Current Events in May 2021

There’s a possible game-changing shift afoot in the cryptocurrency world. Supporters of Ethereum — currently the number two digital currency behind Bitcoin — claim that a breakthrough in its structure could reduce its current 45,000-gigawatt usage to 1/10,000th of that level.

Energy is not an aspect of cryptocurrency that’s been talked about much, but it’s a crucial element. By design, it takes vast amounts of energy to keep systems related to cryptocurrency running. That’s because everything is computer-based, and if the integrity of a cryptocoin’s blockchain isn’t kept secure, the coin’s functionality could implode. 

Software engineers at both Ethereum and Bitcoin have been working tirelessly on a way to secure their networks without leaving a massive carbon footprint. And it certainly is massive right now. Bitcoin’s energy usage, according to the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index, is larger than the countries of Pakistan, the Philippines, the United Arab Republic, and the Netherlands.

“With the amount of pollution we have in the world right now, making a change for a greener tomorrow is more important than ever,” suggests the Money Builders Project in its analysis of Ethereum’s shift. 

“With more and more people adopting solar panels for their homes, and electric vehicles becoming more popular, almost everybody is trying to do their part for the environment. Now I'm excited to say that Ethereum has decided to join the party. Users and developers of the blockchains have been punching out a massive carbon footprint with traditional mining techniques”

Can this catapult Ethereum past Bitcoin?

If Ethereum’s engineers can pull this idea off, it could completely change the cryptocurrency game — and not only in the energy aspect; it could also increase the speed at which Ethereum can process transactions. Once that happens, the digital currency should be able to compete more effectively in the real world against established payment networks like Visa or Mastercard.

“It’s hard to ignore that the ESG narrative is going to be big,” Wilson Withiam, an analyst at Messari, told Bloomberg News. “If you’re looking at Ether as an investment, it doesn’t have that looming over it.”

Where will this leave Bitcoin? Pantera Capital, an early Bitcoin investment firm, supports Messari’s notion. 

“Ethereum has a massive ecosystem of decentralized finance use cases with rapidly growing adoption,” Dan Morehead, founder of Pantera, wrote in a note to investors. “Combine these two dynamics and we think Ethereum will keep gaining market share relative to Bitcoin.”

Ethereum is well on its way to doing that. As of Monday morning, it has shown 228.57% growth year-to-date. Bitcoin’s ride has been a bit wobblier, but it’s still showing a respectable growth of 27.42% year-to-date.

Credit card lenders have reversed their early pandemic reduction in credit to consumers. A report from TransUnion shows that there was a spike in new credit card accounts in the second half of 2020 that has continued into 2021.

Lenders began withdrawing credit card offers last year over concerns that the pandemic-driven economic shutdown would lead to a sudden rise in unemployment and defaults. In some cases, they unilaterally closed existing accounts. But the wave of defaults never materialized. In fact, consumers’ credit card debt did not go up as the pandemic swept the country.

The TransUnion report found that consumers are performing well one year since the pandemic began, as serious delinquency rates remain lower. At the same time, new credit card accounts have risen from their COVID-19 lows.

‘More prudent measures’

As unemployment rose to double-digit levels last year, most lenders tightened their standards when issuing personal loans and credit cards. That caused consumers to reduce their spending. The report shows that unsecured personal loan originations dropped from 3.9 million in the first quarter of 2020 to 2.6 million in the April to June quarter. Credit card originations declined at an even faster rate – from 15.5 million to 8.6 million in the same timeframe.

“Consumers and lenders alike took more prudent measures with their credit use,” said Matt Komos, vice president of research and consulting at TransUnion. “Buoyed by government stimulus programs, many consumers used their benefits to remain current on accounts.”

Consumers maintained their improved habits into the first quarter of 2021. Credit card balances have continued to decline, with total balances dropping to $688 billion from $814 billion in the first quarter of last year. Average consumer credit card debt per borrower dropped to $4,791, the lowest level since at least 2009 when TransUnion first began measuring this variable. 

New credit card accounts fell nearly 18% year-over-year across all credit risk tiers, with average lines on new accounts declining 28% in the same period. Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that the percentage of Discover Card balances paid off at the end of the first quarter was the largest in two decades. 

On-time payments

Even more startling, Capital One reported that half of the credit card balances on its books at the beginning of March were paid off completely by the end of the month. In addition to paying off debt, consumers also paid their bills on time, a key factor in improving credit scores.

“Delinquencies can’t get much lower than where they are now, but if your loans keep shrinking, your revenues come down [and] margins will get worse,” Discover CEO Roger Hochschild told the newspaper.

The result of all this is that lenders have resumed their aggressive marketing of credit card offers. Consumers should consider the offers carefully before acting, considering fees and perks.

To help with the decision, check out ConsumerAffairs’ credit card guide, which includes thousands of verified reviews.

A new study conducted by researchers from Michigan Medicine evaluated global health care trends related to diabetes. Based on results from more than 50 surveys that included responses from over 680,000 people around the world, the researchers learned that many diabetics aren’t receiving the care they need -- especially those from low- and middle-income countries. 

The team found that many consumers struggling with diabetes aren’t even aware that they have the disease. 

“Diabetes continues to explode everywhere, in every country, and 80% of people with it live in these low- and middle-income countries,” said researcher Dr. David Flood. “It confers a high risk of complications such as heart attacks, blindness, and strokes. We can prevent these complications with comprehensive diabetes treatment, and we need to make sure people around the world can access treatment.” 

Diabetes care is inconsistent around the world

The researchers had more than 680,000 participants between the ages of 25 and 64 involved in the study; they evaluated medical tests, exams, and responses to surveys about health care to determine how diabetes care differs around the world. More than 50% of the participants in the study had high blood sugar but hadn’t yet been formally diagnosed with diabetes at the start of the study; another 37,000 participants were diabetic when the study began. 

The team explained that there are six primary components to effectively treating diabetes: a combination of counseling efforts for diet, weight, and exercise and medications that work to lower cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. Less than 20% of the participants with diabetes were receiving treatment in all six areas, and more than 90% weren’t receiving the full spectrum of blood pressure treatments. 

The study showed that regional and economic impacts play a role in the available treatments for diabetic consumers around the world. Low- and middle-income countries and regions struggled the most to provide adequate diabetes treatments and had the fewest resources available to detect the condition. 

The biggest deficits in treatment, both for those with and without diabetes diagnoses, were for blood pressure and cholesterol treatments. Maintaining healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels is important for all consumers, but it remains a crucial part of diabetes care. 

The researchers hope their findings highlight the disparities in diabetes care around the world. They explained that many of the medications necessary to manage blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol can be administered inexpensively, which would benefit those in low- and middle-income areas. 

Finding ways to improve diabetes testing can also work to identify those who may not be aware that they have the disease and ensure that more consumers are receiving treatment. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine explored the health risks for kids when their mothers are exposed to air pollution during pregnancy. They found that in utero exposure to ultra-fine pollutants can increase the likelihood of children developing asthma by the time they’re in preschool. 

For the study, the researchers analyzed air pollution levels and health records for nearly 370 women and their children in the Boston metropolitan area. Using the women’s addresses, the team monitored the levels of ultra-fine pollutants that they were exposed to during pregnancy. They then followed up to see how the pollution impacted their children’s health. 

The study revealed that nearly 20% of the children developed asthma by the time they were in preschool, and girls were more likely to have respiratory issues during childhood than boys. The researchers explained that the majority of the women involved in the study lived near busy roadways and in high-traffic areas, both of which can contribute to children’s health risks. 

Ultra-fine particles are more likely than other types of pollutants to settle in the lungs and negatively impact consumers’ health. While efforts have been made to monitor and regulate air pollution, experts have previously struggled to get precise readings of ultra-fine particles, including how they impact children in utero. 

“One reason ultra-fine particulates are not routinely monitored is that there have been a number of unique challenges to measuring them accurately,” said researcher Dr. Rosalind Wright. “Fortunately, recent methods have been developed to provide such exposure data which allowed us to conduct this study.” 

Improving respiratory health

The team hopes that these findings highlight another way that air pollution can impact kids’ health long term. They also explained the importance of continuing to monitor ultra-fine particles, and how doing so can improve children’s respiratory health. 

“This research is an important early step in building the evidence base that can lead to better monitoring of exposure to ultra-fine particles in the United States and ultimately to regulation,” said Dr. Wright. “As we advance methods for measuring these tiny particles, we hope for replication of these findings, both within different geographic areas across the United States as well as globally. 

“Childhood asthma remains a global epidemic that is likely to grow with the anticipated rise in particulate air pollution exposures due to the effects of climate change,” she said. 

The U.S. housing market is presenting a study in contrast. On one hand, houses sell almost as fast as they go on the market. On the other hand, the number of sales continues to fall.

How can that be? It’s simple. There is huge, pent-up demand for homes but not nearly enough home listings to satisfy that demand.

As a result, sale prices continue to rise. In the four-week period ending May 16, real estate broker Redfin reports its home prices hit a record high of $352,975 and were up 24% year over year, also a record. In yet another record, asking prices increased to $358,975.

Remarkably, 50% of Redfin’s listings that went under contract during that time sold for more than the seller’s asking price, evidence of just how competitive the market has become.

Not enough listings

Despite the hyper-competitive market, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports sales of existing homes in April declined 2.7% from March as the number of listings dried up. It marked the third straight month of a sales decline, suggesting that even surging prices have not lured more sellers into the market.

"We'll see more inventory come to the market later this year as further COVID-19 vaccinations are administered and potential home sellers become more comfortable listing and showing their homes,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist. “The falling number of homeowners in mortgage forbearance will also bring about more inventory.”

Yun is quick to point out that falling sales are not the result of a lack of buyers. He says more listings on the market would lead to a pick-up in sales and make the market a bit friendlier to buyers. But for now, it’s a challenging time for people trying to buy a home.

Challenges for first-time buyers

"First-time buyers, in particular, are having trouble securing that first home for a multitude of reasons, including not enough affordable properties, competition with cash buyers, and properties leaving the market at such a rapid pace," Yun said.

NAR’s price data shows a lower median home price than Redfin’s, but prices are rising nonetheless. The median existing-home price for all housing types in April was $341,600, up 19.1% from April 2020, as every region recorded price increases. It was a record high and marks 110 straight months of year-over-year gains.

Both NAR and Redfin found homes were selling at the same rapid pace. Properties typically remained on the market for 17 days in April, down from 18 days in March and from 27 days in April 2020. 

Eighty-eight percent of the homes sold in April 2021 were on the market for less than a month.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 342,366 of the following model year 2019-2021 vehicles:

• CLA-Class, 
• GLE/GLS-Class, 
• A-Class, 
• E-Class, 
• E-Class Coupe and Convertible, 
• GLA/GLB-Class, 
• GLC-Class, 
• CLS-Class, and 
• AMG GT-Class 4-door Coupe

The MBUX multimedia system software may cause the display to remain black, or reboot after startup. This could result in the rearview camera image not displaying properly.

What to do

The multimedia system software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 13, 2021.

Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at (800) 367-6373.

Polaris of Medina, Minn., is recalling about 32 model year 2021 RZR PRO XP and RZR PRO XP 4 ROVs.

The vehicles were manufactured without copper seal washers on the turbocharger’s oil supply line, which can result in an oil leak, posing a fire hazard.

The firm has received one report of a leak in the oil supply line. No fires, injuries or property damage have been reported.

This recall involves model year 2021 RZR PRO XP and RZR PRO XP 4 off-road vehicle sold in black, gray, red, sand, titanium and white. The vehicles have two or four seats.

POLARIS is stamped on the front grille and POLARIS and RZR are printed on the sides of the vehicle.

The ROVs, manufactured in Mexico, were sold at Polaris dealers nationwide from November 2020, through March2021, for between $22,700 and $32,300.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled vehicles and contact a Polaris dealer to schedule a free inspection and repair. Polaris notified all dealers and contacted registered owners directly.

Consumers may contact Polaris at (800) 765-2747 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday or online at www.polaris.com and click on “Off Road Safety Recalls” at the bottom of the page.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 33,058,956 (33,029,091)

Total U.S. deaths: 588,583 (587,930)

Total global cases: 165,639,253 (165,015,132)

Total global deaths: 3,432,672 (3,420,173)

Cases tick higher at week’s end

As vaccinations increase across the U.S., the number of new COVID-19 cases has flatlined. However, new cases ticked higher at the end of this week.

According to data compiled by the COVID-19 Tracking Project at Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. reported almost 30,000 new cases on Thursday, a few hundred higher than the day before. Despite the increase, the U.S. has kept new cases below 30,000 for the last several days.

Deaths from the virus remain the lowest since the pandemic began. There were 666 deaths on Thursday and 667 the day before.

Homeowners still in forbearance programs are vulnerable

Research from the New York Federal Reserve Bank shows that about 65% of homeowners who entered a pandemic-related mortgage forbearance program are now out of it. The report found that those who remain typically have lower credit scores and are more likely to have subprime mortgages.

The report’s authors suggest that those still not making payments may face a high degree of difficulty in transitioning back to normal payments. About 70% are not making any monthly payments.

On the bright side, the report found that the booming housing market has helped many homeowners leave the forbearance program. The increase in home equity has helped homeowners sell their homes for a profit, an avenue not open to delinquent homeowners during the financial crisis.

Reopening is creating supply chain issues

New mask guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is leading to a rush on restaurants, many of which are being allowed to return to 100% capacity. That, in turn, is leading to challenges in maintaining a normal menu.

While restaurants struggle to find employees, the same is true at food processing plants, which scaled back operations during the pandemic. Chicken processors say they are having a hard time hiring employees, and that has created shortages and higher prices.

While no fast-food company has said it’s raising prices on chicken products yet, they’re also wrestling with having to pay more for chicken meat. “We are just absorbing that for now and plugging away,” said Executive Chef Brian Morris at Nashville hot chicken chain Hattie B’s.

WHO says variants respond to existing vaccines

Variants to the coronavirus are a source of concern because they appear to spread more easily, although they don’t seem to be more deadly. In a new report, the World Health Organization (WHO) says people who are fully vaccinated have even less to fear. It says existing vaccines are effective against known variants.

That’s consistent with research conducted by Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. Their trials have shown that their vaccines are only slightly less effective when confronted with mutated forms of the virus.

"All COVID-19 virus variants can be controlled in the same way with public health and social measures," European Regional Director Hans Kluge said at a press conference. "All COVID-19 virus variants that have emerged so far do respond to the available approved vaccines." 

When will this be over?

The CDC’s guidance that fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear masks in most settings has lots of people seeing the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. But just when, exactly, will the pandemic be over?

According to health information publisher STAT, that’s not an easy question to answer. It notes that we’ve had influenza pandemics in the past that burned themselves out in about a year and a half.

However, it also notes that COVID-19 is a different kind of virus, so previous pandemics may not be an accurate guide. But a modeling paper published in Science predicts that the body’s immune system will learn to handle the virus so that its effects are much less severe within about two years.

Around the nation

• Nevada: Two Republican state legislators are facing disciplinary action for refusing to wear masks on the floor of the state assembly, as required by rules. Neither would say whether they had been vaccinated. One lawmaker is being barred from voting until she apologizes.

• Virginia: Efforts are now underway across the state to vaccinate children. About 600 kids got their first shot at a mass vaccination venue set up at Richmond International Raceway.

• Florida: Beaches have begun to fill up with vaccinated vacationers, and Florida tourism officials are beginning to breathe a sigh of relief. "We're growing increasingly optimistic about the summer," Daryl Cronk, senior director of research for Visit Orlando, told U.S News and World Report. "In Orlando, tourism is the heart of the economy."

Microsoft is alerting users about a huge malware campaign that can steal data and stage fake ransomware attacks.

The malware tries to lure recipients into opening what appear to be PDF attachments in email blasts. But when victims click on those attachments, they wind up downloading a malware variant called StrRAT.

Microsoft’s Security Intelligence Team tweeted that StrRAT’s job is to confuse a computer’s operating system and gain access to browser passwords, log keystrokes, and run remote commands. 

Running remote commands can be quite the plaything for a hacker. It allows them to run willy-nilly through a user’s computer, harvesting sensitive information that can range from email credentials to data stored in internet browsers.

The attack sequence to watch out for

In following the malware’s trails, Threatpost was able to determine what the malware’s attack sequence is. It plays out like this:

To start, attackers have been known to use compromised email accounts to send several different emails. To date, the messages disguise the sender as someone who is a supplier or has something to do with the payment of goods or services. Some of the messages use the subject line “Outgoing Payments.” Others refer to specific payments supposedly made by the “Accounts Payable Department.” Still others say “your payment has been released as per attached payment advice” and asks the recipient to verify adjustments made in the attached PDF.

That PDF -- if clicked -- is where the trouble starts. The malware is downloaded to the user’s computer and the hackers are off to the races gathering all the data they can mine. While extortion is not the primary idea behind the attack, reports are circulating that the hackers may also try to make a quick buck off users by disguising their attack as a form of ransomware.

Guarding against the attack

Microsoft says its Microsoft 365 Defender delivers “coordinated defense against this threat” and can protect users against malicious emails after they’re detected.

The company’s Security Intelligence Team has also published what it knows on GitHub so others who deal with computer security can identify indicators of malicious behaviors related to StrRAT before they do any damage.

Cryptocurrency investors who think they’re out of Big Brother’s watchful eye just got a wake-up call. The U.S. Treasury Department has decided that digital investors will now have to report any transfer of $10,000 or more to the IRS.

The IRS has been quietly working on ways it can track taxpayers who own cryptocurrencies by examining digital currency exchanges such as Coinbase. Now, it’s making it known that it won’t allow cryptocurrency investors to evade their tax responsibilities. 

Outdated IRS systems lead to billions in tax losses

In the newly released American Families Plan Tax Compliance Agenda, the Treasury Department admitted that many tax compliance issues stem from problems with the IRS’ systems. The agency said these systems are rather antiquated, with code that’s 50 years old and “lacks the ability to do what more modern technology can do.”

“Further, noncompliance has been exacerbated by enhanced opportunities to shield income from tax liability, and even from audits. These opportunities are particularly available for those in the top end of the income distribution who can avoid taxes through sophisticated strategies such as offshoring, creating complex partnership structures, or moving taxable assets into the crypto economy.”

The Treasury Department’s proposal falls under President Biden’s tax compliance plan, an initiative that seeks to close the “tax gap” — the difference between what people owe in taxes and what they actually paid. In the Treasury Department’s analysis, that gap totaled roughly $600 billion in 2019 -- a dollar figure equal to 15% of taxes owed. If left as-is, it could rise to about $7 trillion over the course of the next decade. 

The Biden administration senses that cryptocurrency reporting could fill in part of that gap. As cryptocurrencies continue to grow in importance, the White House wants to make sure they’ve got that aspect covered. 

Not all that different from current regulations

In actuality, the new crypto reporting request is no different than what the IRS asks of taxpayers who make cash transactions of $10,000. 

“Although cryptocurrency is a small share of current business transactions, such comprehensive reporting is necessary to minimize the incentives and opportunity to shift income out of the new information reporting regime,” the Treasury Department reported.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Utah explored whether or not COVID-19 will eventually become less dangerous to consumers’ health. 

The team’s work showed that exposure to the virus, whether by contracting it or by getting vaccinated, may eventually make the virus a seasonal issue. They explained that the severity of infections will likely decline as consumers’ immune systems get used to the virus. However, it’s important to be aware of some lingering potential risks. 

“This shows a possible future that has not yet been fully addressed,” said researcher Fred Adler, Ph.D. “Over the next decade, the severity of COVID-19 may decrease as populations collectively develop immunity.” 

What will the future look like?

To understand what COVID-19 will look like moving forward, the researchers created predictive mathematical models that looked at the body’s immune response from several different angles. This included kids’ response to the virus versus adults’ response, overall exposure to the virus, and protective measures like wearing masks, social distancing, and vaccinations.

Based on those factors, the researchers found that the severity of infections is likely to decrease over time. They explained that adults who were either vaccinated or infected with the virus are likely to have a mild response if re-exposed. Kids who come into contact with the virus are also more likely to have a less severe reaction because of the strength of their immune systems.

“In the beginning of the pandemic, no one had seen the virus before,” Dr. Adler said. “Our immune system was not prepared.” 

Moving forward, the team hopes to keep these models as current as possible, including information on new variants of the virus. 

“Our next step is comparing our model predictions with the most current disease data to assess which way the pandemic is going as it is happening,” Dr. Adler said. “Do things look like they’re heading in a bad or good direction? Is the proportion of mild cases increasing? Knowing that might affect choices we make as a society.”

A number of Americans are taking medications that could weaken the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open. 

An analysis of data from more than 3 million insured U.S. patients found that nearly 3% take immunosuppressive drugs, including chemotherapy medications and steroids such as prednisone. 

The study authors said there are many immunosuppressive drugs that may not significantly affect COVID-19 risk, but steroid medications do appear to increase the risk of severe illness and hospitalization from COVID-19. Evidence has suggested that these drugs may also hamper the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. 

The study found that two-thirds of adults aged 18-65 took an oral steroid at least once, and more than 40% took steroids for more than 30 days over the course of a year. 

"This study gives us previously unavailable information about how many Americans are taking immunosuppressive medications," said lead author Dr. Beth Wallace, a rheumatologist at Michigan Medicine-University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Consumers should consult with their doctors

There are a number of diagnoses that can result in the need for a person to take drugs that can render them immunocompromised. The most common diagnoses are cancer, immune-mediated conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, and skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

More research is needed to fully understand the effects of the drugs on COVID-19 vaccines, Wallace said. 

"We don't have a full picture on how these drugs affect the vaccine's effectiveness, so it's difficult to formulate guidelines around vaccinating these patients," Wallace said. "Until we know more about this, we really won't be able to say if immunosuppressed people are actually protected.” 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn’t currently offer specific recommendations for this group of people, she added. 

"The CDC acknowledges this cohort might not be as protected as other fully vaccinated people, but there are no set recommendations for what precautions they should take," Wallace said. "For now, this is going to be an individual decision people make with their doctor."

In the age of the coronavirus, Wallace said providers may want to consider being less liberal with how often they prescribe oral steroids -- and be sure to consider the minimum dose and duration when they do feel it’s necessary to prescribe them. 

She added that sometimes oral steroids can be substituted with other treatments, especially for short-term conditions like bronchitis or allergic reactions.

Amazon announced Friday that it’s pulling the plug on its Prime Now app and website. The company’s standalone app and website will be gone by the end of this year. 

The platform was launched in 2014 as a service that provides two-hour delivery for essential goods and groceries. Amazon isn’t doing away with those features, but it is moving them to its primary app. 

“To make this experience even more seamless for customers, we are moving the experience from a separate Prime Now app onto the Amazon app and website so customers can shop all Amazon has to offer from one convenient location,” said Stephenie Landry, vice president of grocery at Amazon.

Consumers can select two-hour delivery on essentials and other goods through the Amazon app or website. Amazon said users will be able to add items until it confirms that it is preparing the order. Two-hour grocery delivery is also available through Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods, which are both on Amazon’s main app. 

Streamlining its grocery strategy

In recent years, Amazon has focused on expanding and streamlining its grocery offerings. In January, the tech giant announced that it was discontinuing its Prime Pantry service for the sake of simplicity. 

“We have decided to transfer Amazon Pantry selection to the main Amazon.com store so customers can get everyday household products faster, without an extra subscription or purchase requirement,” Amazon said at the time. 

Last year, the company also launched its own chain of Fresh grocery stores, separate from its Whole Foods stores. 

The company has been hinting at the end of the Prime Now app and website lately, directing consumers to the Amazon app and website via a pop-up in the app. 

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, experts were highlighting the benefits of moving doctor’s appointments to virtual platforms. Over the course of the last year, everything from therapy to visits to the vet went from in-person appointments to online sessions. 

Now, researchers from Syracuse University predict that telehealth services are likely to be one of the pandemic-related changes that stick around in the future. Despite the challenges associated with telemedicine, many practitioners see the benefits of treating patients this way and plan to continue offering these services beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“In the U.S. we talk about this iron triangle of health care which is quality, access, and cost,” said researcher Bhanveet Walia. “The results of this survey show that physicians who practice internal medicine are in favor, more than 40%, say they would continue telehealth. This is great in terms of achieving the iron triangle.” 

Doctors are comfortable with telehealth

To understand doctors’ perspectives on telehealth services, the researchers surveyed physicians across the country between July 2020 and September 2020. Nearly 150 respondents answered questions about their experiences using telemedicine technologies, if they participated in training related to this technology, and how likely they’d be to continue conducting virtual exams in the future. 

According to the doctors’ responses, the pandemic led to a significant increase in the number of telehealth visits; the rate of virtual visits increased from just over 13% before the pandemic to nearly 60% in the early days of the pandemic. 

To ensure that patients were receiving the highest quality of care, many of the physicians participated in telehealth training programs. This helped them learn the ins and outs of the technology and made sure that exams ran smoothly. Looking to the future, more than 40% of the doctors said they’d continue offering their patients telehealth services post-pandemic. 

“I was surprised by the results,” Walia said. “I initially thought that, because of the challenges of telehealth, physicians would not be in favor of continuing post-pandemic. It turns out they do. But make no mistake, there are challenges.” 

Challenges still exist

The study revealed that there were a few challenges to consider when evaluating telehealth services, which included the cost of technology and training programs, the reliability of internet connection, and the time it takes to adequately train staff on these technologies. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope policymakers also consider the role that telemedicine can have on consumers and the economy. Walia explained that she’s most worried that telehealth will reduce the number of options that are available to consumers, and she hopes that these findings draw attention to this potential issue. 

“As consumers, we want competition, which reduces the price and increases the quality,” Walia said. “On one hand, from this survey I believe telehealth can increase access. On the other hand, as a health economist, I worry that market concentration will reduce access. 

“As a researcher, my goal is to understand the problem and anticipate future problems. This could be one,” she added. “The goal of advancing telehealth is to increase access, and market concentration can make things work backwards. We cannot ignore this, if this is going to be the next big thing. Let’s make sure, as policymakers, that we don’t allow market concentration to happen.” 

The price of gasoline has stayed the same over the last couple of days as the Colonial Pipeline has resumed more normal operations, supplying fuel to the Southeast and mid-Atlantic states.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows that the national average price of regular gas is $3.04 a gallon, the same price it’s been the last few days and only a penny more than last Friday. The average price of premium gas is $3.64, about two cents a gallon higher than a week ago. The average price of diesel fuel is $3.17 a gallon, one cent more than last week.

In addition to more fuel flowing through the Colonial Pipeline, oil refineries are turning out more fuel. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that refinery utilization has increased to 86.3% in the last week. However, total domestic supply fell by 2 million barrels to 234.2 million barrels.

“As demand and supply move in sync, the national average is expected to continue stabilizing through the weekend,” AAA said in its latest update. “However, we could see some fluctuation next week with the lead up to Memorial Day weekend, during which AAA forecasts 34 million Americans to take road trips.”

Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, reported that Wednesday’s gasoline demand was down more than 15% from the previous Wednesday, which could serve to keep fuel prices stable for a while longer.

The states with the most expensive gas

These states currently have the highest prices for regular gas, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Survey:

• California ($4.15)

• Hawaii ($3.89)

• Nevada ($3.61)

• Washington ($3.55)

• Oregon ($3.40)

• Utah ($3.36)

• Alaska ($3.29)

• Illinois ($3.24)

• Idaho ($3.23)

• Pennsylvania ($3.16)

The states with the cheapest regular gas

The survey found these states currently have the lowest prices for regular gas:

• Mississippi ($2.72)

• Louisiana ($2.73)

• Missouri ($2.75)

• Texas ($2.75)

• Arkansas ($2.76)

• Oklahoma ($2.78)

• North Dakota ($2.84)

• Kansas ($2.84)

• Minnesota ($2.84)

• Alabama ($2.85)

Chrysler is recalling nine model year 2019-2021 Alfa Romeo Stelvios and model year 2020-2021 Alfa Romeo Giulias.

Hard braking may cause the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU) rotor shaft to separate, a reduction of braking assist, and a loss of ABS.

The loss of braking assistance and ABS functionality can reduce overall braking performance, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will replace the ABS HCU free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 23, 2021.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at (800) 853-1403.

Researchers from cybersecurity security firm Check Point Research have found that a number of Android apps had “misconfigurations” on cloud services, leaving user data belonging to more than 100 million users vulnerable to a variety of attacks. 

In a report published Thursday, Check Point said it recently discovered that the developers behind nearly two dozen mobile apps didn’t configure their real-time database properly. 

“Real-time database allows application developers to store data on the cloud, making sure it is synched in real-time to every connected client,” Check Point explained. 

In the last few months, the team said many application developers have “put their data and users’ data at risk” by failing to ensure that authentication mechanisms were in place.

“By not following best practices when configuring and integrating 3rd party cloud services into applications, millions of users’ private data was exposed,” the team wrote. “In some cases, this type of misuse only affects the users, however, the developers were also left vulnerable. The misconfiguration put users’ personal data and developer’s internal resources, such as access to update mechanisms and storage at risk.” 

23 apps examined

The researchers said the 23 Android apps they examined -- which included a taxi app with over 50,000 installs, a logo maker, a screen recorder with over 10 million downloads, a fax service, and astrology software, among others -- contained a variety of security shortcomings. 

Check Point said the apps were leaking data that included email records, chat messages, location information, user IDs, passwords, and images. Thirteen of the apps left sensitive data publicly available in unsecured cloud setups. 

In the case of the Angolan taxi app “T’Leva,” the researchers found that they were able to obtain user data, including messages exchanged with drivers, riders’ full names, phone numbers, and destination and pickup locations.  

‘Disturbing reality’

Aviran Hazum, Check Point's manager of mobile research, said the study "sheds light on a disturbing reality where application developers place not only their data, but their private users' data at risk."

When app developers fail to follow the “best practices” when configuring and integrating third party cloud services, the researchers said it could potentially leave users vulnerable to several types of cybersecurity threats. 

"This misconfiguration of real-time databases is not new, but [..] the scope of the issue is still far too broad and affects millions of users," the researchers said. "If a malicious actor gains access to this data it could potentially result in service-swipe (trying to use the same username-password combination on other services), fraud, and identity theft."

The firm said it informed the app developers of the vulnerabilities, and a few have since changed their configuration.