Current Events in October 2020

In a rare public briefing, top officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have warned that cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) are increasing in about 75 percent of the U.S.

Dr. Jay Butler, who serves as deputy director for infectious diseases at CDC, said there has been a "distressing trend" in which coronavirus case numbers are on the rise.

"This past week, we've seen nearly 60,000 cases a day on average, as well as 700 deaths," he said.

Butler appeared at a joint briefing late Wednesday with Dr. Robert Redfield, the CDC's director, and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar.

While the increase in cases appeared to coincide with the resumption of school and college students’ return to campus, more recent data suggests that may not be the primary cause of the surge. 

A report from Louisiana health officials this week cast strong doubt a strong link between in-classroom school and the increase in cases. The report said the spread of the virus is more closely tied to extracurricular activities and not classroom time.

Letting down their guard

Butler believes it’s more a matter of Americans letting down their guard, deciding to get back to a “normal” life. Things that might seem safe, he says, aren’t.

"Smaller, more intimate gatherings with family, friends, and neighbors may be driving infections," Butler said. "We get tired of wearing masks, but it continues to be as important as it's ever been." 

At the same time, Redfield said the current 14-day quarantine period mandated by the CDC, for someone who may have been exposed to the virus, may be excessive. He said CDC is exploring the option of reducing the quarantine period to 10 days.

The health officials did not have any new information on when a coronavirus vaccine may be ready for distribution under emergency use authorization (EUA). Independently, pharmaceutical firms Pfizer and Moderna have said their vaccine candidates could be ready by late November or early December.

There are certain brands that have not only gained consumer trust over the years but have proven they can influence consumer behavior.

Harte Hanks, a commercial data analytics firm, has ranked those companies on their ability to help consumers make decisions and guide their actions. At the top of the list is Google, a search giant that has recently become a target of a Justice Department antitrust suit.

The rankings include retailers, electronics firms, and financial companies. Gretchen Ramsey, chief strategy officer at Harte Hanks, says the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has helped shape the list, noting the inclusion of Teledoc, a video service that has been widely used since March.

"The brands topping our list are the most successful in maintaining influence in people's lives during this time, and they are doing it in ways that will likely have a long-term impact after this culture-reshaping year," Ramsey said.

Top 15 brands

Here is how Harte Hanks ranks the top 15 “most motivating” brands. By clicking on the links, you can see how ConsumerAffairs readers rate them.

1. Google

2. Amazon

3. Samsung

4. Disney

5. Dove

6. Target

7. Nike

8. Paypal

9. Home Depot

10. Apple

11. Sony

12. Teladoc

13. LG

14. Visa

15. Headspace

Empathy a critical measure

The company said the ranking was determined using a proprietary methodology that evaluates brands on a set of drivers critical to empathy – or, the act of showing consumers that they are being listened to and understood.

Google earned the top spot because it ranked highest on a number of drivers, including creativity and cultural relevance. Amazon earned its second spot based on its reliability. It also scored high in areas such as responsiveness and relevance. 

Apple’s 10th place showing had a lot to do with its very high “action” total score. Dove, a soap and beauty products manufacturer, ranked highest on total empathy.

Sunsprout Natural Foods is recalling its own brand of Micro – Greens, Alfalfa & Onion and Alfalfa & Radish.

The products may be contaminated with Salmonella

One outbreak of human illness is under investigtion.

A list of the recalled products, sold in retail stores in Canada's Ontario province, may be found here.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them, but discard or return them to the place of purchase.

Ford Motor Company is recalling about 3,500 model year 2019-20 Transit Connect vehicles with the 2.5-liter engine.

The software calibration for the engine failsafe cooling strategy contains temperature threshold values that are higher than intended.

In the event of elevated engine temperatures due to coolant loss, there will be a delay in vehicles invoking the failsafe cooling strategy, resulting in engine temperatures exceeding critical limits.

Under severe cases, running the engine at temperatures above critical limits for prolonged periods of time could result in engine damage and increase the risk of fire.

What to do

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the powertrain control module.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S60.

The Justice Department on Wednesday announced a new settlement with Purdue Pharma over its problematic marketing of opioid medications. 

Purdue Pharma, the company that makes Oxycontin, has for years been accused by federal officials of helping to fuel the nation’s opioid epidemic through its aggressive marketing tactics. To date, the opioid crisis has claimed the lives of more than 232,000 Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Under the deal unveiled Wednesday, Purdue will plead guilty to three crimes. Purdue’s charges include violating federal anti-kickback laws and conspiring to defraud the United States.

Purdue will admit that it deliberately hampered the efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration by claiming that it had maintained a program to avoid drug diversion and by reporting misleading information to the agency. 

The company will also admit that it knowingly broke the law by conspiring with others to “aid and abet” the dispensing of Oxycontin and other addictive opioids from doctors "without a legitimate medical purpose,” leading to the medications falling into the hands of abusers. 

Massive settlement

The settlement won’t result in any jail time for the company’s executives or its owners, the Sackler family. A criminal investigation into the owners is still being carried out separately.

The Justice Department says a large amount of money from the $8.3 billion settlement will go toward helping states and communities deal with the effects of the opioid epidemic. The deal will provide communities with "extraordinary new resources" to help treat those suffering from addiction to pain medication. 

In a statement, Purdue chairman Steve Miller said his company “deeply regrets and accepts responsibility for the misconduct detailed by the Department of Justice in the agreed statement of facts.” 

“Purdue today is a very different company,” Miller added. 

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 8,277,961 (8,224,396)

Total U.S. deaths: 221,150 (220,338 )

Total global cases: 40,914,651 (40,514,091)

Total global deaths: 1,126,562 (1,120,003)

Survey suggests less-crowded stores on Black Friday

Retailers have adapted to the coronavirus (COVID-19) when it comes to holiday shopping, planning more sales events before Black Friday and conducting them online. That might be a good thing since a new survey from KPMG suggests stores likely won’t be that crowded on the day after Thanksgiving.

The survey found that 41 percent of consumers plan to stay home on Black Friday and do their shopping online -- and when they do spend, they’re likely to spend less.

"Faced with considerable uncertainty and reduced household income, consumers are spending less this holiday season, focusing on essential purchases for the home and gifts for close family members," said Scott Rankin, national advisory leader, Consumer & Retail, KPMG. "Retail customers are forming new shopping habits, which are expected to continue into 2021 and beyond."

Tool predicts who is most at risk from COVID-19

Researchers in the UK have developed a tool that can predict who is at the highest risk of getting the worst symptoms of the coronavirus. Writing in BMJ, a British medical journal, the scientists from King’s College said they found the people identified as most at-risk accounted for 75 percent of the deaths in the test group.

"The tool provides nuanced information on people's risk of serious illness due to Covid-19 and is designed for use by clinicians with patients to reach a shared understanding of risk," the authors wrote.

The researchers said the tool could prove valuable as Europe and the U.S. contend with the second wave of the virus. The tool could help show which part of the population needs to take extra precautions to avoid infection, as well as identify those most likely to need hospitalization once they become infected. 

McConnell casts doubt on new round of stimulus

The assumption all along has been that a new COVID-19 relief bill will be up to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the Trump administration. Pelosi has held hours of negotiations with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in an effort to reach a compromise bill that can pass before the Nov. 3 election.

But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has reportedly warned the White House not to send a bill to the Senate, saying many Republicans would probably vote against it. 

NBC News reports McConnell told his fellow GOP lawmakers in a closed-door session that the package is too large and complex to digest for a vote before lawmakers return home to campaign. He reportedly said any aid bill should wait until after the election.

New York transit workers hard hit by the virus

In the second wave of the coronavirus, people who can’t work from home and who deliver essential services have been more likely to get infected. A survey of New York City’s transit workers found that 24 percent reported having contracted COVID-19 and 90 percent fear getting sick at work. 

The study shows the risk was present right from the start. In the early days of the pandemic, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) continued service to ensure that health care workers, grocery and delivery workers, and other essential employees could continue to get to work.

“Through gaining a deeper understanding of how COVID-19 has impacted transit workers’ health and quality of life, we can determine how to best support them and protect them moving forward,” said Robyn Gershon, clinical professor of epidemiology at NYU School of Global Public Health, who led the research project.

Population density determined how people responded to COVID-19

In March and April, people responded to quarantines and shutdown orders in different ways. A new study from Johns Hopkins University shows people in high population density areas responded differently than people in less densely populated areas.

In areas of dense population, the researchers found that people cut out visits to grocery stores, pharmacies, and transit stations. However, they did not reduce their visits to parks and beaches.

In part, they say that could be because urban dwellers had better access to home delivery services. They also suggest that park and beach visits may not have declined because they were allowable under many stay-at-home mandates, may have been important in reducing stress amid the pandemic, and may also have been widely perceived as low risk.

Around the nation

• Minnesota: State health officials report 1,129 new cases of COVID-19 and seven deaths from the disease. But more concerning is the steady rise in hospitalizations. There were 126 hospital admissions Tuesday, a new single-day high. 

• North Carolina: Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris has rescheduled her campaign stops which were canceled last week after a staffer tested positive for the virus. The California senator will make stops in Asheville and Charlotte.

• Iowa: Iowa’s surge in coronavirus cases has been fueled primarily by infections in three counties, according to the White House Coronavirus Taskforce. The report shows that Polk County, Woodbury County, and Dubuque County had the highest rates for new cases during their reporting period, representing a total of 22.6 percent of the state’s overall 7,512 new cases.

United Airlines is keeping its foot on the safe-to-fly accelerator with the trial of a “COVID passport.” 

The airline announced on Wednesday that it plans to try out a digital health pass as part of a pilot program that it hopes will speed up a safer opening of its international routes’ borders, as well as get more travelers feeling confident about global travel.

The move follows the airline’s recent move of giving passengers rapid COVID-19 tests. Cathay Pacific is also reported to be engaging with a set of volunteers to test this on certain flights in its route network. 

Say hello to CommonPass

United’s effort will use the backbone of the CommonPass system, “a secure and verifiable way to document” a traveler’s health status as they move from country to country. The advantage that CommonPass will bring United is that it cuts time and red tape in having to prove a passenger’s wellbeing. Not only can the system work for airlines and immigration screening, but airports and other travel industry stakeholders as well.

In United’s first trial with CommonPass on Wednesday, volunteer passengers on a flight from London’s Heathrow airport to Newark Liberty in New Jersey who had taken a coronavirus test from a certified lab at least 72 hours prior to traveling, logged those results on the CommonPass app on their smartphones.

Those passengers were also asked to use the app for other screening measures like a health declaration the country they’re flying into might require. Once a passenger has completed all the necessary data, the app creates a unique code that United staffers and border officials can scan and verify.

United’s also going the extra mile to make sure its efforts are observed and chronicled. It says that both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will be waiting for passengers when the flight lands at Newark.

Not a silver bullet

Thomas Crampton, chief marketing and communications officer for the Commons Project, told MarketWatch that many of the required COVID-19 test results are shared on printed paper from unestablished labs and written in languages foreign to the people in charge of inspecting and verifying the results. 

“Today we demonstrate that you can document COVID status in a certified manner across international borders in a privacy-preserving manner,” Crampton said.

But one analyst is skeptical about posturing the CommonPass app as a silver bullet -- at least for now. Sandy Morris, equity analyst at Jefferies, said neither COVID testing nor vaccines are a perfect solution. 

“However, the combination of rapid testing, vaccines and the CommonPass digital health pass could offer a way forward,” Morris said. “The open question is how fast a digital solution like CommonPass can be deployed. Our guess is it will be rapid.”

CommonPass said that if its trials work out as they hope, it will go for full scale deployment of the framework at the beginning of 2021 with more airlines and more international routes. 

When the new iPhone 12 hits the streets on October 23, it will be met with a throng of consumers wanting to take one home. 

According to WalletHub’s new 2020 iPhone Survey, 44 percent more Americans are planning to buy a new iPhone compared to 2019 -- and 73 percent more think the new iPhone is worth going into debt for.

Finding the perfect plan for each and every consumer’s pocketbook can be a maddening experience. But the personal finance website found that consumers who spend a little time researching all the plan variations can actually save $933 (or $2,280 over two years), simply by picking the right one.

The best plans

Using its own cell phone calculator, WalletHub did a fair amount of number crunching on what special plans and bonuses providers are dangling in front of a consumer. Here are two of the more impressive differentiators:

• The best way to get the new iPhone: WalletHub found that the no-contract individual plan from Visible is the best way to get the new iPhone, beating plans from all three major carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile/Sprint, Verizon).

• Bonus savings: For even more savings, WalletHub’s advice is to keep your old phone. Individuals can save up to $1,690 and families can save up to $2,663.

Words of caution

WalletHub asked technology watchers about some of the pitfalls that consumers should take into consideration when buying a new phone. Here are two that ConsumerAffairs found to be particularly interesting:

How much cheaper must a 2-year agreement be for a cell phone user to sacrifice the flexibility of not having a contract?

“With a 2-year plan, the consumer loses flexibility, for example, in terms of cell phone service plans. The contract may dictate a plan which they wouldn't otherwise choose,” said Qihong Liu, Ph.D., a professor of Economics at the University of Oklahoma.

Liu went on to say that the benefits will likely vary from consumer to consumer. 

“Some choose the contract because they get to have the latest phone without paying the whole cost right away. Others like the contract because it is cheaper,” Liu said. 

To what extent does the secondary market for cell phones (e.g. eBay) alter the price comparison for no-contract plans?

When that question was put to Hemant Bhargava, Ph.D., a professor of Technology Management at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, he had this to say: “Contract plans that provide (or force) a smartphone usually have a price premium to cover the seller’s risk of giving you the phone upfront. So, you’re better off if you can bring your own phone - even if you buy from a secondary source like eBay.”

Rather than worrying about the authenticity and quality of the phone, Bhargava suggests that consumers look for a reliable seller with a high rating history and good reputation. 

“Alternately, there are very high-quality budget phones that cost the same as a used flagship phone and will be just fine for most buyers,” he concluded.

If you’ve been a regular ride-sharing customer now thinking about buying your own car, you could be part of a trend that is pumping new life into the auto industry.

Just months ago, the idea of personal car ownership seemed as quaint as watching movies on a VCR. But as the coronavirus (COVID-19) shut down the economy and instituted social distancing as standard practice, new and used car sales surged.

AutoNation, the nation’s largest dealership group, reported adjusted third-quarter profits of $2.38 a share, an increase of 102 percent compared to the third-quarter of 2019 and an all-time record.

CEO Mike Jackson says there is little doubt that the pandemic has changed the environment, most likely for the foreseeable future.

“I think this pandemic/shelter in place has shifted the American psyche in a long-term way,” Jackson told CNBC. “Coming out of the lockdowns, they said, ’So much for sharing everything.’”

Meaning consumers who felt they could get along just fine without owning a car now see the advantage of having their own wheels. 

Demand rising in all price ranges

Jackson says AutoNation is seeing rising demand for all types of vehicles at all prices. He said sales have also been boosted by “incredibly low” interest rates, meaning consumers can qualify for a more expensive vehicle than they might have at a higher rate.

Because inventory levels have been low since auto plants shut down for several weeks during the spring, dealers have had more pricing power and offered fewer incentives. As a result, consumers are paying more for the cars they’re buying.

Earlier this month, Kelley Blue Book (KBB) reported that the average transaction price (ATP) for a new vehicle last month was $38,723, up 2.5 percent over September 2019.

More profitable

At the same time, car dealers are finding the new ways of selling cars, through online transactions and at-home test drives, increasing efficiency and raising profit margins.

AutoNation reports third-quarter same-store gross profit totaled $972 million, an increase of 11 percent compared to the same period a year ago.

None of this is good news for the ride-sharing industry. A CarGurus survey conducted early in the pandemic found an immediate sharp decline in the number of consumers planning to use a ride-sharing service. 

It found that 40 percent of consumers wanted to use rideshares less or not at all, while 49 percent said they would instead use their own vehicle.

A healthy diet and regular exercise are key ingredients to a healthy lifestyle, and now researchers are exploring both the mental and physical health benefits associated with these habits. 

According to a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, following an exercise and nutrition regimen can have countless positive benefits for consumers’ physical and cognitive health. 

“Our work motivates the design of novel multimodal interventions that incorporate both aerobic fitness training and nutritional supplementation, and illustrates that their benefits extend beyond improvements in physical fitness to enhance multiple measures of cognitive function,” said researcher Aron Barbey. 

Adopting healthy habits

For this 12-week study, the researchers had 148 active members of the Air Force participate in a rigorous exercise program. While all of the participants followed the same workout routine over the course of the study, half of the group received a nutritional beverage daily and the other half received a placebo drink with no added nutritional benefits. 

At the end of the study, it was clear that just following this exercise program was beneficial for the participants. The researchers observed improvements to both physical and mental health, as participants had lower resting heart rates and lower body fat percentage, as well as better memory and problem-solving abilities. 

“The exercise intervention alone improved strength and endurance, mobility and stability, and participants also saw increases in several measures of cognitive function,” Barbey said. “They had better episodic memory and processed information more efficiently at the end of the 12 weeks. And they did better on tests that required them to solve problems they had never encountered before, an aptitude called fluid intelligence.” 

However, the real benefits came for those who were exercising and consuming the nutritional beverage each day. According to the researchers, the drink was packed with protein, several different vitamins, omega-3s, and a variety of other nutrients, and this combination was what led to even greater mental and physical health benefits for the participants. 

“Those who consumed the nutritional supplement saw all of these improvements and more,” Barbey said. “For example, they were better able to retain new information in their working memory and had quicker responses on tests of fluid intelligence than those taking the placebo.” 

The researchers hope that these findings demonstrate just how beneficial it can be for consumers to adopt healthy habits, as there is great opportunity to improve physical health and strengthen cognitive abilities. 

Sitting for long periods of time has been found to negatively affect consumers’ mental and physical well-being, and now a new study is exploring how spending meaningful time sitting down could actually benefit older consumers’ cognitive function. 

According to a new study conducted by researchers from Colorado State University, physical activity is important for older consumers’ overall wellness. However, periods of sitting aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Their study suggests that keeping the mind active, even while sitting down, can lead to strong cognitive abilities. 

“We know that as we grow older, even if we do not have any cognitive impairments, people aged 60 and up already show some decreases in speed, executive functioning, and memory,” said researcher Aga Burzynska. “Those decreases are totally within a normal range, but this study was looking to understand how our behaviors and habits may correlate with cognitive outcomes in older age.” 

Staying mentally sharp

The researchers had 228 participants between the ages of 60 and 80 participate in the study. For seven days, participants wore hip sensors that measured their physical activity and sedentariness, after which they completed cognitive assessments that evaluated 16 different skills, including memory, vocabulary knowledge, and reasoning, among several others.

Ultimately, the researchers learned that the participants were spending on average less than three percent of their time engaging in even moderate levels of physical activity. However, this wasn’t linked with poorer outcomes on the cognitive assessments. 

The study revealed that those who were more active had sharpened different skills than those who were more sedentary. Scores on general knowledge and vocabulary were higher for those who spent more time sitting, whereas skills like problem solving and reasoning were higher for those who regularly exercised. 

“There’s this big push within health and wellness that sitting is always bad for your body, that being a couch potato is not good,” said Burzynska. “And although our earlier studies indicated that the brains of those who spend more time sitting may age faster, it seems that on the cognitive level, sitting time may also be meaningful.” 

While the researchers aren’t encouraging consumers to spend more time on the couch, they do hope that these findings inspire older consumers to make the most of their sedentary time. Exercise is important, but engaging in activities while sitting down can help boost cognitive function into older age. 

“I don’t think I would in any way suggest that we should engage in more sitting, but I think trying to be as physically active as possible and making sure that you get stimulated in your sedentary time -- that it’s not just spent staring at the TV -- that this combination might be the best way to take care of your brain,” said Burzynska. “I hope it sends some positive message for those of us who have limited opportunities to exercise during the pandemic.” 

Amazon has expanded its one-hour pickup to all 487 Whole Foods Market stores in the U.S. The service is free for Amazon Prime members who submit orders of $35 or more.

The company says there’s little doubt that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the popularity of online grocery ordering and curbside pickup. Company executives say they expect this mode of shopping to become a permanent solution for many customers.

“In fact, more than 40 percent of Whole Foods Market pickup orders each month are from customers trying the service for the first time, the company wrote on its blog. “And, according to recent data from Global Data Research, almost 68 percent of consumers say they will continue to use curbside pickup even when the pandemic has subsided.”

Here’s how it works

Prime members can submit an order using the Amazon app or by visiting www.amazon.com, clicking the Whole Foods Market tab, selecting a pickup store, and selecting items.

When they’re ready to checkout, they can select a one-hour pickup window that works for them and place their order. 

When they’re ready to pick up their order, they check-in using the Amazon app to let store employees know they’re on their way. Amazon says the majority of customers who check-in using the Amazon App before arriving at the store wait just one minute to receive their orders after arriving. 

Becoming an industry norm

Curbside grocery pickup is fast becoming an industry norm. In June, Target announced an expansion of its pickup service, adding fresh and frozen grocery items that can be picked up at over 400 target stores.

The new additions include 750 items across produce, dairy, bakery, meat, and frozen products -- items like milk, bread, eggs, and ice cream, along with previously available staples.

Walmart also offers curbside grocery pickup, allowing customers to shop online and select the time they want to pick up their items. 

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel says her office is receiving reports of scammers posing as delivery companies seeking to steal personal information through phishing texts.

The scam isn’t exactly new -- few scams are -- but it’s getting new life since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led to a surge in online shopping. With the holidays approaching, Nessel says consumers everywhere should remain vigilant.

“What we know for certain is that bad actors will stop at nothing to obtain our personal information, and it is important that we all stay on alert,” said Nessel. “If you are expecting a package and you receive a text message from an unrecognizable number, independently verify the origin first. Contact the company you purchased from or the individual who sent you the package.”

What you should not do is click on the link in one of these phony text messages. Doing so could allow scammers to download malware onto your phone, or to trick you into entering passwords, credit card details, or other personal information that can be used to commit fraud.  

What to look for

The recent text messages use similar language and look like this: Nessel provided this example of what some of the fake text messages look like:

“FedEx: shipment 71206 update: on the way.  Click here: c7fsvinfo/oToaiibv6A.  (using different numbers and links in the message)”

Others are even more dangerous, addressing the potential victim by name, making it appear to be a legitimate message. Here’s an example” 

“Jessica, urgent notice about your USPS package 3K9355 from 04/10/2020.  Proceed to m4svk.info/UENAnGm4zh” 

If your name is Jessica and you happen to be expecting a USPS delivery you might instinctively click on the link. Nessel says that would be a big mistake.

Instead, she suggests calling the delivery company directly if you think it might be real using a telephone number that you look up yourself. Once you verify that the message is fake, Nessel says you should delete it and block the number.

Both Lowe’s and The Home Depot have enjoyed strong sales and remodeling contractors have been busy during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. With millions of Americans spending a lot more time at home, it’s not unreasonable to think that many would see things they want to change.

A new study from Sears Home Services largely confirms the trend, finding that a significant percentage of people have become less satisfied with their homes in recent months. The survey found that the size of the home influences the amount of dissatisfaction.

For example, 50 percent of people in one bedroom homes say they’re dissatisfied while only 37 percent of those living in a four-bedroom home feel that way.

Children are also a factor, with 47 percent of households with children express discontent with where they live compared to 37 percent in households without children.

“There’s a sense of feeling ‘trapped’ when it’s required to remain inside; we’re missing the venues we used to frequent and perhaps noticing additional flaws of the home while spending more time there,” the authors write.

It’s one of the reasons real estate professionals cite for a spike in home sales over the summer, with employees who can now work from anywhere moving to more affordable housing markets and seeking more room.

Common improvements

Those who aren’t moving are making improvements, everything from applying a fresh coat of paint to adding a room. The study found that since the pandemic began, the most common home improvement has been setting up a home gym, followed closely by turning a room into a home office.

Setting up a gaming space, a home theater, library or reading room, and expanding the kitchen have also been common home improvements.

“With much of the world spending a highly unusual amount of time at home, we’re finding the things we want to improve but also benefiting more from those improvements,” the authors conclude. “We may want to consider that we’re in this new lifestyle for the long haul, and it’s time to make the most of it.”

While a thoughtful home improvement can improve your lifestyle and add value to your home, it’s important to avoid mistakes. One of the biggest mistakes is trying to turn a project that requires a professional into a do-it-yourself (DIY) project.

A previous Sears Home Services survey found that among consumers experiencing a DIY mishap, the biggest reasons for their headaches were underestimating the time a project would take and not realizing they lacked the skills required to complete it.

Kootenay Co-op is recalling its house brand beef sausages and burgers.

The products may contain pieces of pieces of metal and plastic.

There have been no reported injuries to date.

A list of the recalled products, sold in the Canadian province of British Columbia, may be found here.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them, but discard or return them to the store where purchased.

Consumers with questions may contact Kootenay Co-op at (250) 354-4077, Ext 124.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued its annual report to Congress on the scams that seniors most frequently report falling victim to and the efforts the agency is taking to protect older consumers from fraud and abuse. In the report, the FTC said adults aged 60 and older were more likely to report losing money to certain specific types of scams. 

The scams older consumers most commonly reported losing money to included romance scams and imposter scams, a type of fraud in which someone impersonates a friend or family member in order to get money. Online shopping scams were also highly reported among older adults.

Seniors were more than six times more likely than younger consumers to report losing money to tech support scams, according to the report. They were also three times more likely to report losses due to prize, sweepstakes, and lottery scams. 

The FTC’s analysis found that adults over 60 lost substantial amounts of money due to these scams. Romance scams resulted in the loss of $84 million among older consumers, while imposter scams accounted for $61 million in losses. Prizes, sweepstakes, and lottery scams resulted in $51 million in losses.

Protecting older consumers

In a separate statement, Commissioner Rohit Chopra said the agency’s analysis suggests the need for two key actions.

“In my view, this report suggests that the Commission should consider two shifts in strategy to better protect older Americans and other consumers from fraud,” Chopra said. He also recommended that the agency focus on cracking down on “established corporate actors that facilitate and profit from fraud.” 

Chopra also urged the agency to examine whether its involvement with law enforcement is enough to prevent misconduct and “deter fraud in the first place.” To achieve the latter, Chopra says the FTC “should consider increasing deterrence and consumer recoveries by restating existing legal precedent through rulemaking.” 

The FTC has launched a program called the “Pass It On” campaign, which aims to protect older consumers from fraud by arming them with information and tips. On its website, the agency provides information on a range of scams currently in existence and offers recommendations on how to avoid falling victim to each type of scam.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 8,224,396 (8,160,132)

Total U.S. deaths: 220,338 (219,765)

Total global cases: 40,514,091 (40,155,883)

Total global deaths: 1,120,003 (1,115,079)

Moderna hopeful for vaccine availability in December

Moderna could join Pfizer as the companies with the first available coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines. Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel, speaking at an event sponsored by The Wall Street Journal, said the U.S. government could authorize emergency use of the company’s experimental vaccine in December.

That all depends, he said, on the company getting positive results next month from a large clinical trial that is nearing completion. If it takes longer to get those results, he says the emergency use authorization (EUA) could slip to early 2021.

Pfizer, meanwhile, is on record as saying it expects to seek EUA for its experimental vaccine before the end of November. An EUA would allow the use of the drug pending final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Will COVID-19 be a seasonal illness like the flu?

The coronavirus may become a permanent health care issue that must be dealt with on a seasonal basis, just like the flu. That’s the assessment from Patrick Vallance, the UK’s chief health advisor. 

“We can’t be certain, but I think it’s unlikely we will end up with a truly sterilizing vaccine, (that is) something that completely stops infection, and it’s likely this disease will circulate and be endemic, that’s my best assessment,” Vallance told British officials this week.

He noted that there has only been one disease -- smallpox -- that scientists have been able to eradicate with the use of a vaccine.

The coronavirus won’t stop holiday spending

Shoppers may be a bit more cautious this holiday season, but analysts at Deloitte predict COVID-19 won’t wipe out holiday spending in 2020, though it will be down from last year.

Deloitte expects the average household to spend $1,387, down 7 percent from 2019. At the same time, consumers will probably spend less on gifts and more on celebrations at home -- an increase of 12 percent.

The big loss this year will be in spending on parties and holiday travel. Deloitte predicts spending on those combined categories will decline 34 percent over last year.

Lidl installing advanced air filters in its stores

In another sign that businesses expect the coronavirus could become a permanent threat, supermarket chain Lidl said it is installing hospital-grade ventilation systems in its stores. The new air filters will be installed by the end of the year, the company said.

Lidl cited health and industry leaders as saying the air filters, rated MERV 13 or higher, help filter out COVID-19. 

"Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have worked diligently to protect the health of everyone in our stores by meeting or exceeding CDC guidelines, and this measure to create cleaner, healthier air is no different," said Johannes Fieber, CEO of Lidl US. "Customers and team members in Lidl stores can breathe easier knowing we have an added layer of protection against COVID-19."

July death on jet now attributed to the virus

In July, a Texas woman in her 30s died aboard a jetliner on the runway in Arizona. Officials confirmed this week that her cause of death was COVID-19. 

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth that he had been told the woman suffered an attack on board the aircraft, making it difficult for her to breathe. He said they tried to give her oxygen but to no avail.

The woman, who lived in the Dallas suburb of Garland, reportedly suffered from underlying health conditions. 

Around the nation

• Illinois: A sudden rise in cases across wide areas of the state has renewed discussions of reimposing certain restrictions in hard-hit areas. The Illinois Department of Public Health reports that the total number of COVID-19 cases in Illinois now stands at 347,161, with 9,236 deaths.

• Florida: The rise in coronavirus cases in South Florida is being traced to private and public schools in the region. The Broward County Schools dashboard shows 20 recent cases and 61 in the last 30 days. At the same time, Miami-Dade County is reporting 77 cases. 

• Arizona: Besides the human toll the coronavirus has taken, Arizona tourism officials say businesses dependent on tourists have been hit especially hard. The state lost $9 billion in visitor spending during the first six months of 2020, with more than 150,000 hospitality jobs lost. Tourism industry leaders say it could get worse before it gets better.