Current Events in March 2022

Mortgage rates are measured in different ways by different organizations, but one thing seems fairly certain. The average interest rate on a loan to purchase a home is headed toward 5%.

The reason for the rapid rise in mortgage rates, which were well below 4% in late February, can be tied to a rise in the yield on the 10-year Treasury bond. That rate consistently stayed below 1% during the pandemic, keeping mortgage rates at record lows.

This week, the yield on the 10-year bond is roughly 2.5%. Bond yields rise when there are fewer investors who want to buy them. The Treasury Department increases the interest rate to attract more buyers.

So, what’s that mean for the housing market? Home prices are at record highs, but if fewer people can qualify for a mortgage at a higher interest rate, then that means fewer homes will be sold.

It’s not normal

Housing experts say fewer homes tend to sell under these conditions, but nearly everyone we consulted pointed out that these are not normal circumstances because of the shortage of available homes. Michael Gifford, the CEO & co-founder of fintech firm Splitero, says prospective buyers should not expect prices to go down.

“Nominal interest rate increases will deter some buyers, but the demand from lack of inventory over the last few years is still driving home price appreciation,” Gifford told ConsumerAffairs. “We operate in many markets where homes are still selling in hours or days due to high demand.”

Even if 30% of people who want homes are priced out of the market because of rising mortgage rates, that leaves 70% who can still afford to buy and will continue to drive up the prices of available homes.

“Inflation, affordability, interest rates, supply, and other factors will likely need to combine over the course of the year to stop rising prices,” Gifford said.

Jay McCanless, an equity research analyst at Wedbush Securities, says rates have been moving higher for 16 months, with no slowdown in home prices. Sales might decline for a month or two, but that’s often because there aren’t enough homes for sale in a key market.

“We’re hesitant to say a certain rate level or percentage will pause or stop demand," he told us. “We’d also note that the lack of shelter – rental and for sale – is as acute as we’ve ever seen. That acute shortage has and may continue to put stress on all types of for rent and for sale housing."

Bad news for renters

Shmuel Shayowitz, president and chief lending officer at Approved Funding, says these housing conditions are bad news for people who must continue to rent.

“As with most supply-and-demand principles, if more people revert to renting, that will continue to add more pressure to an already rising rental marketplace,” Shayowitz said.

Polina Ryshakov, lead economist at real estate broker Sundae, points out the difference in 3% and 5% mortgage rates translates to about $125,000 more on a $500,000 home. But with record-low inventory, that fact won’t slow sales this spring.

"These higher rates will eventually slow the bidding wars that we’re seeing because it will limit how many people can afford to buy homes,” Ryshakov told ConsumerAffairs.

The National Association of Realtors’ latest existing home sales report illustrates the imbalance now present in the housing market. Home sales sank 7.2% in February, but the median home price rose to $357,000. That means homes were 15% more expensive than they were in February 2021.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Edinburgh explored the severity of contracting both COVID-19 and the flu. Their work showed that both viruses are likely to increase consumers’ risk of both severe infection and death. 

“We found that the combination of COVID-19 and flu viruses is particularly dangerous. This will be important as many countries decrease the use of social distancing and containment measures," said researcher Kenneth Baillie.

"We expect that COVID-19 will circulate with flu, increasing the chance of co-infections. That is why we should change our testing strategy for COVID-19 patients in hospitals and test for flu much more widely.” 

Two infections are detrimental to health

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 305,000 patients who were admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 between February 2020, and December 2021. Roughly 7,000 of the participants were tested for other viral respiratory infections, and the researchers monitored their health outcomes. 

Ultimately, 583 of the patients developed both COVID-19 and another viral infection; of that group, 227 patients contracted both COVID-19 and the flu. 

The researchers learned that the combination of COVID-19 and the flu posed the biggest threat to the participants’ health – more so than any of the viruses combined with COVID-19. Patients had a higher risk of requiring mechanical ventilation, and the risk of death was more than doubled for patients with both viruses. 

“Understanding the consequences of double infections of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses is crucial as they have implications for patients, hospitals, and ICU capacity during seasons that SARS-CoV-2 and influenza circulate together,” said researcher Dr. Geert Groeneveld. 

Moving forward, the researchers explained that getting vaccinated against both the flu and COVID-19 is important so consumers can minimize their health risks.

"Being infected with more than one virus is not very common but it’s important to be aware that co-infections do happen,” said researcher Peter Openshaw. “The vaccines that protect against COVID-19 and flu are different, and people need both. The way that these two infections are treated is also different so it’s important to test for other viruses even when you have a diagnosis in someone who is hospitalized with a respiratory infection.”

During the first year of the pandemic, recreational vehicle (RV) sales boomed and campgrounds were crowded with Americans seeking to safely get out of the house.

But with gasoline prices reaching over $4 a gallon in most parts of the country, those campgrounds may be a little less crowded this spring and summer. The Dyrt, an app that's popular with campers, surveyed its users and found that gas prices are causing 60% of RV owners to make other plans.

The survey included consumers who said their primary mode of camping is via RV, camper van, trailer, overlanding, truck camper, or rooftop tent campers. Nearly all said, quite understandably, that gas prices will make camping less affordable.

Many of the people in the survey recently purchased camping vehicles that may have to stay parked for a while. Fifty-seven percent of people who tried a new form of camping last year opted for RVs and camper vans, making these the fastest-growing types of camping.

"Camping with RVs and camper vans has increased dramatically in popularity in recent years, more so than any other type of camping," said Kevin Long, CEO of The Dyrt. "Depending on which part of the country you're filling up in, and obviously the size of the gas tank, the cost for a fill-up could be $500 or more.”

Putting off long road trips

Long says people who recently purchased an expensive RV probably aren’t going to try to sell it. Instead, they may take fewer and shorter trips this summer.

“Maybe they'll save that cross-country road trip of a lifetime for 2023," Long said.

"I had hoped to go on weekend trips around Oregon and Washington at least twice a month or more," said Kelly Ann of Portland, Ore., a Dyrt user who recently purchased a rooftop tent camping rig. "I need to cut that back to once a month. Everyone is rethinking plans."

Campgrounds in the Western U.S. are among the most popular, but unfortunately for campers, western states have the nation’s most expensive gasoline. The average price of regular gas in California is approaching $6 a gallon. Colorado is the region’s gasoline bargain, with an average price of $3.99 a gallon.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 79,999,187 (79,954,968)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 978,059 (976,705)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 482,602,737 (481,121,555)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,128,763 (6,124,475)‌

PPP led to ‘biggest fraud in a generation,’ investigators say

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck two years ago, Congress responded with a number of emergency measures. One of those measures was the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which rewarded businesses for retaining employees as the economy shut down. Two years later, investigators claim that the program produced the “biggest fraud in a generation.”

Investigators and other public officials told NBC News that fraudsters made bogus claims and collected millions of dollars that they spent on houses, cars, and travel. Investigators say fraudsters collected as much as $80 billion from the $800 billion program.

According to Justice Department officials, the structure of the program made it easy to abuse. They say the Small Business Administration required very little verification from applicants.

Most of the pandemic’s lost jobs haven’t returned, report finds

Layoffs and resignations have been a hallmark of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two years later, with the virus in apparent retreat in the U.S., a government report shows that jobs have not returned to a majority of states. The report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the number of jobs had surpassed pre-pandemic levels in only 21 states as of February.

According to the report, New York is running a 454,000 private-sector job deficit when compared to February 2020. The 4.1% decline in employment is one of the worst in the U.S.

Nebraska and Utah had the lowest jobless rates in February, at 2.1% each. The next lowest rates were in Indiana (2.3%) and Kansas (2.5%).

Study finds dental health can affect COVID-19

Scientists continue to learn about the virus that causes COVID-19 by finding connections between it and other health conditions. In a new study, researchers have concluded that people with poor dental hygiene are more vulnerable to severe symptoms.

In the study, about 75% of people who suffered from severe dental disease were hospitalized with COVID-19. Conversely, none of the subjects who enjoyed good dental health were hospitalized. 

The researchers aren't ruling out the possibility that people with poor dental health may be generally unhealthy, but they note that the virus enters the bloodstream through the body’s ACE2 receptors, which are plentiful in the tongue and gums.

Around the nation

• New Jersey: New Jersey continues to make progress in a key COVID-19 metric, with fewer residents of the state dying from the virus. On Monday, health officials reported one more confirmed COVID-19 death and 617 positive tests. Officials say New Jersey has fallen bbbbbb below West Virginia and Tennessee as the state with the seventh-most coronavirus deaths per capita in the U.S.

• North Carolina: State health officials report that the number of people hospitalized in North Carolina with the coronavirus dropped below 500 on Sunday for the first time since July 2021. One hospital,  CarolinaEast Medical Center in eastern North Carolina, discharged its final COVID-19 patient last week.

• Mississippi:  The Trips to Discover organization, which tracks online travel searches, reports that Mississippi ranks number one in the nation in travel since COVID-19. Greenville is the most searched city, with interest rising 400% from pre-pandemic levels, according to the organization.

• Utah: The state government is winding down its COVID-19 emergency response as cases of the virus continue to fall. The Utah Department of Health is closing a series of mass testing sites this week and will direct people to private testing facilities and home testing. 

• Massachusetts: Schools have become the new hotspots for COVID-19, at least in Massachusetts. Several schools districts have reported a sharp rise in cases. Last week  Brookline schools recorded a total of 74 COVID-19 cases, a significant rise from the previous week when there were only 12 positive cases reported.

Ford Motor Company is recalling 157,306 model year 2021 F-150 pickup trucks.

The front windshield wiper motor may become inoperative, causing the wipers to fail.

Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will replace the front windshield wiper motor free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on April 18, 2022.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S12.

Segway of Bedford, N.H., is recalling about 960 Ninebot children’s bicycle helmets.

The helmets do not comply with the positional stability and retention system requirements of the CPSC federal safety standard for bicycle helmets. This means the helmets can fail to protect wearers in the event of a crash, posing a risk of head injury. No incidents or injuries are reported.

This recall involves Ninebot Kids bike helmets sold in an orange/white exterior color and in size extra-small (XS), fitting head circumferences from about 19 ½ inches to 21½ inches.

Ninebot is printed on the sides of the helmet. Model NB-410 is printed on a label on the inside of the helmet.

The batch code and date can be found on a separate label on the inside of the helmet. Only helmets with batch code SN4500056024 and Date: August 2020 are included in this recall.

The helmets, manufactured in China, were sold at Best Buy and other retailers nationwide and online at Segway.com and Amazon.com from December 2020, through May 2021, for between $30 and $50.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled helmets and return them to Segway for a full refund. Segway is contacting all known purchasers to facilitate returns using prepaid postage.

Consumers may contact Segway toll-free at (888) 523-5583 from 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PT) any day, by email at product.recall@segway.com, or online for more information. Consumers can also click on “Recall” under the Customer Support Column near the bottom of the company's webpage and then on the blue Help chat icon for assistance.

Chrysler is recalling 1,451 Mopar Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) Control Modules.

The ABS control module software may prevent the electronic stability control (ESC) malfunction indicator light from illuminating during certain conditions.

An ESC malfunction indicator light that fails to illuminate during an electronic stability control problem can increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will update the software, repurchase the product, or replace the ABS control modules free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on April 29, 2022.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at (800) 853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is Z25.

Daimler Vans USA (DVUSA) is recalling 42,132 model year 2017-2022 Mercedes-Benz Metris vans.

The connection of the upper and lower fuel hoses to the engine may be insecure, which can result in a fuel leak.

A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

What to to

Dealers will inspect and repair the fuel hose connections and replace the clamps and fuel hose -- as necessary -- free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on April 11, 2022.

Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at (877) 762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS2KRAUCH.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has come down hard on automakers that manufacture gas-guzzling vehicles. In a newly released ruling, the agency stated that it is reinstating fines on automakers that failed to meet Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requirements on 2019 models and later. 

In 2012, the NHTSA established standards that required fuel economy levels for 2017-2021 model passenger cars and light trucks to be between 40.3-41.0 mpg. The Obama administration modified the policy in 2016, applying it to 2019 and later model vehicles. Current goals are set out as far as 2035, when the CAFE target is 57.6 mpg for passenger cars.

For consumers, improving fuel efficiency is a no-brainer. However, there have been challenges from industry groups who claim that pushing innovation in that direction will come at a cost. Adding fines into the equation muddles the matter even further.

The industry estimates that the newly reinstated fines could cost carmakers up to $1 billion each year, and those extra costs could affect consumers.

“The imposition of [penalties to] 2019 to 2021 vehicles actually could have deleterious environmental impacts: penalties that lead to increases in the prices of newer vehicles could discourage consumers from purchasing more efficient, cleaner vehicles.” 

What automakers need to improve?

When ConsumerAffairs took a look at the Department of Transportation’s CAFE dashboard, we found that some automakers are close to hitting fuel targets and others have a long way to go.

For example, for 2020 model cars, GM missed the mark by about 4 mpg. Meanwhile, Daimler (Mercedes-Benz) missed its 41.4 mpg goal by about 7.5 mpg. 

Needless to say, manufacturers that put a lot of their eggs in the electric vehicle basket are happy they did. As an example, Tesla – which often finds itself on the bad side of the NHTSA –  beat its mpg goal by nearly 700 mpg.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 79,954,968 (79,895,560)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 976,705 (975,862)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 481,121,555 (479,856,778)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,124,475 (6,119,023)‌

Scientists probe possible COVID-19 link to diabetes

People who recover from COVID-19 but continue to have some symptoms – a condition called “long COVID” – sometimes complain about brain fog, fatigue, and muscle aches. Doctors are now seeing signs that some patients also develop diabetes.

A German study published earlier this month looked at patients who were infected with COVID-19 but suffered only mild symptoms. It found that they were 28% more likely to later develop type-2 diabetes than people who weren’t infected.

A previous study in the U.S. found a stronger correlation. Recovered COVID-19 patients were 40% more likely to develop diabetes within a year of their infection.

China locks down Shanghai to counter outbreak

The Chinese government has taken the extraordinary step of locking down Shanghai, its largest city, to try to end an outbreak of COVID-19. China has seen the number of cases of the virus soar in recent weeks.

The shutdown will be carried out in two stages. The eastern half of the city will be closed for the next five days. After that, the western section of the city will lock down. The Chinese government will also require universal testing.

The shutdown could result in slightly lower gasoline prices in the U.S., at least temporarily. Because Shangai has such a large population, the price of oil declined today as traders predicted a big drop in demand.

The pandemic led to many new businesses, study finds

The “Great Resignation,” with millions of people around the world quitting their jobs over the two years of the pandemic, might not be such a mystery after all. There’s new evidence that many of these people launched new businesses.

Comparing data from 2018-2020 and 2020-2022, Mint Formations, a U.K. firm, found that the number of people interested in registering a business increased by more than 145,000.

"Two years on from the first lockdown, working conditions and the employment market have changed significantly in the UK,” said Rajesh Velayuthasamy, the company's director. “With thousands of people working from home, furloughed or laid-off, the pandemic gave people the opportunity to embrace their entrepreneurial spirit and start their own businesses.”

Around the nation

• New York: Even with its high vaccination rate, Manhattan is getting slammed by the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron. The New York City Health Department says 10 of the 15 areas in the city with the highest seven-day infection rate are in Manhattan, where 82% of residents are fully vaccinated.

• Florida: Despite throngs of spring break visitors packing Florida’s beaches this month, the state is not seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases. In fact, state health officials say Florida recorded the lowest average of new weekly cases since the pandemic began.

• Michigan: Despite a decline in new cases of the coronavirus, health officials have stepped up testing. They report that about 50,000 to 60,000 diagnostic tests have been conducted per day on average, with the 7-day positive rate at 3.57% as of March 25. That’s approaching the low recorded in July 2021.

• Oregon: State health officials have confirmed what some have long suspected. Some people included in the COVID-19 toll weren’t killed by the virus. As long as the victim tested positive for COVID-19, that is listed as the cause of death, officials say.

• Wisconsin: Medical personnel are reporting a decline in the number of COVID-19 vaccinations they are administering on a daily basis. About 2,000 residents a day are getting the jab, but the seven-day average has begun to fall. Meanwhile, health officials report that just over 200 people are still in the hospital with COVID-19 in Wisconsin.

Tobacco users in California, Florida, Arkansas, and New Mexico will have to shop at someplace other than Walmart for their tobacco products starting soon. According to a new Wall Street Journal report, the retailer has made a decision to remove cigarettes and cigarette products from select stores in these states in the near future.

The report states that the move comes as part of Walmart’s push toward self-checkout. With no store employees stationed at the scan-and-go stations, it makes it difficult to check IDs of tobacco purchasers. The move away from cigarettes will presumably allow the company to fill up checkout areas with more reasonably priced impulse purchase items like candy. 

This decision has been a long time coming. In 2019, Walmart made its first move in this direction by raising the tobacco purchase age to 21 and discontinuing the sale of some flavored nicotine products. That move was made in response to pressure from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about the policies Walmart had in place to prevent the sale of tobacco and electronic nicotine delivery systems to anyone who was underage. 

“We are always looking at ways to meet our customers’ needs while still operating an efficient business. As a result of our ongoing focus on the tobacco category, we have made the business decision to discontinue the sale of tobacco in select stores," a Walmart spokesperson told ConsumerAffairs.

While the company may be the largest retail outlet to remove cigarettes from stores, it’s not alone. Amazon took down vape paraphernalia from its site several years ago, and CVS stopped selling cigarettes and tobacco products when CVS rebranded itself as “CVS Health” in 2014.

Tobacco manufacturers face broad restrictions

In addition to companies like Walmart and CVS tamping down on cigarette sales, some states are also tightening their regulations regarding tobacco products.

More than a dozen states have legislation on the books or in the works regarding the regulation and taxation of tobacco, according to CSPDailyNews, which covers news about convenience stores. Some – like Hawaii and Colorado – are banning the sale of flavored tobacco products. In Mississippi, House bill 892 calls for taxing all tobacco products except cigarettes at the rate of 22.5% of the manufacturer’s list price.

In Maryland, retailers in Prince George's County are facing a tall order if they want to sell tobacco products. A proposed bill would require that any retailer who wants a license to sell tobacco products has to guarantee that they do not have an alcoholic beverage license and that the establishment is at least a mile away from another licensed establishment that sells tobacco products.

Inflation is increasing the cost of living for just about everyone, but renters may be feeling the most pain. New data analyzed by Realtor.com suggests that American renters spent 30% of their monthly budgets on rent in February.

But that’s just the average. February rents accounted for an even higher portion of household incomes in 14 of the 50 largest U.S. markets, with the list of least affordable areas dominated by Sun Belt metros like Miami, Tampa, and San Diego.

According to the report, the median rent hit a new high of $1,792 last month, up more than 17% over February 2021. Rents were higher across all apartment sizes, but studio apartments experienced the fastest growth, rising to a median of $1,474.

However, larger units also posted double-digit gains. Rents for both one-bedroom and two-bedroom units rose more than 16%, with the median rent on a two-bedroom unit going over $2,000 a month for the first time.

“With rents surging nationwide, February data indicates that many renters' budgets may be stretched beyond the affordability limit," said Realtor.com Chief Economist Danielle Hale. 

High rents prevent homeownership

The sudden rise in rents not only creates an affordability issue for renters, but it also makes it much harder for them to save enough money to become homeowners. Hale says renters who hope to become buyers also face other challenges.

“Fast-rising mortgage rates and still-limited numbers of homes for sale could mean some would-be buyers may stick with the flexibility of renting,” Hale said. “With rental demand already outmatching supply, rental affordability will remain a challenge.”

Mortgage rates jumped last week and start this week very close to the 5% mark. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hit 4.95%, moving more than a full percentage point in just the last six months. The difference in one percentage point on a $250,000 mortgage is $149 a month, an amount that could price many buyers out of the market.

Housing shortage

A new report by the Pew Research Center finds that several factors are contributing to rising rents. Among them are a shortage of new construction and a surge in home buying during the early months of the pandemic, which was encouraged by record-low mortgage rates.

The report shows that 46% of American renters spent 30% or more of their income on housing in 2020, including 23% who spent at least 50% of their income. That means nearly half of U.S. rents meet the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s definition of being “cost-burdened.” 

"Whether it's rent or mortgage payments, the general rule of thumb is to keep monthly housing costs to less than 30% of your income,” Hale said. 

For renters who want to buy a home and need to save for a downpayment, Hale says it’s important to find a relatively affordable rental unit -- something that’s getting harder to do.

A new study conducted by researchers from the American College of Cardiology discovered good news for avid coffee drinkers. Their work showed that drinking two to three cups of coffee every day may be linked with a lower risk of heart disease and a greater chance of longer life. 

“Because coffee can quicken heart rate, some people worry that drinking it could trigger or worsen certain heart issues. This is where general medical advice to stop drinking coffee may come from. But our data suggest that daily coffee intake shouldn’t be discouraged, but rather included as a part of a healthy diet for people with and without heart disease," said researcher Dr. Peter M. Kistler.

"We found coffee drinking had either a neutral effect – meaning that it did no harm – or was associated with benefits to heart health.” 

Heart health benefits

For the first part of the study, the researchers analyzed 10 years' worth of data from over 382,000 people enrolled in the U.K. Biobank. Participants answered questions about how much coffee they drank on a daily basis, and the researchers compared that with their incidence of heart disease, including heart attack and stroke, arrhythmias, and coronary artery disease. None of the participants had a history of heart disease when the study began. 

The study showed that regularly drinking two to three cups of coffee per day was linked to a lower risk of heart disease. Participants who fell into this group were 10% to 15% less likely to develop heart failure, coronary heart disease, heart disease-related death, or arrhythmia. Additionally, one cup of coffee per day was linked with a lower risk of stroke. 

In a second study, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 35,000 people who had a history of heart disease to understand how coffee affected their health outcomes. Their work showed that drinking coffee didn’t worsen heart problems, and participants had a lower mortality risk when they drank two to three cups per day. 

Experts say there are many ways that coffee can promote better heart health. They point out that the compounds found in coffee may work to reduce inflammation, boost metabolism, improve insulin sensitivity, and reduce oxidative stress. 

“There is a whole range of mechanisms through which coffee may reduce mortality and have these favorable effects on cardiovascular disease,” Kistler said. “Coffee drinkers should feel reassured that they can continue to enjoy coffee even if they have heart disease. Coffee is the most common cognitive enhancer – it wakes you up, makes you mentally sharper, and it’s a very important component of many people’s daily lives.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the Karolinska Institutet explored the safety of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy. According to their findings, these vaccines aren't likely to increase the risk of complications for pregnant women. 

“The results are reassuring and can hopefully make pregnant individuals more willing to get vaccinated,” said researcher Dr. Anne Örtqvist Rosin. 

Few risks for pregnant women and infants

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 160,000 pregnancies from the Pregnancy Registry in Sweden and the Medical Birth Registry of Norway between January 2021, and January 2022. The team evaluated how the Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca vaccines impacted pregnancy complications, including growth retardation, preterm birth, and the need for neonatal intensive care. 

Overall, 18% of the women had received the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy. The researchers learned that they were not associated with an increase in pregnancy-related complications. When looking at key indicators of newborn’s health -- preterm birth, stillbirth, small for gestational age, and low Apgar score (which tests heart rate and muscle tone after birth) -- there were few differences between babies born to women who were vaccinated and those born to mothers who were unvaccinated. 

“We’re still seeing that vaccination rates are lower than in the rest of the population, so it’s likely that there’s some concern about how the vaccines affect the pregnant individual and the fetus,” said Dr. Örtqvist Rosin. “When the vaccines were produced, pregnant women were not included in the large clinical studies, and until now there have been no population-based data about any risk there might be to them.” 

Passing antibodies to newborns

The researchers explained that the pregnant women who had received the vaccine did so after the 12-week mark, and 95% of them had received an mRNA vaccine. These findings held up regardless of whether the women received one or two doses of the vaccine. 

The study revealed that the women were able to pass COVID-19 antibodies onto their infants after receiving a vaccine, which helped protect them from the virus. The team’s next goal is to investigate infants’ virus protection in the womb. 

“We’re now planning to study how long this protection lasts, and if SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination during pregnancy has any other lasting effects on the child’s health,” said researcher Olof Stephansson. 

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 14 model year 2021 S580 4Matics.

The air bag control unit may be improperly secured, resulting in an unintentional air bag or seat belt deployment, or an improper deployment in a crash.

Unintentional or improper deployment of air bags and/or seat belts can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

What to do

Dealers will inspect and tighten the air bag control unit fastening nuts -- as necessary -- free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on May 3, 2022.

Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at (800) 637-6372.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 79,891,315 (79,845,459)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 976,028 (974,888)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 477,685,378 (476,108,320)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,111,597 (6,106,106)‌

Airlines seek a return to normal

The COVID-19 pandemic has complicated air travel over the last two years, in many cases making it even more unpleasant. Now that cases of the coronavirus are declining in the U.S., the airlines are asking for a return to normal.

In a letter to President Biden, heads of major U.S. airlines this week suggested a first step – removal of the mask mandate and the requirement of testing for international travelers. They say the mandates are no longer needed.

"During the global health crisis, U.S. airlines have supported and cooperated with the federal government's measures to slow the spread of COVID-19,” the CEOs wrote. “We are encouraged by the current data and the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions from coast to coast, which indicate it is past time to eliminate COVID-era transportation policies." 

Aspirin protects against COVID-19 death, researchers say

Aspirin has been promoted for a variety of health benefits over the years, some of them questionable. Now, researchers say their findings show that the headache remedy can reduce the risk of death from COVID-19.

Researchers at George Washington University say patients in the hospital with moderate COVID-19 who were given aspirin early on in their treatment had a lower risk of dying compared to patients who were not given aspirin.

“We continue to find that aspirin use is associated with improved outcomes and lower rates of death in hospitalized patients,” said lead researcher Jonathon Chow. “What's more, it’s low cost and readily available, which is important in parts of the world where more expensive therapeutics might not be as accessible."

Study finds COVID-19 researchers faced harassment

The COVID-19 pandemic may be the most politically-charged disease in modern times, with raging controversy over vaccinations, treatments, and mitigation tactics. A new study has found that many COVID-19 researchers have come under personal attack over the last two years.

The study, published in the journal Science, included responses from 510 researchers who have published data about the virus. Nearly 40% reported that their work had drawn harassment.

Scientists increased their chances of drawing attacks if their work resulted in arguments against the use of the drug ivermectin and other unapproved treatments. Eighteen of the scientists said they had received death threats.

Around the nation

• Minnesota: Restaurants and hotels across the state are full once again, but economists are just now totaling up the damage over the last two years of the pandemic. A report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis found that the state’s hospitality industry lost as much as $15 billion.

• Arizona: Health officials are cautiously optimistic that the pandemic has loosened its grip on Arizona, with COVID-19 numbers dropping significantly. The latest numbers from the state health department show that Arizona has been averaging about 650 COVID-19 cases per day recently, the lowest average since last July. 

• Virginia: A federal judge has ruled that 12 Virginia families have a right to ask their children’s schools to enforce mask mandates, but an order from the governor that makes masks optional remains intact for now. The families’ children have disabilities or compromised immune systems.

• New Jersey: Gov. Phil Murphy said his office is "closely watching" a spike in COVID-19 cases in Europe and Asia and says he expects cases to increase in New Jersey at some point. "Given both previous trends with regard to spread and our location as an international nexus for travel and trade, we do anticipate that we will eventually see an increase in the number of cases in New Jersey," Murphy said. 

• Nevada: State officials have announced they will remove a requirement that unvaccinated employees undergo weekly COVID-19 tests. The state will also eliminate a planned monthly surcharge for state workers who have not been vaccinated.