaurant business.

Attention Walmart shoppers: mask up

Walmart is the latest national retailer to require customers to wear face coverings while in its stores. The requirement to wear a mask will apply to all Walmart and Sam’s Club locations.

For about 5,000 locations, the order is actually a moot point. Those locations are in jurisdictions where local or state governments have mandated the wearing of masks in public spaces.

The new policy goes into effect on July 20.

COVID-19 shook up the digital services landscape

When Americans were ordered to stay home during March and April, they became increasingly reliant on their digital service providers. A new survey shows they also became much more intolerant when those services failed to deliver.

The survey by Sunguard Availability Services found about 55 percent of consumers changed providers or reduced service levels due to technical issues experienced during stay-at-home orders. Nearly 75 percent said the pandemic was a wake-up call, emphasizing the critical nature of digital services.

Specific digital services flourished during the shutdown, with prescription delivery rising 200 percent and the use of telehealth services rising 154 percent. Grocery delivery jumped 139 percent during the lockdown.

Around the nation

• New York: Gov. Andrew Cuomo has added four more states to the state’s travel advisory, requiring visitors from those states to self-quarantine for 14 days. Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio, and Wisconsin were added to the list to control the spread of the virus. Delaware was removed from the list.

• Kentucky: After keeping coronavirus cases in check for months, Kentucky has seen what appears to be an outbreak. Gov. Andy Beshear says nearly 4 percent of recent tests for the virus are coming back positive.

• Texas: Doctors warn that hospitals in parts of the state are running out of drugs, hospital beds, and ventilators to treat the surging number of coronavirus patients. Cases of the new coronavirus have surged in Texas since Memorial Day weekend at the end of May, one month after Gov. Greg Abbott allowed a phased reopening of businesses.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is continuing to keep a watchful eye on hand sanitizers that can prove to be toxic because of the methanol they contain. The agency says the substance is not an acceptable ingredient for hand sanitizers and can even prove fatal.

Following up on stern warnings to consumers to avoid using any hand sanitizer manufactured by Eskbiochem SA de CV and Global, SAPI de CV, the agency has added Real Clean Distribuciones SA de CV -- another Mexico-based manufacturer -- to its list, bringing the total list of banned sanitizers to 67.

Real Clean’s hand sanitizers that the FDA says consumers should stay away from are:

• Born Basic. Anti-Bac Hand Sanitizer

• Scant Theory (sic)

• Cavalry

• Enliven Hand Sanitizing Gel

• Lux Eoi Hand Sanitizing Gel

• Keep It Clean

“The FDA remains vigilant and will continue to take action when quality issues arise with hand sanitizers,” the agency said in a news release. 

“Additionally, the agency is concerned with false and misleading claims for hand sanitizers, for example that they can provide prolonged protection such as 24-hours against viruses including COVID-19, since there is no evidence to support these claims.”

Check this list before you buy

The FDA updates its banned list of sanitizers almost weekly. Before purchasing products either online or in-store, it’s important to double check the list for safety concerns.

Interestingly, the FDA requires that hand sanitizers have an odor and taste that makes them offensive to people. The main reason is that if it had a pleasant smell or taste, children might be attracted to it.

To discourage this, the FDA has mandated the use of denatured alcohol for all hand sanitizers. Adding these denaturants to the alcohol renders the product more bitter and less appealing to ingest, particularly for young children, the agency said.

How well do you know your sanitizer stuff?

If someone asked you if hand sanitizer is a drug, how would you respond? True or False?

How about this question -- you should always use hand sanitizer to disinfect your hands to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to others. True or False?

If you said “False” to the first question or “True” to the second one, then you most definitely need to take the FDA’s hand sanitizer quiz. It’s a short, two-minute test that will help both consumers and parents understand how to use these products, where they can be stored, and many other important pieces of information. You can find the quiz here.

Hopes for an effective coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine have risen sharply with news that Moderna’s vaccine candidate has shown promising early results.

The New England Journal of Medicine has published an interim analysis of the open-label Phase 1 study of mRNA-1273, Moderna’s vaccine candidate against COVID-19. The paper evaluated a two-dose vaccination schedule of mRNA-1273 given 28 days apart across three dose levels in 45 healthy adult participants ages 18-55 years.

The company reports that the results showed mRNA-1273 “induced rapid and strong immune responses against SARS-CoV-2,” the clinical name for COVID-19. The study was led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The trial concluded that mRNA-1273 was generally safe and well-tolerated, with no serious adverse events reported through 57 days of treatment. However, there were side effects in some patients, including headaches, fatigue, and chills.

Neutralizing antibodies

Some health experts see hope in the findings because the vaccine produced robust antibodies that were stronger than those normally produced in people with the virus. In an interview with Bloomberg News, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of NIAID, said the fact that the vaccine produced “neutralizing” antibodies is a big deal.

Researchers said mRNA-1273 produced what they call binding antibodies to the full-length SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein (S) in all participants after the first vaccination. Results further improved with the second vaccination.

“After two vaccinations, mRNA-1273 elicited robust neutralizing antibody titers,” the company said in a press release. “At Day 43, neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 was seen in all evaluated participants.

First out of the starting gate

Moderna was first out of the starting gate in the race to produce a coronavirus vaccine. In mid-March, it launched its first trial of the drug when Jennifer Haller, a clinical trial volunteer, received the first-ever injection of the investigational vaccine for the coronavirus at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Research Institute (KPWHRI) in Seattle. 

The experiment was described as the first stage of the project aimed at developing an effective vaccine. 

In the just-completed trial, all 42 subjects who received both doses of the vaccine generated antibodies that could neutralize the virus, a major reason for the enthusiasm greeting the results. However, more data is needed. 

The company says it will enroll 30,000 people at high risk of the virus in the final stage trial, which will compare the effects of the vaccine with a placebo.

The Trump administration has rescinded its initial guidance barring international students from staying at their university during the fall semester if their school transitions to online-only courses. 

Under rules issued last week by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), foreign students pursuing a degree in the United States would have had to leave their school or risk deportation in cases where the university adopted an online-only education model in light of pandemic-related health concerns. 

University officials and tech companies immediately expressed outrage at the new policy, saying it would harm the economy by stripping U.S. schools of these students’ tuition money. Tech companies argued that the policy would stifle innovation, and lawmakers said the rule would compromise the health and safety of students. 

“These students contribute substantially to the U.S. economy when they are resident in the United States,” Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and other companies said in a brief Monday.

“America's future competitiveness depends on attracting and retaining talented international students," the companies said, adding that people who come to the U.S. as international students are “also essential to educating the next generation of inventors.” 

The rule was also opposed by attorneys-general from 17 states and the District of Columbia, who had sued the Department of Homeland Security over the controversial rule.

Tuesday’s decision resolves the lawsuit filed by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

The announcement was made at a hearing with U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs. The judge said the administration had agreed to “return to the status quo,” without offering further explanation. 

Returning to “the status quo” means international students will be allowed to continue attending all classes online during the pandemic if their school opts to switch to that model. 

Walmart’s response to COVID-19 has moved up a notch. The retailer issued a new mandate on Wednesday afternoon that will require all shoppers in both Walmart and Sam’s Club stores to wear a face covering.

The change will go into effect starting Monday, July 20, to allow customers time to prepare. 

“While we’re certainly not the first business to require face coverings, we know this is a simple step everyone can take for their safety and the safety of others in our facilities,” said Dacona Smith, Chief Operating Officer, Walmart U.S., and Lance de la Rosa, Chief Operating Officer, Sam’s Club in a news release.

Expect two other changes

The chain says there’s two related changes customers should be prepared for. 

Health ambassadors: The first change is the addition of the role of Health Ambassador. The company plans to station these employees near store entrances to remind those without a mask that they’ll need to adhere to the policy to gain entrance. The company said that the ambassadors will be easily identifiable by their black polo shirts and will try to find a solution for any customer who shows up at a store without a face covering. Various solutions are currently being tested, but the goal is to have a single solution by July 20. 

“We know it may not be possible for everyone to wear a face covering. Our associates will be trained on those exceptions to help reduce friction for the shopper and make the process as easy as possible for everyone.” the company said.

Single-point entrances: Secondly, to help ensure across-the-board consistency with this new process, all stores will have a single entrance.

Can I be forced to wear a face covering?

Local governments have the right to impose safety measures on businesses, and individual businesses can take it a step further and implement additional restrictions of their own. In Walmart’s case, the new mandate won’t be that much of a change since 65 percent of all of the retailer’s stores are located in areas where face coverings are already required.

Nonetheless, the company is hoping that customers in areas where there’s no face covering requirement will understand the need for the new mandate and will adjust accordingly.

“We know some people have differing opinions on this topic. We also recognize the role we can play to help protect the health and well-being of the communities we serve by following the evolving guidance of health officials like the CDC. We appreciate the understanding and cooperation of our customers and members in wearing face coverings to protect their safety and the safety of our associates,” the company said.