Current Events in November 2020

Volvo Car USA is recalling 54,124 model year 2001-2003 S80s and S60s sold or ever registered in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan) and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The driver side front airbag inflator may rupture when the airbag is deployed.

Metal fragments can strike vehicle occupants increasing the risk of serious injury or death.

What to do

Volvo will notify send an interim notice to owners beginning January 4, 2021. A second notice will be sent when parts become available during the first quarter of 2021.

Dealers will replace the driver sideair bag module free of charge.

Owners may contact Volvo customer service at (866) 870-2046. Volvo's number for this recall is R10058.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 10,272,929 (10,110,552)

Total U.S. deaths: 239,896 (238,251)

Total global cases: 51,684,237 (50,913,451)

Total global deaths: 1,275,995 (1,263,089)

Each day brings a new record

The U.S. recorded 136,000 new cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on Tuesday, once again setting a record for the number of infections in one day, according to Johns Hopkins University. Statistics show hospitalizations are increasing at the fastest rate since the pandemic began.

To put the numbers in perspective, a ConsumerAffairs analysis shows April was previously the worst month for the spread of the virus, with more than 868,000 new cases during the month and an average of 28,950 daily infections. So far in November, new cases have averaged over 100,000 and are projected to increase during the holidays. 

Hospitalizations have risen at an alarming rate this month, increasing by about 30 percent since Nov. 1. On Tuesday, the Johns Hopkins numbers showed nearly 62,000 hospitalizations, exceeding the previous record of nearly 60,000 that was set in April.

CDC revises its mask guidance

Government health officials have once again clarified their guidance on the wearing of masks, determining that the face coverings protect both the wearer and others nearby. Previously, it was believed that most cloth masks only protected others but not the person wearing the mask.

A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said studies have shown that most masks -- in addition to those with an N95 rating -- provide a measure of protection if they come in contact with someone carrying the virus.

“Studies demonstrate that cloth mask materials can also reduce wearers' exposure to infectious droplets through filtration, including filtration of fine droplets and particles less than 10 microns," the report's authors wrote.

Survey finds young people just aren’t taking COVID-19 seriously

A survey conducted for the CDC has some good news and bad news about efforts to control the pandemic. The good news is that public acceptance of wearing face masks rose sharply between April and June. Chances are good that it’s even higher now.

But the survey also found that young people were the least likely to follow recommended behaviors, such as frequent hand-washing, social distancing, and avoiding crowded indoor spaces such as bars and restaurants. 

Scientists say that piece of data might help explain why there has been a gradual increase in coronavirus infections among people in their 20s and 30s.

COVID-19 sends more malls into bankruptcy

The “retail apocalypse” used to refer to Amazon’s impact on the sector. Now, it means something else entirely.

The economic impact of the pandemic has not only hammered retailers like JC Penney and Brooks Brothers; it’s also taking down the malls where many of these stores were located. The Wall Street Journal reports that CBL & Associates Properties Inc. and Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, mid-sized mall owners, plan to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The companies are simply reorganizing, not closing. Still, The Journal notes that the move is unusual for a real estate investment trust (REIT) that is set up to withstand a harsher economic climate than a single retail company.

Pandemic led to surge in multigenerational homes

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a home buying frenzy as many apartment dwellers, suddenly working from home, sought more space. But the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that it also led to a sharp increase in multigenerational home purchases.

A NAR survey shows multigenerational home purchases accounted for 15 percent of sales after March, compared to 11 percent for those who closed before April. In many cases, families consolidated households because of a loss of income.

"The coronavirus without a doubt led home buyers to reassess their housing situations and even reconsider home sizes and destinations," said Jessica Lautz, vice president of demographics and behavioral insights at NAR. "They also shopped for larger homes because extra space would allow households to better accommodate older adult relatives or young adults that are now living within the residence."

Around the Nation

• Virginia: With cases of the coronavirus quickly spreading throughout the city, Richmond public schools have made the decision to cancel winter high school sports in 2021. Officials cited the school division's decision to go 100 percent virtual for the first semester and rapidly rising infection rates as the reasons for its decision.

• Texas: Texas is the first state to record more than 1 million cases of the coronavirus. Texas, the second-most populous U.S. state, now has more coronavirus cases than all of Italy, according to CBS News.

• Iowa: Gov. Kim Richards has signed a proclamation that extends the state’s public health emergency for another 30 days as cases continue to rise. Richards says Iowa reported 21,000 new cases of the virus in the last week.

Would you favor your state instituting a one-month COVID-19 lockdown? If you’re like most Americans, you would, according to a new  study by YouGov. 

YouGov polled nearly 13,000 U.S. American adults and found that the majority of them -- 64 percent -- were in favor of their state instituting a one-month lockdown in order to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Twenty-nine percent are against it and seven percent are undecided.

What can the U.S. learn from Europe?

Several European countries recently instituted temporary national lockdowns to prevent a rise in COVID-19 cases -- and it seems to be working. France, Belgium, Czech Republic, and Wales all reported declines in the number of new coronavirus cases. 

While Europe’s plan seems to be working its magic, the United States is experiencing record numbers of coronavirus cases. 

Partisan splits

Do Europe’s signs of progress beg the question if the U.S. states should reconsider more lockdowns here as well? That depends on who you ask. The tug of war between conservatives and liberals didn’t end at the ballot box on Election Day, and it certainly is in full force on the lockdown question.

An overwhelming majority -- 87 percent -- of Democrats say they’re in favor of a one-month statewide lockdown, as do 58 percent of Independents. On the flip side, only 30 percent of Republicans would favor a lockdown versus 64 percent who would oppose such an initiative. 

Other interesting breakouts from the study include:

• Women are more likely than men to say they would support a temporary lockdown -- 67 percent vs. 59 percent, respectively. 

• Most Americans polled -- 60 percent -- think the government has the right to impose a lockdown, but 27 percent consider a one-month state lockdown as a violation of constitutional rights. The sub-metric to this is also political, with Democrats giving a thumbs-up to a lockdown and Republicans giving a thumbs-down.

China-owned social media platform TikTok claims that the Trump administration has gone silent over the past few weeks. 

Over the past several months, the two parties have clashed over privacy and national security-related matters. The Trump administration has expressed concern that the app poses a threat to national security, but TikTok has vehemently denied that it’s sharing data with the Chinese government. 

Trump’s committee on foreign investment in the United States (CFIUS) ordered TikTok’s parent company ByteDance to divest “any tangible or intangible assets or property, wherever located, used to enable or support ByteDance’s operation of the TikTok application in the United States” by tomorrow, November 12. 

TikTok has petitioned CFIUS for a review of the situation, partly because the committee didn’t specify what would happen if the company didn’t meet the demands by that deadline. The short-form video app was granted a preliminary injunction last month. 

Facing uncertainty 

TikTok planned to partner with Oracle and Walmart in the U.S. to form a new company called “TikTok Global.” In September, the Trump administration said the president approved the deal “in concept.” Now, TikTok says negotiations seem to have stalled. 

“For a year, TikTok has actively engaged with CFIUS in good faith to address its national security concerns, even as we disagree with its assessment,” TikTok told various media outlets. “In the nearly two months since the President gave his preliminary approval to our proposal to satisfy those concerns, we have offered detailed solutions to finalize that agreement – but have received no substantive feedback on our extensive data privacy and security framework.”

TikTok officials said they currently have “no clarity on whether our proposed solutions would be accepted.” 

“Today, with the November 12 CFIUS deadline imminent and without an extension in hand, we have no choice but to file a petition in court to defend our rights and those of our more than 1,500 employees in the US. We remain committed to working with the Administration — as we have all along — to resolve the issues it has raised, but our legal challenge today is a protection to ensure these discussions can take place,” the company said in a statement. 

An advisor to President-elect Joe Biden said “it’s too early” to know what, if any, actions the Biden administration plans to take regarding TikTok.

America’s enjoyment of a robocall decline might be coming to an end. While the U.S. is on pace to enjoy 58 billion fewer robocalls in 2020 than 2019, the monthly trends are going the other way. 

The number of robocalls placed nationally bottomed out in April but has steadily regained some strength, and now they’re not that far removed from the numbers in late 2019. There were 4.25 billion robocalls tracked in October -- an approximate 12 percent increase from September. 

The speed at which robocallers are dialing is also getting faster. In October, robocalls averaged 137.2 million calls per day, up 8 percent from the 126.9 million calls per day in September.

These latest monthly figures come from YouMail, a totally free robocall blocking app and call protection service for mobile phones, and its Robocall Index. Company CEO Alex Quilici suggests that the economy may be playing a dominant role in the upsurge of robocalls.

"Robocalls have continued to grow steadily as the economy recovers," Quilici said. "Unfortunately, if they continue at this pace, they will have returned to pre-pandemic levels...before the end of the year."

More spam, more telemarketing, more often

If you’ve recently gotten suckered into picking up the phone only to find a robocall on the other end, it’s a safe bet that it was either a scam or telemarketing call.

In October, there were nearly 2.6 billion scam and telemarketing calls combined, which accounted for 62 percent of the month's total robocall volume. The metric for those two categories alone is twice as many as all types of robocalls in April.

Car warranty scams, health-related scams, and government imposter scams each had over 100 million illegal robocalls last month, with the car warranty version showing the most growth, up nearly 50 percent month over month.

Here’s how the type of robocalls shakes out for October 2020:

Hello, Atlanta, have we got a deal for you!

The U.S. south continues to be a hotbed of robocall activity -- a fact that hasn’t seen change much at all over the last few years. 

Atlanta was the city that was targeted most by robocallers in October, with around 167 million calls made. Washington DC remains the city with the most robocalls per person, with over 36, but Atlanta’s Peach state kin in Macon was a close second with just under 32. Baton Rouge, Louisiana was third with over 28 per person.

Why the South?

In our earlier coverage, ConsumerAffairs asked Quilici what the story was behind that metric. His short answer was, “We’re still trying to figure that out.” However, some of YouMail’s  hypotheses are:

• People in the South tend to answer the phone more (more polite?), which makes their numbers targets for more robocalls.

• Some of these places in the South are economically disadvantaged, which makes residents more likely to fall for scams and get more payment reminders.

• The South may have different demographics in general (age, race, etc.) than the rest of the country, and that might affect phone behavior.

What is the government doing about robocalls?

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been aggressively pursuing the takedown of robocall scammers and trying to get all the phone companies to install caller ID authentication using STIR/SHAKEN technological standards. Phone networks have until June 30, 2021 before the FCC will probably start getting heavy-handed, a move its chairman says he isn’t afraid to make.

“All of us are fed up with robocalls -- including me,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai earlier this year. “We’ve taken many steps to stem the tide of spoofed robocalls. … Last year, I demanded that major phone companies voluntarily deploy STIR/SHAKEN, and a number of them did. But it’s clear that FCC action is needed to spur across-the-board deployment of this important technology. There is no silver bullet when it comes to eradicating robocalls, but this is a critical shot at the target.” 

Signs of lung damage are common among people who vape, according to a new study. 

Researchers have found that one out of every three e-cigarette users (33 percent) reported having one or more of the following symptoms: cough, shortness of breath, nausea, stomach pain, and chest pain. 

All five of these symptoms are on the list of symptoms that the CDC has said are associated with e-cigarette- or vaping-associated lung injury -- a condition known as “EVALI.”

The symptoms were less prevalent among people who used disposable e-cigarettes, said lead researcher Dr. Thanh-Huyen Vu, a research associate professor of epidemiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. 

That finding suggests that experimenting with unregulated ingredients and untested devices is “risky,” Vu said. The symptoms were 40 percent more common among vapers who mixed their own e-liquids and 71 percent more common among those who used flavored e-cigarettes. 

"We did not anticipate seeing such strong and consistent relationships between the users' product modifications and the use of flavored products with clinical symptoms, including EVALI-like symptoms," Vu said. "Clinical symptoms are common in [e-cigarette] users, and they are especially prevalent for users who modify products or consume flavored products."

Health concerns

Fifty-five percent of the more than 1,400 people involved in the study said they had one or more of the systems listed above. One third (33 percent) reported having one or more of the five e-cigarette- or vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI)-like symptoms. Cough and nausea were the most common.

People who reported EVALI-like symptoms were more likely to be younger than age 45, Hispanic, current cigarette smokers, or current users of other tobacco products such as pipes or smokeless tobacco.

"Our results indicate that e-cigarette- or vaping-associated lung injury symptoms were not an oddity, a brief occurrence or solely related to the use of THC (the psychoactive component of cannabis) or vitamin E acetate, both of which were pegged as possible contributors to EVALI outbreaks in the past year or so," Vu said. 

Vu and her team said the study suggests the need for health care professionals to “assist patients in better understanding the full risks and potential harms of using e-cigarettes and related products." 

People who do vape should be careful with the products they use and “not self-modify those products,” Vu said. Better yet, she says they should not vape at all. 

"Although further research is needed on the association of vaping with EVALI and the association of lung injury with COVID-19, the existing evidence indicates that there should be concern, and it is worth avoiding this risk by not vaping," Vu said.

Chipotle Mexican Grill is set to open its first digital-only restaurant on Saturday.

The company recently reported that its digital sales more than tripled in the third quarter, suggesting consumer demand for online ordering isn’t losing any steam as the pandemic continues.

To accommodate the rise in demand for minimal contact food service, Chipotle has come up with a new restaurant design for urban areas. The first digital-only restaurant will open Saturday in Highland Falls, New York. 

The new restaurant won’t have a dining room or even a front service line for customers to place their order. Instead, customers will order in advance on Chipotle’s app, website, or a third-party delivery platform. 

Orders can be picked up from a lobby that Chipotle says is “designed to include all of the sounds, smells and kitchen views of a traditional Chipotle restaurant.” The restaurant will also be able to accomodate large catering orders, which can be picked up at a designated lobby. 

"The Digital Kitchen incorporates innovative features that will complement our rapidly growing digital business, while delivering a convenient and frictionless experience for our guests," Curt Garner, Chief Technology Officer of Chipotle said in a news release. "With digital sales tripling year over year last quarter, consumers are demanding more digital access than ever before so we're constantly exploring new ways to enhance the experience for our guests."

Increasing low-contact options

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in digital ordering and drive-through options in the restaurant industry as a whole. 

In September, Burger King unveiled two new “Restaurant of Tomorrow” designs that would include coronavirus-friendly features, including multiple drive-thru lanes, curbside pickup, lockers for mobile and delivery orders, and walkup options for carryout orders.

Starbucks said recently that it plans to add more mobile pickup cafes in the year ahead than it planned to before the pandemic began. 

Over the summer, Chipotle announced the addition of more “Chipotlanes” at its restaurants. The fast-casual chain said it’s aware that customers “want convenience and appreciate the ability to personally retrieve their orders without leaving their car.” 

Diet is an important aspect when thinking about longevity, and now researchers from the American Heart Association are exploring what effect a popular spicy food could have on consumers’ lifespans. 

According to their findings, consumers who eat higher amounts of chili peppers tend to have longer lives and a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. 

“We were surprised to find that in these previously published studies, regular consumption of chili pepper was associated with an overall risk-reduction of all cause, CVD, and cancer mortality,” said researcher Dr. Bo Xu. “It highlights that dietary factors may play an important role in overall health.” 

Adding spice, improving health

To understand how chili peppers could yield better health outcomes, the researchers analyzed over 4,700 studies that included dietary records from over 570,000 people from four countries: Iran, Italy, the U.S., and China. The researchers were primarily concerned with looking at the health differences between those who regularly consumed chili peppers and those who didn’t. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that those who favored the spicy food had better health outcomes than those who didn’t. The study revealed that the risk of death from any cause was 25 percent lower for those who regularly consumed chili peppers. 

When looking at the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer, the researchers discovered that eating chili peppers was linked with a 26 percent lower risk and 23 percent lower risk, respectively. These findings are important because recent studies have shown how both cardiovascular disease and cancer risk can be affected by consumers’ diets. 

While the researchers are unsure why a relationship exists between chili peppers and risk of death, they plan to do more work to better understand how consumers can use their diets to their advantage. 

“The exact reasons and mechanisms that might explain our findings, though, are currently unknown,” Dr. Xu said. “Therefore, it is impossible to conclusively say that eating more chili pepper can prolong life and reduce deaths, especially from cardiovascular factors or cancer. More research, especially evidence from randomized controlled studies, is needed to confirm these preliminary findings.” 

The number of mortgage applications to purchase a home fell sharply last week to a six-month low. It’s a signal to people who have been thinking about a home purchase that now may be the time to pull the trigger.

Since the early days of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the housing market has been on a tear. Not only has there been increased competition for available homes, but the overheated market has also pushed up home prices.

Now there are fewer buyers competing for homes, as evidenced by the Mortgage Bankers Association report. It showed that mortgage applications last week fell 3 percent from the week before, continuing a downward trend during the fall.

But to give you an idea of how heated 2020’s housing market is compared to last year’s, the report shows demand for mortgages last week was still 16 percent higher than during the same week in 2019.

Plenty of headwinds

There are still plenty of headwinds facing home buyers in the fall of 2020, but at least the competition, which was fierce during the summer, isn’t as intense. There may be fewer bidding wars between competing buyers.

But home prices have risen significantly since this time a year ago, partly because people working from home have decided they need more space and partly because there remains a lack of available homes on the market.

Low rates, higher prices

Housing experts say something else may be encouraging sellers to keep raising their asking prices -- record-low interest rates. If buyers are paying less interest they can afford to pay more for the home, and sellers haven’t been shy about asking for higher prices.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that the median price for all housing types in September was $311,800, a nearly 15 percent increase from September 2019. It said September's national price increase marked 103 straight months of year-over-year gains.

 “Inadequate housing supply is putting upward pressure on home prices and is impacting affordability — especially for first-time buyers and lower-income buyers,” Joel Kan, an economist at the Mortgage Bankers Association, told CNBC.

The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to a low of 2.98 percent last week. That’s a full point lower than buyers could have gotten a year ago.

The 2020 holiday season will be unlike any in recent memory. No large parades, no office parties, and even extended family gatherings may be a rarity.

With the disruption to traditional routines caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the economic uncertainty it has produced, a survey by the personal finance site Debt.com found 60 percent of U.S. consumers plan to spend less on the holidays this year. 

But the factors listed above many have little to do with it, the study authors say. Spending will be down because the pressure’s off.

Thirty-seven percent of those who are spending less say they feel less pressure to buy gifts because holiday celebrations are going to be virtual this year. Another 23 percent said they don’t expect friends and family to spend as much on them because of the pandemic. Debt.com Chairman Howard Dvorkin calls it “Grinch logic.”

"I've spent nearly three decades counseling Americans on how to save more and spend less, but that's nearly impossible to do during the holidays," Dvorkin said. "No matter how blunt they are about their debts, they'll blow their holiday budget.”

‘No one wants to be the Grinch’

Dvorkin says Americans fear only one thing more than landing deep in debt and that’s the fear their family and friends will think they’re cheap.

“Everyone wants to be Santa Claus, and no one wants to be the Grinch," he said.

The findings may come as a rude awakening for retailers, who have already begun their holiday sales push. The National Retail Federal estimates the average consumer spent $1,000 on the holidays last year but Debt.com found that 73 percent of consumers say they’ll spend less than $500. Only 2 percent say they’ll spend more than $1,500.

Without a doubt, a sizable portion of the reduced holiday spending will be related to cutbacks in travel. Fewer people will travel for the holidays, either to see family or to enjoy a vacation.

Holiday travel booking are down

Right after Labor Day, when holiday travel tends to be booked, CNBC reported advance reservations for Thanksgiving were off by 16 percent, while Christmas bookings were down 35 percent and New Years’ Eve reservations were 33 percent lower.

Only 30 percent of consumers said they will spend less this year because they’ve lost income. To make those dollars go farther, personal finance experts recommend making a holiday budget and sticking to it. 

Other ways to avoid debt is to aggressively price-check before you guy and don’t forget to use your credit card rewards.

Many parents worry about how their kids are affected by too much time in front of screens, but now researchers from the University of Arizona are exploring how parents themselves can be affected by their kids’ screen time. 

According to their findings, parents were more likely to experience higher levels of stress when their kids spent more time watching TV. The researchers learned that the ads kids are exposed to during TV time contributes to parents’ stress levels. 

“The more advertising children see, the more they ask for things and the more conflict is generated,” said researcher Matthew Lapierre. “What we haven’t looked at before is what the potential effect is on parents. We know kids ask for things, we know it leads to conflict, but we wanted to ask the next question: Could this be contributing to parents’ overall stress?” 

How kids’ habits affect their parents

To understand how parents’ stress levels were affected by their children’s TV watching, the researchers analyzed survey responses from over 430 parents with children between the ages of two and 12 years old. In addition to gauging participants’ overall stress, the survey also asked questions about their kids’ TV watching habits and their behaviors around asking for things when out in a store. 

The researchers learned that watching a lot of TV affected the way kids behaved in stores, which ultimately affected their parents’ stress levels. They explained that kids are exposed to more advertisements while watching TV, which led to more demanding behavior while shopping with their parents. This, in turn, creates more conflict between kids and parents and can increase stress levels. 

“Advertising for kids is generated to make them feel excited,” Lapierre said. “They do a lot of things in kids’ advertising to emotionally jack up the child. Children don’t have the cognitive and emotional resources to pull themselves back, and that’s why it’s a particular issue for them.” 

Improving communication

To help combat this issue and ease some of the stress parents feel, the researchers recommend that parents approach communication with their kids from a different angle. They found that trying to be too controlling or directly addressing the persuasive powers of advertising aren’t likely to change kids’ aggressive or demanding behaviors around wanting things. 

The researchers explained that giving kids some influence in the buying decisions was likely to yield the best stress response for parents; however, it isn’t likely to lead to long-lasting changes in kids’ behavior. Creating stricter guidelines around screen time could be the most effective way to both reduce parents’ stress and lead to the best behaviors from kids.  

Mercedes-Benz AG USA (MBUSA) is recalling 55,326 model year 2021 AMG GLE53s, AMG GLE63s, model year 2020 GLE580s, and model year 2020-2021 GLE350s and GLE450s with 5 passenger seating.

While buckling the seat belt, the middle seat belt buckle could be pushed down into the gap below the seat cushion. If the buckle can't be retrieved, the buckle latch will be inoperable and unable to restrain an occupant.

An unrestrained occupant has an increased risk of injury in a crash.

What to do

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will secure the middle seat belt buckle free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin December 29, 2020.

Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at (800) 367-6372.

Tanimura & Antle is recalling packaged single head romaine lettuce.

The product may be contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The single head of romaine lettuce with the UPC number 0-27918-20314-9 and labeled with a packed on date of 10/15/2020 or 10/16/2020, was sold in Alaska, Oregon, California, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Nebraska, Missouri, Tennessee, Wisconsin, New Mexico, South Carolina, Washington, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Massachusetts, Puerto Rico, and Illinois.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product should not consume it but discard it.

Consumers with questions may call Tanimura & Antle at (877) 827-7388, Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 10,110,552 (9,985,509)

Total U.S. deaths: 238,251 (237,619)

Total global cases: 50,913,451 (50,591,307)

Total global deaths:  1,263,089 (1,258,817)

FDA clears Eli Lilly drug for emergency use

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization to another antibody treatment against the coronavirus (COVID-19) on the day when the total number of cases in the U.S. went over the 10 million mark. The drug is produced by Eli Lilly.

Lilly says the drug is authorized for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older with a positive COVID-19 test. The treatment especially targets those who are at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization. 

It says the drug, bamlanivimab, should be administered as soon as possible after a positive COVID-19 test and within 10 days of symptom onset. The authorization allows for the distribution and emergency use of bamlanivimab, which is administered via a single intravenous infusion.

Here’s where hospitalizations are increasing the fastest

The coronavirus’ second wave is in full swing and hitting states with strict mask rules and no mask rules, although the latter category has seen the sharpest rise in cases requiring hospitalization.

NPR reports that the five states seeing the sharpest increase in hospitalizations are Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The worry now is that hospitals everywhere will be taxed to the max.

“We have a legitimate reason to be very, very concerned about our health system at a national level," Lauren Sauer, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins University, told the network.

Study shows COVID-19 patients often develop mental illness

A new study in The Lancet Psychiatric Journal found that 20 percent of patients who recover from COVID-19 later develop symptoms of mental illness.

The researchers said they found the most common mental health issues experienced by COVID-19 survivors are anxiety, depression, and insomnia. These symptoms usually appear as late as 90 days following diagnosis.

The study analyzed electronic health records of over 62,000 coronavirus patients in the U.S. It found the study group was twice as likely to suffer from a new mental illness than other groups of patients during the same period.

Researchers say misinformation is a roadblock to curbing the pandemic

In a world where social media allows anyone to say virtually anything and reach millions of people, it shouldn’t be a surprise that all types of misinformation about the coronavirus -- which was almost unknown before January -- is widespread. 

Understanding the impact of misinformation “is important for identifying potential barriers to public health efforts” to combat the virus, according to Valerie Earnshaw, associate professor at the University of Delaware and lead author on two studies about the issue.

“Evidence suggests that people are more likely to believe conspiracy theories when they feel anxious, powerless, and unable to control their outcomes, as well as in times of crisis and when faced with large-scale events with serious consequences,” she said. “Pandemics such as COVID-19 are powerful contexts wherein individuals may turn to conspiracy theories in an attempt to restore feelings of safety and control.”

New COVID-19 scam just got more dangerous

Monday’s announcement about Pfizer’s promising COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial may have made a new scam even more dangerous. The scam sends texts to potential victims, enticing them to become part of a COVID-19 clinical trial and earn $1,000 or more.

Clinical trials have been in the news over the last few months, which is why scammers are using the topic to target consumers. The topic is now the lead story around the world, and consumer advocates urge everyone to be leery of these clinical trial pitches.

One version of the message reads: “Local Covid19 Study: Compensation up to $1,220! Qualify Here: [link removed] stop2stop,” and contains a link. The message instructs the recipient to click to determine whether they are eligible.

“No matter how curious you are – or how much you could use an extra $1,200 – don’t click,” the Better Business Bureau advises. “It’s a scam!”

Around the nation

• New Jersey: Gov. Phil Murphy has announced new restrictions on indoor dining, requiring dining rooms to close by 10 p.m. The orders also prohibit all indoor, interstate organized sports up to the high school level in an effort to slow the resurgence of COVID-19.
• Oregon: Gov. Kate Brown is reportedly ready to place several counties on a “social pause,” which changes virus restrictions to curb the recent rise in cases. People in these counties will be asked to only have contact with people in their household, or to limit gatherings to no more than six people.
• Arizona: Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Pamela Gates sided with a group of Arizona bar owners who challenged Gov. Doug Ducey’s easing of rules for restaurants, which have been selling mixed drinks to go. The group argued that the rules give restaurants an unfair advantage over bars.

Since April, a handful of pharmaceutical companies have been developing vaccines and treatments for the coronavirus (COVID-19) and testing them in clinical trials.

These clinical trials have been in the news for months. Monday’s report from Pfizer that its vaccine candidate achieved a more than 90 percent efficacy rate elevated clinical trials to the lead story. That could make a new COVID-19 scam even more dangerous.

For weeks, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has been tracking a scam in which people receive a text message promising $1,000 or more if they’ll participate in a clinical trial. The trial is supposedly one that is testing either a vaccine or treatment for the virus.

One version of the message reads: “Local Covid19 Study: Compensation up to $1,220! Qualify Here: [link removed] stop2stop,” and contains a link. The message instructs the recipient to click to determine whether they are eligible.

“No matter how curious you are – or how much you could use an extra $1,200 – don’t click,” the BBB advises. "It’s a scam!”

Unleashes malware

The link doesn’t lead to a potential $1,200 but instead downloads malware onto your device. Once downloaded, the virus can give scammers access to your usernames, passwords, and other personal information stored on your device.

In another version of the scam, the link actually takes potential victims to a webpage that looks like a real clinical trial. But the questions you’ll be asked extend far beyond what a legitimate clinical trial would ask. Some targets have reported being asked for Social Security and bank account numbers.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is also tracking this scam. Jim Kreidler, consumer education specialist at the FTC, recently warned that some of these scams are highly sophisticated and hoping to catch consumers off guard.

“They might promise you a doctor’s care and more than $1000 in payment...but as soon as they try to charge you for access, or ask for your Social Security, bank account, or credit card number, your Spidey sense should start tingling, because, unfortunately, some of these so-called ‘research studies’ are fake,” Kreidler wrote in a consumer information bulletin.

How to avoid the scam

The best way to avoid these scams is to simply ignore the message. While drug developers sometimes advertise for clinical trial participants, they don’t do it with random text messages. 

One big tipoff that the offer is a scam is if the “clinical trial” expects you to pay to be involved. It doesn’t work that way.

If you’re curious, go to ClinicalTrials.gov, a site maintained by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM). You can see what trials are actually being conducted and who’s running them. 

If the text message does not mention a government agency, university, or hospital, it’s additional evidence that you’re dealing with a scam.

The heightened stress and demands of being a teacher during the COVID-19 pandemic have been well documented in recent studies, and researchers from the University of Buffalo are now exploring how remote learning has played into teachers feeling overwhelmed. 

According to their findings, remote learning has been the hardest on teachers who are also moms. While this shouldn’t come as a total surprise to consumers since reports have found that mothers have been struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic, the researchers explained that the stress associated with teaching from home is exacerbated by the pressures of caring for children and households. 

“Balancing a teaching career and motherhood seems to be becoming more difficult,” said researcher Julie Gorlewski. “Both roles carry an expectation of selfless nurturing and can result in physical and emotional exhaustion.

“The implications of this work are particularly relevant today, where the roles of motherhood and teacher are intensified by the shift to online learning as a result of the pandemic. Through a greater understanding of the lived experiences of teacher-mothers, this study can inform policy and practice to better support an integral segment of the education workforce,” she said. 

Increased job demands 

The researchers interviewed 12 women who were both mothers and teachers for grades ranging from elementary through high school. The participants were asked to report on their day-to-day experiences as both remote teachers and mothers and explain how both roles have affected them in recent months. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that teachers who are also mothers are dealing with a lot of exhaustion. Teaching from home has left many women with the majority of the household work and child care. This can be particularly challenging when thinking about paid time off or paid maternity leave, both of which can be hard to come by for teachers -- especially those at the beginning of their careers. 

Additionally, many of the women reported feeling added pressure when it comes to handling things around the house. They said that handling childcare, household needs, and teaching added a lot of stress to their lives.

Teaching remotely has also increased the parent-teacher and student-teacher communications, which makes it harder to fully disconnect from work when the school day is over. This also makes it more difficult to find time to grade assignments or plan for future lessons. 

Creating change for teachers

Though the teachers also noted the benefits of their dual positions, their responses show that there are changes that need to happen. Moving forward, the researchers hope that households and educational systems adapt to better serve women who are doing their best to juggle two full-time roles. 

“This unanticipated and challenging global event has the potential to reveal some of the invisible work of mothers and educators,” said Gorlewski. “Advocates can use these results to promote better norms and policies to support teachers and all working mothers.” 

Plant-based meat products took a giant leap on Tuesday when Pizza Hut announced a partnership with Beyond Meat to become the first national pizza company to offer a plant-based meat pizza coast-to-coast.

The move is certainly timely. Consumers are growing fond of plant-based meat alternatives, mainly due to food shortages and high meat prices brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Recent studies have also shown that plant proteins are especially effective at preventing disease.

Not to rain on Pizza Hut’s parade, but it’s important to note that when it says “first national pizza company” and “coast-to-coast,” it’s using a fairly broad brush to posture itself. Donatos Pizza -- a Columbus, Ohio-based pizza chain with locations mostly in the midwest and southeast U.S. -- launched three new pizza varieties incorporating plant-based sausage earlier this year. Little Caesar’s also rolled out its own sausage-alternative pizza at select locations in Florida, New Mexico, and Washington in 2019.

Kicking off with a sausage alternative

Pizza Hut kicks off its new plant-based offering with the nationwide launch of two “Beyond Pan Pizzas” – the Beyond Italian Sausage Pizza and the Great Beyond Pizza.

The Beyond Italian Sausage Pizza is really just Pizza Hut’s classic cheese pizza topped with plant-based Beyond Italian Sausage crumbles that feature a blend of Italian seasonings. For the Great Beyond Pizza, Pizza Hut is using its original pan crust and topping it with Beyond Italian Sausage and veggie toppings that include tomatoes, sliced red onions, and banana peppers.

“I’d challenge anyone to go try the new Beyond Pan Pizza and tell the difference. I shared it with friends and family, and they couldn’t,” said David Graves, Pizza Hut’s chief brand officer. “The Beyond Italian Sausage is rich, juicy and has the signature Pizza Hut flavors — pizza lovers everywhere are going to love it.”

Limited availability

Foodies who want to try the new pizzas may have to act quickly. Pizza Hut says they’ll both be available for a limited time while supplies last at all traditional Pizza Hut locations nationwide for contactless delivery, carryout and curbside pickup, and at select participating Pizza Hut Express locations.

Pizza Hut’s owner, Yum Brands, didn’t indicate whether it will incorporate Beyond Meat products with its other restaurants -- KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, The Habit Burger Grill, and WingStreet -- but Pizza Hut did say that the announcement comes as part of a “broader collaboration.”

Exposure to flame retardants can have long-term consequences for all consumers since they can live in the body for a long time. Now, researchers from the University of California at Riverside have found that these chemicals  -- which are also known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) -- contribute to higher risk of diabetes.

“PBDEs are everywhere in the home,” said researcher Dr. Margarita Curras-Collazo. “They’re impossible to completely avoid.”

“Even though the most harmful PBDEs have been banned from production and import into the U.S., inadequate recycling of products that contain them has continued to leach PBDEs into water, soil, and air. As a result, researchers continue to find them in human blood, fat, fetal tissues, as well as maternal breast milk in countries worldwide,” she said. 

Understanding diabetes risk

The researchers conducted their study on mice to determine what effect exposure to PBDEs could have on diabetes risk. Mice were exposed to the chemicals in volumes that mimicked human exposure during both pregnancy and breastfeeding, and then the researchers analyzed health outcomes for both the test subjects and their offspring.

Ultimately, the researchers learned that the offspring were at a greater risk of developing diabetes than their mothers. While the mothers showed a mild intolerance to glucose, the offspring showed several symptoms associated with diabetes, including insulin sensitivity, low blood insulin, and high fasting glucose. 

“Our findings indicate that chemicals in the environment, like PBDEs, can be transferred from mother to offspring, and exposure to them during the early developmental period is damaging to health,” Dr. Curras-Collazo said. 

In observing the mice’s reaction to PBDE exposure, the researchers worry about how human mothers and their infants are affected by similar chemical exposure. Though this study showed the close link between mothers passing chemical exposure down to their infants, the researchers recommend that consumers take steps to be more proactive about not bringing PBDEs into their homes.

AMC Entertainment has announced that it’s launching a private theater rental program. 

The movie theater chain was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and recently reported a staggering $905.8 million quarterly loss. Company officials are hoping to bolster revenue by offering consumers the option of renting out an entire theater for as little as $99. 

On its official website, AMC said private screenings will have COVID-19 safety measures in place, and the number of guests allowed in each theater will be capped at 20. 

“As part of our AMC Safe & Clean initiative, private movie showings can accommodate 1-20 total guests (host included), so the auditorium can remain at 40% capacity (or less based on municipality guidelines), leaving plenty of space for social distancing,” the company said. 

Masks will be required “unless you are actively enjoying food or drinks,” AMC said. The company added that outside food and drink may not be brought into private screenings. 

Test showed significant interest

Consumers who rent out a theater can choose from one of the movies AMC is offering. The theater chain is currently offering 17 films including “Jurassic Park” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” New releases -- such as “Tenet,” “The War With Grandpa” and “Freaky” -- can be viewed for a higher price of between $149 to $349, depending on location.

AMC said it recently tested the program and it drew “110,000 inquiries around the country” in the span of a month -- more than four times higher than the total number of requests it got in all of 2019 for private theater rentals.

“The results and feedback from our guests about AMC Safe & Clean have been overwhelmingly positive, and Private Theatre Rentals at AMC provides an additional layer of safety and security to those moviegoers who are looking to see movies with just their family members and friends,” Elizabeth Frank, executive give president of worldwide programming and chief content officer, said in a statement. 

“It’s unprecedented for AMC to receive 110,000 contacts in four weeks about a private theatre rental, based only on word of mouth and organic publicity, and we are excited about and appreciative of the interest this has sparked among AMC guests,” she said.