Current Events in October 2021

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has provided a preview of an upcoming report on e-scooter and hoverboard safety, and it serves as a warning to consumers who use these popular “micromobility” products.

The advance release shows that injuries and deaths to riders continue to rise. It also shows that accidents and injuries involving these products leveled off in 2020 when most people spent more time at home.

According to CPSC researchers, emergency rooms treated more than 190,000 people from 2017 through 2020 who had been injured in micromobility accidents. The increase steadily rose during that period.

Mechanical, electrical, and human factors

E-scooters, which became widely used in urban areas, accounted for a large portion of the injuries. These kinds of injuries rose from 7,700 in 2017 to 25,400 in 2020.

Injuries most frequently involved arms and legs, as well as the head and the neck. CPSC said it is aware of 71 fatalities associated with micromobility products from 2017 through 2020, although reporting is incomplete.

“The hazards associated with micromobility products primarily fall into three broad areas: mechanical, electrical, and human factors,” the safety agency said in a release. “To address these hazards, CPSC staff continues to work with ASTM International and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) to develop and make improvements to, voluntary standards.”

The CPSC said it has analyzed incident data and tested for various hazards associated with the products. The agency said it is also working with federal partners and industry stakeholders to promote micromobility safety.

E-scooter manufacturing and sales got a boost in recent years when urban-based companies began renting these scooters to pedestrians needing to travel several blocks in a large city. There are also scooter-sharing systems that use apps allowing users to rent the scooters by the minute.

People using micromobility products should be mindful of safety procedures. Riders should always wear a helmet to reduce the risk of serious head injuries. Before riding an e-scooter, check it for any damage, which includes examining the handlebars, brakes, throttle, bell, lights, tires, cables, and frame. The CPSC says damage to the e-scooter can cause loss of control and lead to a crash.

A new study conducted by researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center explored the risks associated with unvaccinated pregnant women contracting COVID-19. According to their findings, the highly contagious Delta variant has increased the risk of unvaccinated pregnant women requiring hospitalization after infection. 

“This is a concerning trend, and we’re primarily seeing these cases in unvaccinated women,” said researcher Dr. Emily Adhikari. 

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from 1,515 pregnant women who received treatment at Parkland Health & Hospital System for COVID-19 between May 2020, and early September 2021. 

Ultimately, the researchers found that the Delta variant was associated with a significant increase in hospitalizations among unvaccinated pregnant women. While hospitalizations for critical cases had slowed in the early months of 2021, those numbers began to spike again in the summer, when the Delta variant was first spreading. 

Eighty-two of the women involved in the study were considered severe cases of COVID-19, and 10 required a ventilator. Only one of the 82 women was vaccinated at the time of hospitalization. 

Dr. Adhikari explained that pregnant women already have an increased risk of respiratory complications from infections similar to COVID-19. This is why Dr. Adhikari advises all pregnant women to get vaccinated.

“If they are exposed and infected, they run a higher risk of severe illness from this most recent Delta variant,” Dr. Adhikari said. “Pregnant women should get immunized as soon as possible.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Buffalo explored one way that young athletes can optimize their recovery time after a concussion. According to their findings, starting an aerobic exercise routine within 10 days of a head injury can help reduce symptoms by nearly 50%. 

“The study clearly demonstrates that strict physical rest until symptoms spontaneously resolve is no longer an acceptable way to treat sport-related concussions in adolescents,” said Dr. John J. Leddy. “Our findings show that to accelerate recovery and reduce the risk of delayed recovery, physicians should not only permit, but they should consider prescribing sub-symptom threshold physical activity early after sport-related concussion.” 

The benefits of aerobic exercise

Nearly 120 athletes between the ages of 13 and 18 who had sustained a concussion playing a sport were involved in the study. One group was told to do stretching exercises for at least 20 minutes a day for four weeks; another group wore heart monitors and completed the Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test, which has participants walk on a treadmill with increasing speed and incline. 

“Since we know that regular aerobic exercise is good for brain health, the goal was to use sub-symptom threshold exercise to see if it could help the concussed brain recover,” explained Dr. Leddy. 

The researchers learned that consistently exercising within the first 10 days of a concussion can speed up the recovery process. Participants who only stretched following their head trauma fully recovered in just under three weeks; however, those who were on the treadmill every day recovered in two weeks.

The researchers explained that there are several brain benefits associated with regular aerobic exercise, including better blood flow and cognitive function. Following a concussion, they say this type of exercise can also help repair neuron damage. 

“What we discovered is that participants were quite diligent in following their prescription, and further, that those who followed the prescription or may have even exceeded the exercise prescription of 20 minutes per day recovered much faster than those that did not follow the prescription,” said researcher Barry S. Willer, Ph.D. “This finding is important because delayed recovery comes with substantial cost to adolescents, including academic difficulties, risk for depression, and reduced quality of life.” 

Venom Motorsports of Canada is recalling about 500 Venom youth All-Terrain Vehicles.

The vehicles do not meet mandatory safety requirements, including speed restrictions, posing a risk of serious injury or death.

No incidents or injuries are reported.

The recall involves Venom Motorsports’s youth electric and gas ATVs.

The ATVs have four wheels, and were sold in green/white, blue/black; black/orange, and white/orange colors. Venom is printed on the ATVs. T

he model number is printed on the black plate on the top of the left rear side of the tire.

A list of the recalled models may be found here.

The ATVs, manufactured in China, were sold exclusively online at VenomMotorsportsUSA.com from August 2020, through January 2021, for between $800 and $1,700.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled ATVs and contact Venom Motorsports to arrange the return of the recalled ATVs for a full refund.

Consumers may contact Venom Motorsports toll-free at (888) 414-6548 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (ET), or online at www.VenomMotorsportsUSA.com for more information.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 43,471,906 (43,367,242)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 698,149 (695,418)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 233,941,008 (233,434,862)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 4,786,737 (4,777,272)‌

Researchers rate Moderna vaccine over the others

When the coronavirus vaccines were rolled out earlier this year, people often debated which one to take. For maximum effectiveness, multiple studies now rate Moderna as having the longest-lasting effect.

The subject came up during the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory committee meeting on Pfizer booster shots. Several health experts cited studies showing that the Moderna vaccine was most effective at keeping vaccinated people out of the hospital.

The CDC has approved Pfizer booster shots for people 65 and older, those with underlying health conditions, and those in high-risk professions. But many health experts now suggest that people vaccinated with the Moderna drug may not need a booster.

Merck pill reduced deaths 50% in clinical trial

Efforts continue to vaccinate the population, but Merck has developed what it says is an effective treatment for people who already have the virus. Partnering with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, the pharmaceutical giant says its pill, called molnupiravir, reduced hospitalizations and deaths by 50%.

“With these compelling results, we are optimistic that molnupiravir can become an important medicine as part of the global effort to fight the pandemic and will add to Merck’s unique legacy of bringing forward breakthroughs in infectious diseases when they are needed most,” said Merck CEO said Robert Davis.

Merck said it plans to seek emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to use the drug as a way to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms.

Bill would make it harder to fly without a vaccination

Sen. Diane Feinstein has introduced a bill that would require airline passengers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or test negative before taking a domestic flight.

The U.S. Air Travel Public Safety Act would give travelers three options. They could be fully vaccinated, show a recent negative COVID-19 test result, or show they had the virus but had fully recovered.

“We know that air travel during the 2020 holiday season contributed to last winter’s devastating COVID-19 surge. We simply cannot allow that to happen again,” Feinstein said.

Around the nation

• Missouri: Missouri has joined the states that were overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases but have recently turned the corner. State health officials are reporting a nearly 25% drop in cases from August to September. The state’s vaccination numbers have also improved, with at least 65% of the eligible population receiving at least one dose.

• South Dakota: Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb has singled out South Dakota’s handling of the pandemic as one of the worst in the nation. “Certainly looking at South Dakota, you know where this was just allowed to travel largely unfettered with public health interventions, where you saw one of the highest death rates per capita,” Gottlieb told CBS’ Face The Nation.

• Michigan: The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency, which serves three counties, said it is being forced to rescind recent COVID-19 mandates because it could lose $1 million from the state. The mandates required a quarantine period after exposure to a person infected with COVID-19.

• New York: Four New York City school employees have filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court to block New York’s vaccine mandate. A federal judge earlier in the week ruled that the mandate is legal.

• Maine: Even states with high vaccination rates are not immune to outbreaks of the virus. The Wall Street Journal reports that Maine’s hospitals are filled with COVID-19 patients. State health officials blame the Delta variant, which they say targets people who have not been vaccinated.

Following disappointing clinical trial results with two COVID-19 vaccines of its own earlier in the year, drug manufacturer Merck is returning to the table with an oral treatment.

The company’s year-long clinical study involving the oral antiviral medicine molnupiravir -- a drug originally developed for the treatment of influenza -- found that the drug reduced the risk of hospitalization or death from the coronavirus by approximately 50%. With those results, Merck says it plans to seek Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in the U.S. 

One Merck spokesperson told ConsumerAffairs that molnupiravir’s potential could be game-changing. “Not only is it effective against COVID-19, but other coronavirus strains, as well,” they said. 

Merck reported no deaths among those who received molnupiravir in its outpatient study. That compared to 8 deaths in patients who received a placebo. 

“More tools and treatments are urgently needed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, which has become a leading cause of death and continues to profoundly affect patients, families, and societies and strain health care systems all around the world,” said Robert M. Davis, chief executive officer and president, Merck. “With these compelling results, we are optimistic that molnupiravir can become an important medicine as part of the global effort to fight the pandemic.”

What’s next

If granted approval, Merck says it’s prepared to produce 10 million courses of treatment by the end of 2021, with more doses expected to be produced in 2022.

Merck's plans for molnupiravir are global. In fact, the Phase 3 portion of the trial was conducted in more than 170 planned sites in countries including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, France, Germany, Guatemala, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 

The company has already submitted marketing applications to other global drug regulators and stated that it plans to implement a tiered pricing approach if it is authorized or approved. It says the pricing system will reflect countries’ relative ability to finance their health response to the pandemic.

Late Thursday, President Joe Biden signed Congress' 11th-hour funding bill to prevent a nationwide government shutdown. The move gives the government access to enough funding to last through the weekend.

Talk about close calls -- government funding was set to expire at midnight. But Democrats, who control both the House and Senate, were adamant that the government would remain open. And, thanks to a sprinkling of bi-partisanship, the bill passed the House and Senate.

Earlier in the week, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned Congress that the government needed to deal with the debt ceiling. She said if Congress failed to act and find a way to keep federal funding alive, a monetary default would likely be devastating.

Disaster and COVID-19 relief extended

H.R. 5305, the “Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act,” not only provides fiscal year 2022 appropriations to federal agencies through December 3; it also allows for the continuation and appropriation of certain projects such as disaster relief. 

Through an amendment crafted by Vermont senator Patrick Leahy, the bill keeps the National Flood Insurance Program's ability to sell new policies and renew existing ones afloat by providing $28.6 billion to address natural disasters like Hurricane Ida. Additionally, it provides assistance to support Afghan refugees and America’s Afghan partners.

“It meets critical and urgent needs of the nation, including disaster relief for both red and blue states hit hard by Hurricane Ida and other devastating natural disasters, and funding to help us resettle Afghan allies in the United States following the end of the 20-year war in Afghanistan,” Biden said in announcing the bill’s passage “will also keep up our fight against COVID-19 and—on this International Recovery Day—it will continue our battle against the opioid crisis.”

Neiman Marcus has alerted customers that a data breach last year may have exposed the payment records of 4.6 million customers.

The personal information for affected customers may have included names and contact information; payment card numbers and expiration dates but without CVV numbers; Neiman Marcus virtual gift card numbers without PINs; and usernames, passwords, and security questions and answers associated with Neiman Marcus online accounts. 

The company said it has alerted law enforcement and retained the services of a cybersecurity firm to investigate. The preliminary investigation shows that around 3.1 million payment and virtual gift cards were exposed, but the vast majority -- more than 85% -- were expired. 

The company said no active Neiman Marcus-branded credit cards were exposed and that there is no evidence that Bergdorf Goodman or Horchow online customer accounts were affected.

"At Neiman Marcus Group (NMG), customers are our top priority," said Geoffroy van Raemdonck, the company’s CEO. "We are working hard to support our customers and answer questions about their online accounts. We will continue to take actions to enhance our system security and safeguard information."

Incident occurred 17 months ago

The breach is believed to have occurred in May 2020, but the company only learned of it in recent days. Once it was aware that payment records had been exposed, the company said it began steps to protect customers.

The company required an online account password reset for affected customers who had not changed their password since May 2020. It also set up a call center to answer customers’ questions. The number is (866) 571-9725, and it is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. CST; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST. Callers should be prepared to provide engagement number B019206. There’s also a webpage that provides additional information.

Cyberattacks on corporate entities have become more common in the last five years. Corporations are major targets for hackers. Earlier this year, a ransomware attack shut down a major gasoline pipeline.

When the leaves begin to turn and kids head back to school, motorists can usually look forward to declining prices at the gas pump. But it’s not happening this year.

AAA’s daily gas price monitor shows that the national average price of regular gas is $3.19 a gallon, the same as last Friday. That’s close to its summertime high. The average price of premium gas is $3.81 a gallon, also not budging from last week’s price. The average price of diesel fuel is up three cents a gallon from last week’s price of $3.30.

Normally, prices begin to decline during the fall months. That’s usually because demand is lower and refineries have begun to switch over to cheaper winter grades of gasoline.

“Consumers should see the usual autumn relief at the pump,” said AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross. “But factor in that approximately 16% of crude production in the Gulf of Mexico is still shut down because of Hurricanes Ida and Nicholas and the concerns about what higher COVID cases could do to the economy, and this uncertainty is helping to keep oil prices elevated.”

Oil prices are another major factor. The price of crude keeps rising, with a current price point of over $70 a barrel. That makes each gallon of gasoline more expensive.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that gasoline supplies started the week with a slight increase, but that failed to have much impact nationally. The statewide average gas price is down three cents a gallon in Nevada and four cents a gallon in Kentucky.

States with the most expensive gas

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

• California ($4.40)

• Hawaii ($4.08)

• Nevada ($3.89)

• Washington ($3.85) 

• Idaho ($3.74)

• Utah ($3.73)

• Oregon ($3.73) 

• Alaska ($3.69) 

• Colorado ($3.54)  

• Wyoming ($3.51)

States with the cheapest gas

AAA reports these states currently have the lowest prices for regular gas:

• Mississippi ($2.82)

• Texas ($2.82)

• Arkansas ($2.84)

• Oklahoma ($2.86)

• Missouri ($2.87)

• Alabama ($2.87)

• Tennessee ($2.89)

• Louisiana ($2.90)

• South Carolina ($2.91)

• Kentucky ($2.91)