Current Events in September 2021

Chrysler is recalling 135 model year 2021 Dodge Challengers.

The recalled vehicles do not illuminate their safety system status indicators sufficiently in both daylight and nighttime driving conditions.

Without visible safety system indicators, a driver may not receive information regarding vehicle safety, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.

What to do

Dealers will re-program instrument clusters with the correct software version free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 15, 2021.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-140. Chrysler's number for this recall is Y58.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 42,294,019 (42,091,633)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 676,347 (673,781)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 229,222,879 (228, 678,343)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 4,702,936 (4,695,251)‌

COVID-19 death toll eclipses Spanish Flu pandemic

The U.S. passed a grim milestone this week as the death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed the number of deaths from the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. That pandemic claimed an estimated 675,000 American lives between 1918 and 1921.

More than 676,000 American deaths have been attributed to the coronavirus pandemic, which began in early 2020. The U.S. death toll has risen this year despite the widespread availability of COVID-19 vaccines.

A century ago, the health profession had few weapons to fight against the flu. There was no vaccine, and the first antibiotic, penicillin, wasn’t invented until 1928.

J&J offers data showing the effectiveness of its booster

While the widespread deployment of booster shots is far from a settled issue, Johnson & Johnson has offered data showing a second shot of its vaccine, administered two months after the first, is 94% effective against moderate to severe COVID-19 cases.

Company officials say the effectiveness of the booster is so high because of the initial dose, which they say produces a significant antibody response.

“Our single-shot vaccine generates strong immune responses and long-lasting immune memory,” said Dr. Mathai Mammen, a top executive at Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Research & Development. “And, when a booster of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is given, the strength of protection against COVID-19 further increases.”

An increasing number of kids are getting COVID-19

A report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) shows cases of COVID-19 among children have increased “exponentially,” especially since schools opened for the fall term. The report says children now account for about 26% of all new cases of the virus.

"After declining in early summer, child cases have increased exponentially, with over 925,000 cases in the past four weeks," AAP said in a statement.

Children may be especially vulnerable since those under age 12 are not yet eligible for vaccination. Health experts predict the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will focus on evaluating vaccinations for kids in the coming weeks. Pfizer has released data that it says shows its vaccine is safe and effective for children between the ages of five and 11.

Around the nation

• Texas: With COVID-19 cases surging, more restaurants are requiring diners to wear masks, but the opposite is true at a restaurant near Dallas. A couple who wore masks because they have an immunocompromised newborn at home were told the restaurant had a “no-mask” policy. When they declined to remove their masks, they were told to leave.

• Michigan: State health officials are dealing with what they say is a significant increase in COVID-19 outbreaks. They’ve identified 583 active outbreaks that occurred last week. That’s a 31% increase from the previous week when there were 444 outbreaks.

• California: California is one of the states where cases were surging just a few weeks ago but now appear to be well under control. The latest data from the COVID-19 tracker at Johns Hopkins University shows just 24.99 new confirmed cases for every 100,000 people in the state.

• West Virginia: West Virginia was a model of effectiveness during the vaccine rollout earlier this year. But despite that, state health officials are dealing with mounting cases that are straining resources. Officials say cases and hospitalizations are currently at a pandemic high.

• Nebraska: State officials discontinued Nebraska’s COVID-19 dashboard when cases of the virus declined sharply back in June. Monday, the state brought it back amid a statewide surge in cases. State officials say only about half of Nebraska’s population is fully vaccinated.

When things started looking good in late Spring for Americans to return to something resembling their pre-COVID normal, one of the first things on many of our checklists was to eat out. Things have changed again, however. A new report by foot traffic analytics firm Placer.ai finds that while many of those chains saw a sizzling summer in terms of foot traffic, the pendulum is starting to swing the other way.

Placer.ai’s analytics show that the dining sector nationwide had a difficult August. “By mid-August, rising COVID cases were already thwarting the budding dining recovery, with nationwide dining visits down -2.1%, -8.0%, -3.4%, and -6.1% for the weeks beginning August 16, August 23, August 30, and September 6, respectively,” the report says. 

Booming biz for Darden-owned restaurants

For one of the nation’s biggest chains — Darden Restaurants, home to Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Bahama Breeze, Yard House, and Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen — their reopening business boomed. 

As diners opted to treat themselves to a nice night out after being cooped up for more than a year, Darden was ready. The report said Darden’s three upscale chains are also above pre-pandemic visit heights. The Capital Grille is in the best shape, with visits up nearly 15% during August compared to 2019. At Eddie V’s, they were up almost 12%, and Seasons 52 was up 1.4%.

A Placer.ai spokesperson told ConsumerAffairs that the negative metrics for Darden's other concept chains was "a tough concept to grasp," noting that while Bahama Breeze saw foot traffic up 4.2% in August compared to the same month in pre-pandemic 2019, visits were still down 9.5% at Yard House and 10.2% at Cheddar’s. 

Steak, yes; Italian, no?

Placer.ai’s data shows that Darden's two largest brands, Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, are on seemingly different trajectories, but both are still in a better position now than they were earlier this year. 

LongHorn Steakhouse has been having an impressive spring and summer, with visits up 19.9%, 34.1%, and 17.1% in June, July, and August, respectively, when compared to the same months in 2019. Meanwhile, Olive Garden, which had been gradually closing the visit gap and even reached year-over-two-year visit growth in July, dropped back down to a -5.3% visit gap in August. 

Darden’s CEO says the pundits have it all wrong

Darden chief and chairmen Gene Lee strongly defended Olive Garden, explaining why the chain isn’t keeping pace with its casual dining peers. Speaking to trade publication FSR Magazine, Lee said the decline is due to the brand not “participating in giving away our food through third-party channels.” Lee said that Olive Garden isn’t discounting its cash like others by selling gift cards.

He claims that the bottom line is, well, the bottom line — and that Olive Garden’s is very healthy. “In the fourth quarter (2020), we put up 25 percent restaurant-level margins. Isn't our job to try to drive profitable sales growth? And that's what we're focused on. And so there are a lot of reasons why we're not keeping up with where some of the other people are going. There's a lot that's changed in two years and how they're handling their businesses. Some of them have virtual brands and all this other stuff that's out there.”

A new study conducted by researchers from the Endocrine Society explored how exposure to certain chemicals may impact how long women are able to breastfeed. 

According to their findings, exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may shorten the window for how long women can breastfeed. PFAS are used to make products that are water- or oil-resistant, and when women are around them often during pregnancy, it can impact their ability to breastfeed. 

“Our findings are important because almost every human on the planet is exposed to PFAS,” said researcher Clara Amalie Gade Timmermann, Ph.D. “These human-made chemicals accumulate in our bodies and have detrimental effects on our reproductive health. Early unwanted weaning has been traditionally attributed to psychological factors, which are without a doubt important, but hopefully our research will help shift the focus and highlight that not all mothers can breastfeed despite good intentions and support from family and health care professionals.” 

The risks of PFAS exposure

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 1,300 pregnant women enrolled in the Odense Child Cohort. During pregnancy, the women provided blood samples to assess levels of PFAS and prolactin. After giving birth, they provided weekly updates about their breastfeeding status. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that the women with the greatest exposure to PFAS were more likely to stop breastfeeding early. Women were 20% more likely to stop breastfeeding at any point when their PFAS levels were high. 

PFAS exposure is dangerous because the chemicals never fully disintegrate. They have a direct impact on the body’s endocrine system and have been found to significantly impact reproductive health. 

Moving forward, the researchers worry about how these findings will impact both women’s and infants’ long-term health. 

“Because breastfeeding is crucial to promote both child and maternal health, adverse PFAS effects on the ability to breastfeed may have long-term health consequences,” said Timmermann. 

A new study conducted by researchers from Ohio State University explored how consumers’ sleeping habits may affect their food choices.

According to their findings, getting the recommended seven hours of sleep per night may lead to healthier snacking during the day, while the opposite is also true; getting fewer than seven hours of sleep each night may lead to eating more unhealthy snacks.  

“Not only are we not sleeping when we stay up late, but we’re doing all these obesity-related behaviors: lack of physical activity, increased screen time, food choices that we’re consuming as snacks and not as meals,” said researcher Christopher Taylor. “So it creates this bigger impact of meeting or not meeting sleep recommendations. 

How sleep impacts our health

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 20,000 adults enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants recorded food logs that included both what and when they ate, as well as information on their sleep schedule on weeknights. 

The researchers learned that the participants’ sleep habits had an impact on their snacking habits. While more than 95% of the participants had at least one snack per day, sleeping patterns impacted when snacks were consumed and what kinds of snacks were consumed most often. 

“We know lack of sleep is linked to obesity from a broader scale, but it’s all these little behaviors that are anchored around how that happens,” said Taylor. 

The study showed that participants who struggled to sleep for at least seven hours every night ate more unhealthy snacks throughout the day than those who met sleep guidelines. It’s important to note that more than 50% of the participants reported eating things like chips, cookies, or pretzels. However, participants that weren’t sleeping enough ate more of these types of foods and were also more likely to snack in the morning. 

The researchers’ biggest piece of advice: get to bed earlier — even that means just physically getting into bed sooner to avoid unhealthy snacking. 

“Meeting sleep recommendations helps us meet that specific need for sleep related to our health, but is also tied to not doing the things that can harm health,” Taylor said. “The longer we’re awake, the more opportunities we have to eat. And at night, those calories are coming from snacks and sweets. Every time we make those decisions, we’re introducing calories and items related to increased risk for chronic diseases, and we’re not getting whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. 

“Even if you’re in bed and trying to fall asleep, at least you’re not in the kitchen eating — so if you can get yourself to bed, that’s a starting point,” he said. 

Ford has gotten a lot of attention lately by previewing its all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup, but Toyota is reminding consumers it has no intention of bowing out of the pickup competition.

The company this week introduced the 2022 Toyota Tundra pickup with a major redesign — the third generation of Tundra pickups. It debuted its TV commercial for the truck during NBC’s Sunday Night Football telecast.

Toyota says its engineers focused on enhancing the performance, capability, multimedia, and creature comforts for drivers and passengers.

New features include a high-strength boxed, steel-ladder frame, aluminum-reinforced composite bed, and fully redesigned multi-link rear suspension. The result gives the new Tundra a maximum towing capacity of up to 12,000 pounds and a maximum payload capacity of 1,940 pounds.

“Our design goal from the beginning was to create the most powerful, rugged and sophisticated looking full-size pickup that will take Tundra to a whole new level,” said Kevin Hunter, president of Calty Design Research. “Because recreation and an outdoor lifestyle are at the core of Toyota truck identity, we set out to create a muscular, chiseled and athletic design that also looks like it could handle the toughest towing demands.”

Consumers like its durability

The Tundra is a popular model with ConsumerAffairs reviewers, who give the model a 4-star review. Many have commented on the vehicle’s durability.

“Great truck. minimal care,” wrote Will of Massena, New York, in a ConsumerAffairs review. “It is a workhorse, going through snow like a hot knife through butter. Overall I love this truck. Only drawback is parts can be a bit high but if you shop around you can keep that cost down.”

The new Tundra has a bolder look than previous models and offers upgraded technologies and additional power. But in a change from the past, the 2022 Tundra will offer two versions of a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine as well as a V-8. One of the V-6 engines is a hybrid producing up to 437 horsepower.

Interior changes

Past Tundra owners will also notice some changes in the cab. Designers chose a horizontal layout theme instead of the vertical layout on most other trucks in the market. Part of the goal was to integrate the instrument panel and center stack to flow with the interior layout. 

Toyota says the Tundra boasts some upgraded interior materials as well. High-contact areas like armrests and pads across the dash feature highly durable materials designed to keep the truck looking new.

Toyota has yet to release fuel economy ratings for the 2022 Tundra. When the truck goes on sale before the end of the year, it’s expected to carry a sticker price of between $34,000 and $50,000.

McDonald’s is under growing pressure to change its Happy Meals — not just the food, but the toy that goes with it. The chain has now pledged to reduce the amount of plastic used to make the toys.

In Tuesday’s announcement, McDonald’s said Happy Meal toys will contain significantly less plastic by 2025. The company said it has already cut plastic in the toys by 30% since 2018. Once it achieves the latest goal, McDonald’s says Happy Meal toys will contain 90% less plastic than before it began to phase it out.

The toys that come with the meal have almost always been primarily plastic in their composition. In recent years, the toys have included figures and products that promote popular movies.

Previously, McDonald’s critics were focused on the meals themselves. Since 2018, McDonald’s says it has provided food choices that contain fewer calories, sodium, sugar, and saturated fat.

Sustainability issues

The company said it has recently heard from parents who voiced concern about the sustainability of the toys provided with the meal. According to CNBC, British schoolchildren started a petition in 2019 that asked both McDonald’s and Burger King to get rid of plastic toys altogether.

McDonald’s executives have been getting creative of late, designing some toys using plant-derived or recycled material. Action figures will also undergo a dramatic change as well.

The characters from popular movies won’t be made of plastic. Rather, they will be 3-D representations made with paper or cardboard.

The company said it is also looking into getting rid of the plastic packaging surrounding the toys. Among the suggestions under consideration are plant-based and certified fiber packaging.

Changes are rolling out overseas

U.S. customers have yet to see the changes, but consumers in some other countries have. McDonald’s has already rolled out plastic-reduced Happy Meal toys in France and is in the process of doing so in Ireland and the U.K.

According to Jenny McColloch, McDonald’s chief sustainability officer, the transition is aimed at appealing to the next generation of consumers who "care deeply about protecting the planet and what we can do to help make our business more sustainable." 

"We've had innovation in our toys for quite some time," McColloch said at a press briefing. "That said, we're always listening to our customers and our families, and understanding where we can do better." 

Chrysler is recalling 14,410 model year 2020 Jeep Wranglers with the 2.0 Liter engine.

A cracked fuel supply line connector may leak fuel into the engine compartment.

A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of fire.

What to do

Dealers will inspect and replace the fuel supply line -- as needed -- free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 15, 2021.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at (800) 853-140. Chrysler's number for this recall is Y10.

Ford Motor Company is recalling 592 model year 2021 Explorers and Lincoln Aviators.

The side airbag attachment weld studs could detach during the deployment of the side airbag, resulting in an improper deployment.

Improper deployment of a side airbag increases the risk of injury in a crash.

What to do

Dealers will replace the side air bag assemblies free of charge.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C19.

As the Biden administration hinted just last week, the U.S. is modifying the travel restrictions — including for quarantine — placed on foreign visitors starting in November.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients announced the new policy on Monday, saying that the new rules require two things: All foreign travelers flying to the U.S. will need to provide proof of vaccination prior to boarding, and they’ll need proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days prior to their flight. 

Zients also said the White House is tightening testing rules for unvaccinated American citizens returning home from traveling abroad. The new rule is that they’ll need to get tested within 24 hours before returning to the U.S., plus they’ll have to have a test after they arrive back in the U.S. 

The only remaining question regarding the announcement is what the move will mean for unvaccinated travelers. 

“The ban had outlived its usefulness”

The change is already being hailed as good news — possibly spurred by U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s visit to the White House. "The PM will make an impassioned case for Brits who've been double jabbed to be allowed to travel to the U.S. There are a lot of family links, business links and millions of tourists usually travel every year," a government official told The Telegraph.

Flight expert Scott Keyes of Scott’s Cheap Flights has been monitoring the situation for months and says it’s about time.

"The ban on travelers from the European Union and elsewhere had long outlived any usefulness. An unvaccinated traveler from Grenada (currently the most per-capita cases in the world) was welcomed in the U.S., while a fully vaccinated traveler from France was barred,” Keyes told ConsumerAffairs.

“Where’s the sense in that? Today’s announcement is wonderful news for reopening international travel while maintaining reasonable COVID precautions. It will benefit not just those eager to visit family and friends in the U.S., but millions of Americans who work in travel as well."

A federal judge in Colorado has ruled that Frontier Airlines is not responsible for refunding the price of airfare for travelers who had their flights canceled by the airline or decided to cancel their ticket themselves.

The class-action lawsuit alleged that Frontier knew it would cancel flights and have to provide refunds per Department of Transportation mandates — but rather than provide those refunds in cash, the company persuaded travelers to cancel their flights themselves in order for Frontier to save its hard-earned money and leave its customers with a travel voucher. The kicker is that the vouchers were good for only 90 days, which made them essentially useless during part of the coronavirus pandemic due to airlines' reduced schedules or grounded flights.

The plaintiffs claimed that Frontier’s Contract of Carriage says in black and white that if Frontier cancels a flight it will “provide a refund for the unused portion of the passenger’s ticket.” But when the gavel came down, Chief U.S. District Judge Philip A. Brimmer dismissed the breach of contract claim, saying he didn’t see anything that proved that Frontier broke the terms and conditions of travel.

Both Delta Air Lines and Southwest are facing similar lawsuits. 

Other consumers complain about Frontier’s refund policy

ConsumerAffairs reviewers have lodged more than a dozen complaints about refund issues with Frontier over the past 90 days. These complaints mention Frontier canceling flights without informing travelers and a number of issues while dealing with the airline’s customer service representatives. Some people put forth the same complaints in the aforementioned class-action suit.

“I had 2 vouchers from 2020 travel that was not possible to use due to COVID. I didn't realize that one expired before the other and when I did I contacted them for an extension. It was 8 days after the date and they won't refund or extend,” wrote Diane of New Jersey. 

“Under normal circumstances I would understand being so rigid, but COVID is still going on and I think they should be more flexible because of it. So I paid them over $300 and got zero in return, seems criminal to me.”

Warehouse clubs like Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s Wholesale Club encourage buying in large quantities at what seem like discount prices. But all three charge annual membership fees to shop.

Do you really save money this way? A recent report aired by the public radio program "Marketplace" suggests that consumers do save money by shopping at these clubs — overall, savings are well above the annual fee. 

In fact, "Marketplace" found that more affluent consumers shop at these warehouses because they can afford to buy in bulk while lower-income consumers end up paying more for smaller quantities at other retailers.

The report cited a study that showed low-income households pay 5.5% more per roll of toilet paper than if they had purchased in bulk at a warehouse store. The study found that not only do low-income households lack the money for an annual fee, but they generally don’t have the extra cash to buy in bulk, even though they would save money in the long run if they did.

What ConsumerAffairs reviewers say

An analysis of ConsumerAffairs reviews of the three major warehouse retailers shows all three are fairly popular. Costco and Sam’s Club have 4-star ratings overall from ConsumerAffairs reviewers. BJ’s Wholesale Club is rated 3.9 out of 5 stars.

Negative comments about all three generally pertain to customer service or a bad experience at a particular store. Most state that they're members because it saves them money.

“It’s clean, has products with warranty, low prices, cash back, really good quality,” Oran of Great Falls, Virginia, posted in a review of Costco. “The Costco store also has gasoline with the lowest prices for gasoline and products.”

Greg of Daytona Beach, Florida, told us he goes shopping at Sam’s Club about three days a week and that he’s noticed the savings.

“Ever since I've been introduced to Sam's my food costs have gone down so much in meat, chicken, laundry detergent, fruit, and produce,” Greg wrote in a review. 

Then there's Melissa of Greenfield, Massachusetts, who calls BJ’s one of her “absolute go-to stores” and likes the fact that she can stock up there.

“They sell almost everything in bulk and yes you need to be a member,” she wrote in a ConsumerAffairs post. “However, they often have trial memberships that you can try out for 30-90 days or you are able to have one authorized user on your account. I find their prices very reasonable and the membership pays for itself in my opinion.”

Costco’s basic membership fee is $60 for 12 months. A Sam’s Club annual membership starts at $45, and BJ’s annual membership starts at $55.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 42,091,633 (42,008,645)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 773,781 (672,406)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 228, 678,343 (228,460,002)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 4,695,251 (4,689,580)‌

Pfizer says vaccine is safe for young children

Drugmakers Pfizer and BioNTech, who developed one of the three COVID-19 vaccines in use in the U.S., say Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials show their vaccine is both safe and effective for use in children as young as 5 years old.

They report the trials showed a favorable safety profile and robust antibody responses when administered to children between the ages of 5 and 11. Currently, the vaccine is approved only for people age 12 and older.

“Since July, pediatric cases of COVID-19 have risen by about 240 percent in the U.S. – underscoring the public health need for vaccination,” said Albert Bourla, Chairman and CEO at Pfizer. “These trial results provide a strong foundation for seeking authorization of our vaccine for children 5 to 11 years old, and we plan to submit them to the FDA and other regulators with urgency.”

FDA panel: Booster shots not for everyone

In a vote late Friday, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel voted to recommend booster shots only for people age 65 and older and those with compromised immune systems. The panel of health experts concluded most people don’t need a booster shot at this point.

The vote is seen as a setback for the Biden administration, which announced last month that it would pursue a broad rollout of the boosters. But Dr. Luciana Borio, the FDA’s former chief scientist, backs the panel’s conclusion. 

“The advisers made a very sensible decision by recommending that ... the boosters be made available to a subset of the initial population that was proposed, the elderly, the ones that are most vulnerable to complications from COVID,” Borio told NPR. "And I think it also shows that the process really worked, that there was a very fulsome scientific debate on the merits about the proposed plan." 

At-home COVID-19 tests are now hard to find

Last year consumers stockpiled toilet paper. This year they’re loading up on at-home COVID-19 tests. As the Delta variant spread across the nation over the summer, anecdotal evidence showed the tests were almost impossible to find at drug stores.

The Wall Street Journal reports many businesses have snapped up these test kits in anticipation of offices reopening. Some schools are also reportedly stockpiling them.

But just how reliable are these tests, which yield results in about 15 minutes? According to the Journal, scientists say they're most reliable when used on people who have displayed symptoms.

Around the nation

• Florida: The state is finally getting some relief from COVID-19. Federal health officials report there were 8,976 COVID-19 patients in 255 Florida hospitals on Sunday. That’s down nearly 16% from the previous Sunday.

• New York: The latest super-spreader concern is not a concert or crowded sporting event. Health officials are worried about the upcoming meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. Diplomats from around the world will meet in person after last year’s virtual gathering.

• South Dakota: South Dakota is one of the states in which many residents have declined a COVID-19 vaccination, but it appears to be catching up. The latest numbers show nearly half the state’s residents are now fully vaccinated and 57% have received at least one shot.

• Oklahoma: State health department officials say they are “cautiously optimistic” that the tide is turning in their state. After reaching new case levels not seen since January’s surge, the Oklahoma State Department of Health reports new cases have declined by nearly 15% in the last week.

• Wisconsin: State health officials report two counties within the state experienced “critically high” COVID-19 case activity levels last week, due primarily to the spread of the Delta variant. Out of Wisconsin’s 72 counties, only Menominee County is showing no significant change in high case activity level.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of New Hampshire explored how kids’ mental health can be affected by abuse in the home. 

According to their findings, when children witness their siblings’ abuse, it can increase the risk for a number of mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and anger. 

“When we hear about exposure to family violence, we usually think about someone being the victim of direct physical abuse or witnessing spousal assault,” said researcher Corinna Tucker. “But many children witness the abuse of a sibling without being a direct victim and it turns out we should be thinking more about these dynamics when we tally the effects of family violence exposure.” 

The toll on mental health

For the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 7,000 children who were part of three different national surveys. The children were between the ages of one month and 17 years old. Parents and children over the age of 10 answered questions related to the physical abuse of a sibling. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that less than four percent of the children involved in the study had exposure to parental abuse against a sibling (EPAS). However, of that group, the overwhelming majority of the abuse was done by fathers and, most often, to male siblings. 

The study showed that race and ethnicity didn’t play a role in children witnessing EPAS; however, the age of the child played a role, as adolescent siblings were more likely to be abused. Having two parents at home lowered the likelihood of abuse. 

Overall, witnessing abuse was associated with an increased risk of mental health concerns. These children were more likely to struggle with anxiety and depression and had a harder time controlling their anger than children who hadn’t witnessed EPAS. 

Moving forward, the team hopes that these findings shed light on how physical abuse in families can have long-term impacts on kids’ mental health -- even when they aren’t the ones experiencing the abuse firsthand. 

“In some families, EPAS may be part of a larger family climate of violence,” Tucker said. “As more family members are exposed to violence in the household, there can be less emotional security among family members and less opportunities for children to observe, listen, and practice healthy responses to stress.” 

A new study conducted by physicians at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt explored some of the risk factors that could make kids more likely to develop severe cases of COVID-19. 

According to their findings, children who have preexisting conditions and kids who are older are more likely to develop more serious COVID symptoms. 

“This is one of the largest multicenter studies of children with COVID-19 in the United States,” said researcher Dr. James Antoon. “And given the recent, concerning increases in COVID cases nationwide and the fact that the vast majority of children remain unvaccinated and susceptible, these findings should be taken into account when considering preventive strategies in schools and planning vaccinations for children less than 12 years of age.” 

Identifying risk factors

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from 20,000 children in 45 hospitals across the country. They were able to look at the number of children who required hospitalization for COVID symptoms and what risk factors were most common among the most severe cases. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that there were two primary risk factors associated with severe cases of COVID in children: age and preexisting conditions. Children that were older and children with prior illnesses (like neurological conditions, obesity, or diabetes) were at an increased risk of contracting serious cases of COVID-19 or spending time in the hospital as a result of COVID-19. 

“These factors help identify vulnerable children who are most likely to require hospitalization or develop severe COVID-19 disease,” said Dr. Antoon. “Our findings also highlight children who should be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccines when approved by the FDA.” 

Moving forward, the researchers hope that these findings are used to protect kids -- especially those in school -- who could be at the highest risk of being hospitalized for COVID. With the school year now underway, it’s important to find ways to keep kids safe and healthy. 

“Across the country there is a raging debate on how to best protect children and schools from COVID-19,” Dr. Antoon said. “With schools opening and some already in session, these children need to be protected by vaccinating as many people as possible while also using the practical strategies to limit spread, such as masking, distancing, and ventilation.” 

For years credit card companies have reaped the benefits of consumers’ shift to online shopping — this is because nearly all virtual shoppers pay with a credit card. But, lately, consumers have found an alternative.

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) services are growing in popularity, and industry analysts say they're now competing with credit cards for consumer spending. There are a growing number of BNPL apps, and more merchants, including Amazon, are embracing the payment plan.

BNPL is actually an old-fashioned concept. In the days before credit cards, consumers often financed major purchases on the installment plan. Today, most BNPL services allow consumers to pay for a purchase over several weeks, making interest-free payments every two weeks until the purchase is paid for.

Some personal finance experts have praised the concept as a way for consumers to manage their money. Not only do they avoid high interest rates, but they also avoid adding to growing balances since the purchase is paid for in a short amount of time. 

Popularity among young consumers

The concept has been embraced by young consumers, which is a reason both Walmart and Amazon now offer BNPL plans.

"Buy now, pay later solutions, in general, resonate with younger customers," Julia Unger, Walmart's vice president of financial services, said in an interview with Investor's Business Daily. "They don't view BNPL as debt. They see it as a payment plan, which is a little bit different. If you have millennials that are choosing BNPL solutions instead of credit cards, we want to make sure from an acceptance standpoint that we're offering the right solutions to customers."

Walmart, partnering with BNPL fintech Affirm, offers BNPL on certain categories, including home furnishings, jewelry, and musical instruments. Most consumable products are not eligible for the financing plan.

Amazon gets on board

Late last month, Amazon also struck a deal with Affirm to provide financing on certain products. Amazon is now allowing customers to break up purchases of $50 or more into smaller payments.

Some established payment platforms, such as Square and PayPal, have recently begun offering BNPL services after acquiring companies that operate BNPL apps.

According to Investor's Business Daily, BNPL is growing exponentially. It cites data from eMarketer projecting that more than 45 million people in the U.S. will use BNPL services in 2021, up 81% from 2020.

Even though BNPL avoids the high interest rates of credit cards, consumers who don’t make their agreed-upon payments can and do fall behind. Earlier this month, Credit Karma reported that a survey it commissioned showed 44% of consumers had used BNPL — of this number, 34% reported being behind on payments.