Current Events in October 2020

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 7,811,401 (7,772,099)

Total U.S. deaths: 215,251 (214,882)

Total global cases: 37,894,452 (37,614,668)

Total global deaths: 1,082,201 (1,078,274)

Dr. Fauci: ‘we’re in a bad place’

The coronavirus numbers are not looking good, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. Cases are rising quickly in most areas of the country, with many sick people requiring hospitalization.

“That’s a bad place to be when you’re going into the cooler weather of the fall and the colder weather of the winter,” Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), told CNBC. “We’re in a bad place now. We’ve got to turn this around.”

The U.S. has recorded nearly 50,000 cases a day over the last seven days. That’s 14 percent higher than the previous week’s infection rate.

Nevada man got COVID-19 twice

A 25-year old Nevada man who was diagnosed with COVID-19 earlier this year has become the first person in the U.S. to be diagnosed with the virus a second time. Most people who have been infected are believed to have an immunity to the disease.

The case, written up in the medical journal The Lancet, said the man originally fell ill in late March. After recovering, he took tests which showed he no longer had the virus.

He took a test again after he got sick in June, and the results came back positive. The symptoms were described as more serious the second time.

Study finds most patients recover at home

Researchers writing in the Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians say the overwhelming majority of patients treated for COVID-19 symptoms in the Cedars-Sinai ER are sent home, and they tend to recover within a week.

The study also found that none of those patients died from the virus, and less than 1 percent of them required intensive care.

"When the pandemic began there was minimal evidence to guide us as to who should be hospitalized and who could be sent home," said Dr. Sam Torbati, MD, co-chair and medical director of the Ruth and Harry Roman Emergency Department at Cedars-Sinai. "In real time, we began developing our criteria for who needed hospitalization for monitoring, intensive care, and who could recover at home. And this study shows our patients received the appropriate level of care."

Johnson & Johnson halts vaccine trial

Johnson & Johnson has temporarily stopped a clinical trial for its coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine candidate after one of the participants became ill. The company says the illness was unexplained.

“We’re letting safety protocol follow proper procedure here,” Joseph Wolk, the company’s chief financial officer, told CNBC. Wolk said pauses in trials are “not uncommon,” especially in a test involving 60,000 people.

About a month ago, AstraZeneca briefly halted the clinical trial for its vaccine for a similar reason. It has since resumed testing the drug.

Invention constantly disinfects surfaces

As we reported Monday, a study has shown that the coronavirus can live on surfaces for nearly a month. A new invention is said to be able to constantly disinfect those surfaces.

It applies plasma to frequently touched items for continuous disinfection and could provide a non-chemical way to reduce pathogens on various surfaces such as keypads, escalator handrails, and other high-touch surfaces.

The invention, a product of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), provides “cold” plasma, or room-temperature plasma, from different positional orientations. Researchers say the device would keep surfaces disinfected without the need to use hand sanitizer, sprays, ultraviolet light, or other liquid or chemical-based solutions.

Around the nation

• New Jersey: Gov. Phil Murphy has signed an order allowing some indoor sports to resume, with restrictions. The sports include hockey, basketball, cheerleading, group dance, rugby, boxing, judo, karate, taekwondo, and wrestling.

• California: The state has relaxed some restrictions on neighborhood gatherings. Up to three households can now socialize outdoors as long as they wear masks and follow other virus mitigation measures.

• Iowa: The state has recorded at least 1,300 new cases of COVID-19 for four straight days, and it has now exceeded 100,000 cases overall. Iowa has the fourth-highest infection rate in the nation.

As experts continue to conduct trials for a COVID-19 vaccine, a new study conducted by researchers from Brigham Young University is gauging consumers’ readiness to take one of these treatments. 

Though the majority of consumers are supportive of a vaccine, the study findings suggest that experts need to be more vocal about the specifics to ease some of the public’s concerns. 

“Messages promoting the COVID-19 vaccine need to alleviate the concerns of those who are already vaccine-hesitant,” said researcher Brian Poole. “Vaccine hesitancy is growing and the World Health Organization has already deemed it one of the top threats to global health.” 

Consumers feel hesitant about a vaccine

The researchers surveyed 316 people and asked them to report on several measures that gauged their attitudes on vaccines more generally and within the scope of the pandemic. Their work revealed that nearly 70 percent of the survey respondents were in favor of a COVID-19 vaccine, though many expressed concerns about general vaccine-related fears, including potential side effects and overall effectiveness. 

The researchers explained that these results were consistent with the participants’ beliefs about vaccines more generally, as those who were pro-vaccine were more likely to be in favor of a coronavirus vaccine.

Any hesitancy that participants felt tended to come from ambiguity about the particulars of the vaccine, including the testing process. Many of the participants said they wouldn’t feel comfortable getting a COVID-19 vaccine until more long-term testing has been completed. To help alleviate some of these concerns, the researchers are calling for clearer messaging to consumers about the full spectrum of the vaccine process. 

“Public health messaging regarding COVID-19 vaccination should be less about the individual need for vaccination and more about the country and how to get it back to where it needs to be,” said Poole. 

Importance of being clear

Now that the researchers have identified what aspects of a COVID-19 vaccine are troubling to consumers, they hope that future communications will be better tailored to ease those concerns. 

“It is critical that we understand the potential barriers to vaccine uptake prior to the release of a COVID vaccine,” said researcher Jamie Jensen. “By understanding these barriers, we can design publicity strategies that will speak directly to the potential issues and hopefully get out ahead of any public dissent. With a vaccine being the most powerful weapon we have to end this global pandemic, the knowledge from this study is absolutely critical.” 

How bad have things gotten for the movie industry? So bad that AMC Theatres, the planet’s biggest movie chain, says it could completely run out of money by the end of the year. 

Early Tuesday, the company said that its cash on hand would be "largely depleted" by the end of 2020 or early 2021. It noted two reasons for that, including a "reduced movie slate for the fourth quarter" and "the absence of significant increases in attendance from current levels."

Holding out hope

Despite the dire picture and the misfortune of other movie chains, AMC thinks it has two ways out of its money problem. If more customers started buying tickets, that would help. So would finding new ways to borrow money.

However, the film industry isn’t helping to make that first wish happen. As an example, Sony Pictures said it’s not releasing movies that it thinks have big box office appeal -- like ‘Morbius’ and ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ -- until the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is over. Other filmmakers are following suit, pushing films like Marvel's "Black Widow" and the new James Bond "No Time to Die" to 2021. 

Over at Universal, company brass have decided to take an alternate route of skipping coronavirus-shuttered theatres altogether by going direct to digital. That move paid off handsomely, with ‘Trolls: The World Tour’ raking in nearly $100 million in three weeks. Pixar also went the digital route, pulling "Soul" from theaters to debut on Disney's streaming service Disney+.

It can’t be said that AMC hasn’t tried to find something that works. Earlier this year, it reopened some of its theatres with a 15-cent ticket deal. After Universal did its end-around with ‘Trolls,’ AMC struck a deal with the film company that drastically shortened the length of time that films have to play in theaters before they can be parceled out for on-demand, rental, or for sale. That was apparently nothing more than a band-aid when the chain needed a giant tourniquet.

For the moment -- or until cash reserves completely dry up -- AMC is keeping 520 of its 600 locations open. If it can get people back inside, it promises a healthy and safe environment by requiring social distancing and mask wearing all the way up to high tech solutions like electrostatic sprayers, HEPA vacuums, and enhanced air filtration. 

Recovery likely to take time

Because of the health complications associated with drinking alcohol, many recent studies have focused on how college-aged consumers are affected by their drinking habits. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan has found that alcohol use among this age group is much lower than it was roughly 20 years ago. However, they also learned that more young people have started using marijuana in recent years, and it’s also become more common to combine multiple substances. 

“We’re encouraged by the significant decreases in alcohol use disorder -- for both college and non-college students,” said researcher Sean Esteban McCabe. “The prevalence of alcohol use disorder in both groups in 2018 was roughly half of it was in 2002. We are excited to learn about these drops in disordered drinking, as alcohol-related consequences are one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity for young adults.” 

Assessing behaviors of college-aged consumers

The researchers were most interested in understanding how substance use among college-aged consumers, regardless of whether or not they were in school, has changed since the early 2000s. They surveyed over 182,000 people between the ages of 18 and 22 to see their relationships with alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drugs. 

The most positive takeaway from the survey revealed that fewer college-aged consumers are drinking alcohol in excess. Compared to 20 percent of college students who abstained from alcohol in 2002, nearly 30 percent of college students reported abstaining from alcohol in 2018. 

The researchers say more differences arose when they looked at the rate of co-using substances, like mixing alcohol and marijuana or prescription drugs. A higher number of participants reported using multiple substances, which also increased the likelihood of misusing one or more substances. 

“For example, from 2015 to 2018, only 2.5 percent of young adults who abstained from both alcohol and marijuana reported misusing prescription drugs, while 25.1 percent of co-users misused prescription drugs,” said researcher Ty Schepis. “That is a tenfold difference with potentially dangerous consequences.” 

The importance of support and resources 

The researchers expressed concerns about young people using multiple substances, and they hope that support services and other resources become more available to combat this problem. 

“The finding that abstinence is increasing among college students and young adults not in college is very important for U.S. colleges and universities to take into account moving forward,” said McCabe. 

“These findings reinforce the importance of the need to support those young adults in recovery and abstinence for other reasons. There are over 1 million U.S. young adults in recovery and a wide variety of resources are needed to support these individuals.” 

Consumers who take advantage of Amazon’s Prime Day sales this year can expect to find slightly different looking packages on their doorstep. 

Between now and Halloween, Amazon will be shipping out packages with a new eco-friendly design and a picture of a large white pumpkin on the side. Drawing on the pumpkin and scanning the QR code will initiate an augmented reality experience on an accompanying app. 

After pulling up Amazon’s free AR app, “Amazon Augmented Reality,” consumers can scan the QR code near the pumpkin they customized. Doing so will activate an “interactive, shareable, augmented reality experience,” Amazon said. 

The new boxes are meant to draw attention to the company’s eco-friendly initiatives. 

More sustainable packaging

Aware of the impact its cardboard boxes have on the environment, Amazon has established an 85-person team that focuses on improving package design with the aim of reducing its environmental impact. 

The boxes are made using less material as part of Amazon’s “Less Packaging, More Smiles” campaign. The addition of the white pumpkin is meant to give consumers a fun experience before they recycle the box. 

"The new experience is a low-cost way for customers to celebrate and a fun way to reuse boxes before dropping them in the recycling bin," Amazon said in a statement. 

Amazon’s new AR app is currently available as a free download on iOS and Android.

Johnson & Johnson has paused its trial of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine following an unexplained adverse health event experienced by one of its participants. 

The drugmaker didn’t say what the unexplained illness was out of respect for the patient’s privacy. However, the company said it adheres to guidelines which specify that trials must be halted if a serious reaction occurs that could potentially be related to the vaccine. 

The company said Monday that the participant’s illness is “being reviewed and evaluated.” 

"Adverse events -- illnesses, accidents, etc. -- even those that are serious, are an expected part of any clinical study, especially large studies,” Johnson & Johnson said. 

"Based on our strong commitment to safety, all clinical studies conducted by the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson have prespecified guidelines. These ensure our studies may be paused if an unexpected serious adverse event (SAE) that might be related to a vaccine or study drug is reported, so there can be a careful review of all of the medical information before deciding whether to restart the study," the company said.

Pausing the clinical trial

Johnson & Johnson added that it’s learning more about the participant’s illness and that it's “important to have all the facts before we share additional information.” 

"Serious adverse events are not uncommon in clinical trials, and the number of serious adverse events can reasonably be expected to increase in trials involving large numbers of participants. Further, as many trials are placebo-controlled, it is not always immediately apparent whether a participant received a study treatment or a placebo."

The company noted that a “study pause” doesn’t mean that its testing process is over. 

"A study pause, in which recruitment or dosing is paused by the study sponsor, is a standard component of a clinical trial protocol," Johnson & Johnson said.

Kroger has launched a tool powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that answers the question, “What’s for dinner?”

The tool, Chefbot, works in conjunction with Twitter and is designed to help users pair the groceries in their fridge and reduce food waste by providing mealtime inspiration and personalized recommendations.

With more families eating more meals at home during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, pantries and refrigerators tend to get full of overlooked and forgotten items. At some point, these food items get tossed.

The technology behind Chefbot is designed to analyze photographs to recognize nearly 2,000 ingredients and choose from 20,000 Kroger recipes to offer suggestions for using them. According to Kroger, here’s how it works:

• Users take a picture of three ingredients from their refrigerator or pantry

• Using Twitter, they send the photo to @KrogerChefbot

• Chefbot delivers a list of recipe recommendations that use the ingredients

Emphasis on fresh

Mandy Rassi, Kroger's vice president of marketing, says the tool is a result of the company’s brand transformation to emphasize fresh food.

"Chefbot is one of the ways we're delivering on that brand promise by making it even easier for our customers to achieve their meal aspirations, especially as the majority of shoppers are eating meals prepared at home multiple times a day during the pandemic,” Rassi said.

Twitter’s Dennis Bree says millions of consumers use the social media platform in search of recipes and meal planning ideas. He says Kroger’s new tool meets a need created by the pandemic.

“Never has it been more necessary for people to be able to find quick, sustainable, and easy solutions for making meals at home,” he said.

Chefbot was developed in partnership with integrated creative and media agency 360i and technology partners Coffee Labs and Clarifai. As with any new technology there could be some kinks to work out. Kroger said “learned insights will be incorporated into the tool and the recipe search technology will evolve and improve.

An unusually large number of consumers have expressed interest in signing up for a store credit card this holiday shopping season. 

The survey, conducted for CompareCards, found that 44 percent of Americans say they're at least somewhat likely to apply for a store card during the holiday shopping season. That's up from 32 percent in 2019 and 24 percent in 2018.

A store credit card is a Visa or Mastercard that is co-branded with a national retailer. Consumers are often offered a special discount on a purchase if they apply for the card.

The survey authors say the findings are somewhat odd since more than half of people in the survey said they've had a store credit card in the past and have regretted getting one.

What’s changed?

What’s different now? The authors point out that the interest rate on these store-branded credit cards has come down from recent highs, but they’re still higher than the rate on regular credit cards.

Another possible reason for the shift in sentiment could be that more consumers need a credit card. At the beginning of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, credit card issuers unilaterally closed many credit card accounts or lowered credit limits.

A previous CompareCards survey found that about 70 million people – more than one-third of credit cardholders –  involuntarily had a credit limit reduced or a credit card account closed in a 60-day period from mid-May to mid-July.

Lenders moved swiftly to reduce their risk, fearing widespread unemployment would lead to a wave of defaults. It was impossible for them to determine which of their customers had lost their income -- and were thus more likely to default -- and which were still gainfully employed.

Easy to get

Since store-branded credit cards are easier to get -- clerks often try to sign you up in the checkout line -- more consumers may be giving them another look. But their interest rates tend to be on the high side and the rewards are usually less-generous than traditional rewards cards.

Store cards may also look more attractive to consumers than in the past. In addition to slightly lower interest rates, the rewards are getting better.

More retailers are trying to drive spending by creating tiered-rewards programs that let consumers earn rewards faster the more they spend. That’s fine, but remember those higher interest rates. Carrying a balance can wipe out those rewards very quickly.

The survey found that nearly half the people who currently have a store-branded credit card are carrying a high-interest balance. Fifty-nine percent of consumers with a store credit card say it’s the card they use the most.

Seneca Snack Company is recalling Seneca Cinnamon Apple Chips and Clancy’s Cinnamon Apple Chips.

The products may be contaminated with Salmonella.

There are no reports of consumer illness to date.

The following products are being recalled:

• Seneca Cinnamon Apple Chips, 0.7-oz. Package, UPC: 0 18195-70140 4, Individual Package Code 26JUN2021
• Seneca Cinnamon Apple Chips, 2.5-oz. Package, UPC: 0 18195-70100 8, Individual Package Code 28JUN2021
• Clancy’s Cinnamon Apple Chips, 2.5-oz. Package, Individual Package Codes 26JUN2021, 27JUN2021

The Seneca products were sold nationwide through Amazon and Gemline, and the Clancy’s product was sold by ALDI.

What to do

Consumers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them, but return them for a full refund to store where purchased.

Consumers with questions may call Seneca Foods consumer affairs at (800) 872-1110.

We’re only weeks away from a fierce U.S. Presidential election, and various reports are circulating that a group of tech firms have taken down a significant hacking tool being used by Russian attackers. 

Experts say the tool was intended to sway voter opinions or infect computer systems used to maintain voter rolls. Given a chance to run wild, the tool may have been able to report on election-night results or seize computer systems at a scheduled time to sow havoc and doubt.

Leading the charge of the hacker prevention warriors is Microsoft, which announced Monday that it had taken prohibitive actions against Trickbot. Trickbot -- already a longtime Microsoft nuisance -- is a notorious Russian botnet that's infected more than a million computers and has been a leading source behind an endless number of ransomware attacks. 

“We disrupted Trickbot through a court order we obtained as well as technical action we executed in partnership with telecommunications providers around the world,” wrote Tom Burt, Microsoft's Corporate Vice President, Customer Security & Trust. “We have now cut off key infrastructure so those operating Trickbot will no longer be able to initiate new infections or activate ransomware already dropped into computer systems.” 

The court granted Microsoft the permission to disable any IP address or server used by Trickbot, as well as block Trickbot’s owners from buying more servers. 

Trickbot does more than than just mess with elections

On top of Trickbot’s election threat, it’s regarded as a major thorn in the side of financial institutions. Security researchers say the malware has previously been able to reach online banking websites and steal funds from people, banks, payment processors, and credit unions without a consumer ever knowing what happened.

“People are unaware of Trickbot’s activity as the operators have designed it to hide itself,” Burt said. “After Trickbot captures login credentials and personal information, operators use that information to access people’s bank accounts. People experience a normal login process and are typically unaware of the underlying surveillance and theft.”

Election cybersecurity is nothing new, but the idea of this kind of attack brings little comfort now that we’re only weeks away from election day. You might remember when Facebook data collected by Cambridge Analytica was used to promote pro-Trump messaging back in 2016.

Ransomware attacks have been on an upswing over the four years since Trickbot appeared on the scene, targeting everyone from city governments to health care companies like United Health Services and its 400 health care facilities in the U.S. and U.K. 

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 7,772,099 (7,729,108)

Total U.S. deaths: 214,882 (214,573)

Total global cases: 37,614,668 (37,288,362)

Total global deaths: 1,078,274 (1,074,276)

‘Troubling signs’ in the Northeast

Dr. Deborah Birx, a key member of the White House Coronavirus (COVID-19) Task Force, says she sees “troubling signs” of a spreading virus in the northeastern U.S. Cases have recently risen sharply in some states where mitigation efforts were thought to have brought the virus under control.

Birx says the virus appears to be spreading in a different way than it did before. She says it’s spreading faster within small gatherings of families and small social groups. In the spring, many of the cases stemmed from church services and other large gatherings.

Birx says she worries that people will be spending more time indoors in colder weather. Another concern is indoor dining because people have to remove their masks to eat and drink. That said, Birx said it’s clear that the virus is not spreading as fast in areas where mitigation measures are strictly adhered to.

Hospitalizations rising in New York

After bringing the coronavirus under control through strict mitigation measures, New York is seeing a sharp rise once again in hospitalizations. Over the weekend, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that 826 people are in the hospital for COVID-19 treatment, the largest number since mid-July.

Cuomo said public health authorities have traced 18 percent of recent positive tests to one area of the state that’s highly populated. The governor said there appear to be six clusters of the virus in Brooklyn and Queens, with a number of other cases in Orange and Rockland counties.

Study: Virus can live 28 days on surfaces

While scientists now believe the coronavirus germs spread mostly through the air, it is definitely possible to get infected from contact with a contaminated surface. New research shows that the virus can live for up to 28 days on some surfaces.

The peer-reviewed study by  Australia’s national science agency found that SARS-CoV-2 not only had a longer-than-expected life on surfaces but was “extremely robust” at room temperature.

The researchers say the main takeaway is that, in addition to wearing masks in public, people cannot let up on efforts to frequently wash hands and clean surfaces.

Carnival cancels the rest of November’s cruises

With cases of the virus rising around the world, Carnival has dropped anchor on its remaining November cruise schedule. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had blocked cruises from U.S. ports though Oct. 31.

Following the CDC order, Carnival canceled all cruises from the U.S. except for the liners scheduled to sail from Port Miami and Port Canaveral, Fla. The recent rise in U.S. cases has led to the change in plans.

“It has now [been] determined that November 2020 operations will not be feasible,” Carnival said in a statement. “Carnival continues to work on protocols and procedures that would allow for the resumption of cruise operations, with a gradual, phased-in approach, designating Miami and Port Canaveral as the first two homeports for embarkations.”

Tennessee Titans still impacted by the virus

The National Football League (NFL) continues to wrestle with COVID-19 after five weeks of the season. The Tennessee Titans, which sidelined several players late last month because they tested positive for COVID-19, reports that a staff member has now tested positive.

"This morning we learned that a staff member tested positive. We have temporarily closed our facility and are in communication with the league on the next steps," the team said in a Sunday morning statement.

As a team, the Titans have recorded 24 positive test results since Sept. 24. Thirteen of those positive tests involved players.

Around the nation

• Arizona: A new CDC report that looked at mitigation efforts in Arizona determined that requirements to wear masks and the closure of certain businesses led to a 75 percent decline in coronavirus cases in the state.

• Indiana: The revolt against requirements to wear masks appears to be particularly strong in Indiana. Political analysts say Gov. Eric Holcomb’s mask mandate may hurt him among conservatives who would ordinarily support the Republican in his campaign for another term.

• Utah: Most schools are choosing between classroom instruction or online learning. Increasingly, schools in Utah are embracing a third option, holding classes in outdoor settings because of COVID-19.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the recall of a widely-used prescription drug used to treat diabetes. The manufacturer warns that an ingredient may cause cancer.

Marksans Pharma Limited, based in India, has recalled Metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets, saying their levels of NDMA, which it labels a "probable human carcinogen," were present at higher than allowable levels.

The medication is normally prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes and has shown to be effective in lowering glucose levels. The recall applies to metformin tablets between 500 mg and 750 mg, sold under the brand name Time-Cap Labs, Inc.

“NDMA is classified as a probable human carcinogen (a substance that could cause cancer) based on results from laboratory tests,” the FDA said in a bulletin. “NDMA is a known environmental contaminant found in water and foods, including meats, dairy products and vegetables. Marksans Pharma Limited has not received any reports of adverse events that have been related to this recall.”

NDMA has also been found in other prescription medication, sometimes at unsafe levels. In 2018, major generic drug manufacturers recalled valsartan, a blood pressure medication, for that reason.

Marksans Pharma Limited is notifying its distributors and customers by issuing notification letters and a press release and is arranging for return/replacement of recalled product lots.

Patients who are taking metformin hydrochloride for type 2 diabetes or to lower blood sugar levels should contact their health care provider for instructions on what to do.

The FDA bulletin has a complete breakdown on the lots covered in the recall. You can check them out here,

Having a strong social network can yield several physical and mental health benefits for consumers, and now a new study is exploring what makes some friends feel more supported than others. 

According to researchers from Ohio State University, consumers are most likely to feel supported when their closest contacts all know and like each other. 

“The more cohesive, the more dense this network you have, the more you feel you can rely on them for support,” said researcher David Lee. “It matters if your friends can depend on each other, just like you depend on them.” 

Making the most of social connections

The researchers conducted two online studies to determine how consumers best felt supported by their friends and family. In one study, 240 participants were asked to make two lists of the people closest to them based on those who knew each other and those who didn’t know each other. They were then given a hypothetical scenario in which they’d need to reach out to one of the two groups for support in the case of an emergency. 

Participants reported that they’d feel more supported by the group that knew each other rather than the group that was unconnected. The researchers explained that there could be several reasons for this trend, but one of the primary takeaways is that connected support networks are often viewed as just that: connected. Rather than thinking of each friend or family member individually, thinking of them as a group yields more support. 

“You can have two friends who are both very supportive of you, but if they are both friends with each other, that makes you feel even more supported,” said researcher Jonathan Stahl. 

The second study had over 330 participants list the eight people they felt the closest to and how supported they felt by each connection. To understand how support can shift depending on the interconnectedness of those on the lists, the participants also ranked how close each connection was to each other. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that closeness between support systems once again played a role, as the participants rated connections as more supportive when they were close with other friends or family on the list. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope that consumers understand how beneficial it can be to have groups of family and friends spend time together and feel close to one another, because this is a key component in feeling loved and supported. 

“We found that our support networks are more than the sum of their parts,” said researcher Joseph Bayer. “People who feel they have more social support in their lives may be focusing more on the collective support they feel from being part of a strong, cohesive group. It’s having a real crew, as opposed to just having a set of friends.” 

Asthma and allergies are common among young kids. While the symptoms of these conditions are troublesome enough, a new study found that they could be an indicator of other medical concerns. 

According to researchers from the University of Gothenburg, children who struggle with allergies and asthma could be at an increased risk of developing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). 

“The associations found in this large study suggest that there’s a shared pathophysiology between common allergy-related diseases and adolescent irritable bowel syndrome,” said researcher Dr. Jessica Sjölund. “We knew that allergy and immune dysregulation had been suggested to play a role in the development of irritable bowel syndrome, but previous studies on allergy-related diseases and irritable bowel syndrome are contradictory.”

Identifying the health risks

The researchers had over 2,700 kids and their parents participate in the study, which followed the children’s health outcomes from birth through the time they turned 16. Several times over the course of the study, parents were asked to complete questionnaires that assessed their child’s asthma and allergy-related symptoms. When the children turned 16, they completed the Questionnaire on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms to determine if and how allergies and asthma were connected to IBS. 

The researchers learned that those who struggled with asthma and food allergies were at an increased risk of developing the condition. The study revealed that more than 40 percent of kids who had IBS at the 16-year-old check-in had reported having food sensitivity during adolescence. Those with asthma were nearly twice as likely to develop IBS compared to those without the respiratory condition. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope that these findings inspire more specific treatment options for young people with IBS and encourage health care providers to assess kids’ mental and emotional well-being. 

“Even though functional gastrointestinal disorders are common, many patients are, unfortunately, negatively stigmatized and labeled,” said researcher Hans Törnblom. “The fact that many IBS sufferers do not seek medical advice should be of great concern. As well as dedicating resources to improve the physical elements of living with disorders like IBS, care and investment must be committed to providing psychological and emotional support for patients so they are comfortable in seeking medical advice.” 

The CEO of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is warning that President Trump’s experience with its antibody cocktail doesn’t negate the need for more testing. 

The president recently called Regeneron “a cure” for COVID-19, but Regeneron CEO Leonard Schleifer is cautioning that the treatment’s efficacy is still being studied. The treatment has shown preliminary effectiveness in reducing patients’ viral load and symptoms, but the company says it’s still conducting trials.

“So the president’s case is a case of one, and that’s what we call a case report, and it is evidence of what’s happening, but it’s kind of the weakest evidence that you can get,” he said Sunday on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.” 

Clinical trials needed

Schleifer said Trump’s age and risk factors were “interesting aspects” that the company will add to its body of evidence, but the president’s results are “just low down on the evidence scale that we really need."

“The real evidence has to come — about how good a drug is and what it will do on average — has to come from these large clinical trials, these randomized clinical trials, which are the gold standard. And those are ongoing,” he said.

Over the weekend, Trump told Fox News that he has “tested totally negative” for COVID-19 and claimed that he’s now immune to the virus. Schleifer cautioned that although Regeneron has been shown to confer some level of immunity, it’s not known how long it lasts. 

“Could be months, could be years,” he said. “If you get it in our vial, if you will, that’s probably going to last you for months.” 

New research finds that coronavirus can live on smooth surfaces like phone screens for up to 28 days. 

In a new study, researchers from Australia’s national science agency found that the virus can remain active for much longer than other viruses under “controlled temperature and humidity conditions.” 

Cotton and other porous materials can harbor COVID-19 for around 14 days, but smooth surfaces like smartphones, paper money, and brushed stainless steel can carry the virus for up to 28 days under the right conditions. 

The team noted that the flu virus is only known to remain active for 17 days under the same conditions, suggesting that COVID-19 is far more robust than other viruses. 

“These findings demonstrate SARS-CoV-2 can remain infectious for significantly longer time periods than generally considered possible,” the study authors said. 

Developing strategies to lower risk of infection

The results of the study reinforce the need to regularly clean surfaces and wash hands. However, the experiment also involved conditions that aren’t always found in real life settings. 

For the study, the researchers subjected smartphone screens and other surfaces to constant 68 degree F temperatures. The surfaces were kept in the dark to prevent UV light from having an impact. Additionally, fresh mucous -- which contains white cells and antibodies -- wasn’t used in the study. 

“In my opinion infectious viruses will only persist for hours in mucus on surfaces rather than days,” Cardiff University professor Ron Eccles told the BBC.

Nonetheless, the researchers said it’s important to determine how long the virus remains viable on a range of surfaces in order to develop “risk mitigation strategies in high contact areas.”  

“While the precise role of surface transmission, the degree of surface contact and the amount of virus required for infection is yet to be determined, establishing how long this virus remains viable on surfaces is critical for developing risk mitigation strategies in high contact areas,” said lead researcher Dr. Debbie Eagles, deputy director of Director of Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently says that COVID-19 is mainly spread through respiratory transmission, such as coughing or sneezing. The agency recently updated its guidelines to state that the virus can also spread in enclosed spaces where “activities that caused heavier breathing, like singing or exercise” are taking place. 

“Spread from touching surfaces is not thought to be a common way that COVID-19 spreads,” the CDC says.