Current Events in May 2022

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with both Canadian and U.S. state and local food inspectors, are looking into whether fresh organic strawberries may have caused a recent outbreak of hepatitis A infections. 

Officials say the affected berries were produced by FreshKampo and HEB, and consumers would have purchased them between March 5, 2022, and April 25, 2022. Consumers who purchased FreshKampo and HEB strawberries and then froze them for later consumption should throw away the products.

If consumers aren't sure when they purchased potentially affected strawberries or which brand they bought, then they should throw away their products as well.

The strawberries were reportedly sold at the following retailers: Aldi, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Weis Markets, and WinCo Foods. However, the FDA and CDC warn that the products may have also been sold at other grocery stores.

An investigation into the outbreak shows that cases occurred in California, Minnesota, and Canada. To date, 17 people have reported that they became ill due to consuming the strawberries, and 12 have been hospitalized. 

Guidance for those who have already eaten those strawberries

FDA and CDC officials say any consumer who has eaten the affected strawberries in the last two weeks and has not been vaccinated against hepatitis A should immediately consult with a health care professional to determine whether post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is needed.

“PEP is recommended for unvaccinated people who have been exposed to hepatitis A virus in the last two weeks because vaccination can prevent a hepatitis A infection if given within 14 days of exposure,” the FDA said in its announcement. “Those with evidence of previous hepatitis A vaccination or previous hepatitis A infection do not require PEP.”

ConsumerAffairs reached out to both HEB and FreshKampo, but neither company immediately responded to a request for comment.

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Update

ConsumerAffairs received the following statement from a FreshKampo representative about the Hepatitis A outbreak linked to its strawberries:

"FreshKampo takes food safety seriously, and the health and well-being of consumers are our priorities. Our hearts go out to all those affected by the Hepatitis A outbreak being investigated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

The FreshKampo fresh organic strawberries potentially affected are out-of-season and are no longer being shipped into the marketplace. We are working with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to gather information that will aid in our internal investigation to trace the product and determine where the problem may have occurred.

Consumers should follow the FDA’s recommendations - anyone who purchased the branded fresh organic strawberries between March 5 and April 25, 2022, froze them, and still has them in their possession should not consume them.

Finally, FreshKampo wants consumers to know that it will continue to work with health officials and supply chain partners to determine where a problem may have occurred along the supply chain.

Consumers with questions may call our customer service desk at 559-710-1008, M-F 8 am – 5 pm Pacific Time."

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌  84,022,711 (83,984,644)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,004,770 (1,004,733)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 529,487,333 (529,066,607)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,289,298 (6,287,992)‌

Paxlovid plays role in keeping virus in check

There’s no denying that new cases of the coronavirus are rising rapidly around the U.S. At the same time, severe cases requiring hospitalization are not rising. Experts think the therapeutic drug Paxlovid may be partly the reason.

The Wall Street Journal reports that supplies of the drug improved at pharmacies nationwide in recent weeks and that doctors have written 412,000 prescriptions for it through early May. The drug is intended to be taken soon after infection and is most effective for patients with underlying conditions who have mild to moderate symptoms.

A clinical trial showed that Paxlovid, made by Pfizer, was 88% effective at preventing a patient from being hospitalized.

New cases are surging but deaths are falling

The U.S. once again leads the world in the number of daily cases of COVID-19. There were at least 12 countries ahead of the U.S. a month ago, but that changed drastically in May.

At the end of May 2021, the COVID-19 Tracking Project at Johns Hopkins University counted only 20,000 daily cases. On Monday, the count was 91,000. And as we previously reported, infectious disease experts say the actual number of new cases could be even higher. 

However, a higher infection rate than officially reported may hold a silver lining because fewer of those cases are likely severe. While the U.S. is recording nearly twice as many new cases as a month ago and four times higher than this time a year ago, today's death rate is half the rate of late May 2021.

Survey pinpoints most likely long COVID victims

Scientists continue to be baffled by the condition known as long COVID, which consists of lingering symptoms after the patient has recovered from their COVID-19 infection. Who gets it and who doesn’t?

A new survey from 23andMe appears to shed some light on that question. The voluntary survey suggests that women are far more likely to experience long-term symptoms, and so are people with a prior diagnosis of depression or anxiety.

More telling, perhaps, is that half of the people who reported a diagnosis of long COVID had a history of cardiometabolic diseases, such as heart attacks or diabetes. The survey collected data from 100,000 people who had been infected with the coronavirus.

Around the nation

• New Jersey: State Sen. Nia H. Gill, a Democrat from Essex County, has joined with Republicans in the state legislature to seek an investigation of COVID-19 deaths in New Jersey nursing homes. Opponents said federal and state investigations are already underway.

• Colorado: In the last few days, Boulder and Jackson counties have been designated as having high rates of COVID-19 transmission by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Health officials worry that other counties could join them now that the people who traveled over the holiday weekend are back home.

• Florida: The Florida Inspector General has concluded that claims about a data scientist being fired for refusing to manipulate COVID-19 numbers are “unsubstantiated.” Rebekah Jones said she was pressured to fudge the numbers to support lifting COVID-19 restrictions.

• Ohio: Researchers working with the Dayton Daily News say Ohio could recover its pandemic-related job losses by early 2023, though the Dayton area may take longer. “Dayton has recovered a smaller share of jobs than the state so far, though I’d say it’s close,” said Michael Shields, a researcher with Policy Matters Ohio. 

• Washington: The masks could be coming back on in Washington state. Health officials report that new cases have surpassed the level that Gov. Jay Inslee used to determine the lifting of a state-wide mask mandate in March. Meanwhile, both Inslee and Lt. Gov. Denny Heck announced last week that they had contracted COVID-19. 

More than two million couples are taking inflation for better or worse and walking down the aisle in 2022. According to The Wedding Report, consumers are planning to celebrate the most weddings this year since 1984. 

Celebration attendees say they’re willing to spend more than they’re comfortable with to make their presence known on Big Days. According to new Bankrate.com survey data, nearly 25% of U.S. adults who have attended or are attending celebrations in 2022 say they feel pressured to spend whatever it takes to be part of the festivities.

Despite the spike in celebrations, it’s predicted that fewer people are actually going to attend big events. According to the study, 61% of adults said they attended at least one celebration in 2022, about 4% less than last year. That small dip may seem insignificant, but it actually equates to 13 million people when you measure across the entire landscape of celebrations.

Most of the pocketbook pain is happening among younger adults. The survey showed that 28% of Gen Z and 23% of millennials – who have been known to spend close to $1,000 to attend weddings in the past –  feel pressured to overspend on an event this year. Comparatively, most baby boomers say they’re not going overboard, with only 5% of that demographic saying they’d spend extra money.

From his perch at TheDollarBudget.com, Caleb Reed believes higher costs will affect all celebrations this year.

“With inflation hitting a 40-year high, spending more than you’re comfortable with to attend a celebratory event will hurt your wallet much more than it has in the past,” he said. “Inflation on wedding costs is being passed on from wedding vendors to customers. Everything from wedding cakes to decor has seen a sharp price increase, and consumers are paying the difference.”

Plan ahead and look for special offers

One expert says consumers should do some basic planning before attending a big celebration, especially since current economic conditions may make it hard to spend excessively.

“The cost of fun can be a budget buster, especially with inflation running rampant,” said Ted Rossman, a Bankrate senior industry analyst. “It’s important to come up with a good plan before committing to these events, particularly since pricey destination weddings and bachelor/bachelorette parties have grown increasingly common.”

Taking advantage of certain financial products could be another way for consumers to take part in big days. Check out ConsumerAffairs' guide on the Best Credit Cards for more information on the offerings that work best for your financial situation. 

Ford will pay $19.2 million to settle charges that it falsely advertised the real-world fuel economy of its C-Max hybrids and the payload capacity of certain Super Duty pickup trucks. The complaint was brought by the attorneys general of nearly every state.

As the result of the multistate investigation, the states concluded that Ford made several misrepresentations to consumers, including the distance they could drive on a single tank of gas, that driving styles wouldn’t affect fuel economy, and that its vehicles had superior fuel economy when compared to other hybrids.

“Consumers should be able to trust information issued by a product’s manufacturer – particularly if the product is something as expensive as a vehicle,” said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. “In this instance, Ford’s alleged false advertising misled consumers into buying a product they may have otherwise not purchased.” 

Playing games

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong pointed to a Ford advertising campaign entitled the “Hybrid Games,” which used an Olympic sporting event and depicted the C-Max outperforming the Prius in a series of videos. The attorneys general allege that the videos deceptively reflected that C-Max vehicles offered superior real-world fuel economy and driving performance.

“Gas is a huge expense for Connecticut families,” Tong said. “Decreased fuel efficiency results in a significant additional cost for drivers. Ford intentionally deceived customers with inflated fuel economy and payload capacity ratings, falsely claiming their C-Max hybrids and Super Duty pickup trucks could beat the competition.”

State officials also investigated alleged misleading “Best-in-Class” payload claims related to Ford’s 2011–2014 Super Duty pick-up trucks, which include the F-250, F-350, and F-450 models. The attorneys general claim that Ford based its methodology for calculating maximum payload capacity for advertising purposes on a hypothetical truck configuration that was available only to fleet customers. 

Pleased with the settlement

In a statement to Automotive News, Ford said it was pleased that the issue was "closed without any judicial finding of improper conduct. We worked with the states to resolve their concerns and in the process limited additional investigative costs and legal expenses for all parties."

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he was pleased that Ford agreed not to make false or misleading claims about pickup truck payload capacity and fuel economy.

“In today’s automotive marketplace, it is imperative that Texans receive accurate information from automakers to ensure they can make informed decisions,” Paxton said.

A number of the attorneys general said they would use their state’s share of the settlement proceeds to fund anti-fraud programs.

A new study conducted by researchers from NYU Langone Health explored the efficacy of different fertility treatments. According to their findings, women who freeze their eggs when they’re younger may have more success having a baby later in life than women who opt for IVF. 

“Our findings shed light on the factors that track with successful births from egg freezing, which include careful screenings of embryos to be thawed and implanted,” said researcher Dr. Sarah Druckenmiller Cascante. “A better understanding of the live birth rate from egg freezing for age-related fertility decline is necessary to inform patient decision-making. 

“Importantly, our study is based on actual clinical experience, rather than mathematical modeling with limited data, which is most of what has been published on the chances of birth from egg freezing thus far.” 

Success of egg freezing

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 540 women who froze their eggs at an average age of 38. Between 2005 and 2020, the group went through 800 rounds of egg freezing, 605 egg thaws, and 436 embryo transfers. 

Ultimately, the study showed that nearly 40% of the women who froze their eggs between the ages of 27 and 44 years old were successful at having at least one child. While this figure is comparable to women who undergo IVF treatment, the researchers noted that egg freezing becomes a more successful option as women get older. 

The researchers cited data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that shows less than 20% of 40-year-old women delivered babies through IVF. However, this study showed that women who froze their eggs – even later in life – had better pregnancy outcomes.

Regardless of age, women who thawed over 20 eggs were nearly 60% likely to have a successful pregnancy and birth; women who thawed over 20 eggs under the age of 38 had a 70% success rate for pregnancy and birth. The study also included data on 14 women who froze their eggs between the ages of 41 and 43, and these women had healthy pregnancies and deliveries. 

“Our results provide realistic expectations for those considering oocyte preservation, and demonstrate that egg freezing technology empowers women with improved reproductive autonomy,” said researcher Dr. James A. Grifo. “Freezing eggs at a young age becomes an option to be one’s own egg donor at advanced age. As young patients freeze eggs and do more than one cycle, the success rates will be even higher than reported in this study.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology explored the link between breastfeeding and asthma. According to their findings, babies have a lower chance of developing asthma when their mothers breastfeed them for longer. 

“The results of the study indicated that the longer a mother exclusively breastfed, the lower the relative odds of her child having asthma, or asthma-related outcomes,” said researcher Dr. Keandra Wilson. 

Long-term respiratory benefits

The researchers analyzed data from over 2,000 mother-child pairs who were enrolled in the ECHO PATHWAYS studies. The mothers reported how they fed their children -- including breastfeeding, formula, and juice -- and how long they gave their children each option. The team followed up with the mothers when the children were between the ages of 4 and 6 and asked them about their children’s asthma outcomes. 

The team discovered a link between the duration that the women breastfed their babies and a lower risk of asthma. 

“There was a ‘dose-response’ effect depending on how long the mother breastfed: Babies that were breastfed 2-4 months had only 64% likelihood of having as many asthma outcomes as those who were breastfed less than 2 months; those breastfed for 5-6 months had 61% likelihood, and those who breastfed for more than 6 months had a 52% likelihood,” Dr. Wilson said. 

While breastfeeding proved to have some protective respiratory benefits, the researchers learned that not all feeding options yielded the same outcomes. There was no lower risk of asthma outcomes observed when women either supplemented breastfeeding with formula or added in juice or other foods. 

“Asthma runs in families, and according to the CDC, if a child has a parent with asthma, they are three to six times more likely to develop this condition than someone who does not have a parent with asthma,” said researcher Dr. Angela Hogan. “Anything a parent can do to lower the odds of their child getting asthma is worth considering.” 

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream of Brooklyn, N.Y., is recalling 2,185 frozen 14-oz pints of non-dairy frozen Oat Milk Brown Sugar Chunk.

The product may contain cashews and pistachios, which are allergens that are not declared on the label.

The recalled product, which comes in a 14-oz white package with orange lettering and an orange lid and is marked with lot #21V194 and a best by date of 1/13/2023 on the bottom of the pint, was sold in retail stores nationwide.

What to do

Customers with an allergy or sensitivity to tree nuts who purchased the recalled product should not consume it. Instead, they should return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions or concerns may contact the firm at (718) 701-1630 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EST) or by email at kate@vanleeuwenicecream.com.

Chrysler is recalling 1,308 model year 2021 Dodge Durangos & Jeep Grand Cherokee WKs, model year 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokees, and model year 2021-2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Ls with 3.6L engines.

The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve may stick open, resulting in an unexpected loss of drive power.

An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will replace the EGR valve assembly free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on June 17, 2022.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at (800) 853-1403. the company's number for this recall is Z31.

Back in April, federal officials at the U.S. Department of Education extended the student loan payment pause that was brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic to August 31, 2022. The announcement was welcome news to eligible consumers who needed more time before resuming their payments. Unfortunately, scammers have been quick to capitalize on the situation.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced today that criminals have been targeting consumers with fake student loan forgiveness offers in an attempt to steal their information. In some cases, these fraudsters may offer to enter victims into a loan forgiveness program that they don’t qualify for. In other instances, they might claim to be able to completely eliminate a borrower’s debt by disputing the charges.

The agency says consumers shouldn’t heed these too-good-to-be-true offers and that they should remain skeptical about messages that come from non-official sources.

“If there is eventually a broader federal student loan debt forgiveness plan, the official word will come from the Department of Education, not random calls, texts, emails, or social media messages,” the agency said. 

How to protect yourself

The FTC says there are some things that people should know about student loan forgiveness. They include:

• There are specific federal loan forgiveness programs. The agency says consumers can take advantage of Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and the Teacher Loan Forgiveness programs if they are eligible. They can even try to join the Public Service Loan Forgiveness limited waiver program that is going on right now, but it has a deadline of October 31, 2022. Those who have questions about what loan forgiveness program they qualify for should contact their loan servicer or the Department of Education directly.

• Don’t share your FSA ID. Scammers are always looking for information, so they might claim that they need your FSA ID to help you with your loan forgiveness goals. However, the FTC says you should never share your FSA ID with anyone because the information can be used to get into your account and steal your identity.

• You don’t need to pay for help. The FTC points out that there are plenty of free options that consumers can utilize to get help with loan forgiveness. If you have questions about your loans or need more information about how you can resume payments in August, the agency says to contact your loan servicer.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 83,864,802 (83,745,827)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,004,300 (1,003,858)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 528,007,458 (527,529,231)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,285,128 (6,283,923)‌

COVID-19 numbers don’t accurately portray current surge

New cases of the coronavirus are continuing to trend higher across the U.S., surpassing 100,000 per day. However, the statistics that are currently available may not be capturing the true scope of the recent surge.

White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha recently told reporters at a press briefing that officials are “clearly undercounting infections.” He said one of the reasons for this is that consumers have come to rely on at-home tests. While these tests are useful for quickly figuring out whether or not a person has COVID-19, they are not processed in official case counts.

While experts can get a good ballpark estimate of the number of new cases through official reports and wastewater testing, getting a truly accurate number has only gotten harder as the pandemic wears on.

Pfizer to support poorer countries at no profit

Pfizer has announced that it will be sending medicines and vaccines to 45 lower-income countries on a not-for-profit basis as a way to close the world’s health equity gap.

Rwanda, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal, and Uganda will be the first five nations to receive aid from the company. Officials in those countries will work to help Pfizer spot and resolve any initial hurdles so that aid can be provided more easily to the rest of the countries who will join the “Accord for a Healthier World.”

Included in the aid are 23 medicines and vaccines that will be used to treat infectious diseases, certain cancers, and inflammatory diseases that take millions of lives in low-income countries each year. 

Misinformation about COVID-19 and pregnancy persists

COVID-19 misinformation has been a threat to response efforts since the very beginning of the pandemic. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be going away.

Survey results from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) show that pregnancy-related misinformation is still especially persistent. The findings suggest that 14% of adults and 24% of women who are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant believe that pregnant women should not get vaccinated for COVID-19. 

The CDC estimates that around 30% of pregnant women in the U.S. are not vaccinated. 

Around the nation

• Connecticut: Connecticut officials have launched a new data portal that consumers can use to get statistics about the impact of COVID-19 in nursing homes. The portal will be updated weekly on Thursday afternoons.

• New Mexico: New cases, deaths, and hospitalizations are all increasing across the state, but they are still below levels previously seen during the pandemic. On Wednesday, officials reported 900 new COVID-19 cases, 116 hospitalizations, and 32 deaths.

• Pennsylvania: Erie County passed a bleak milestone this week when it recorded its 800th COVID-19 death. “We are still battling this virus,” said Department of Health official Charlotte Berringer. “We are tired of dealing with it, but the virus isn't finished with us yet. Vaccinations are good at preventing hospitalizations and deaths, though not as good at preventing infection. Masks remain a good way to reduce transmission.”

• New York: Officials are urging residents to remain cautious during the Memorial Day weekend so that they can avoid becoming infected with COVID-19. “As we head into the Memorial Day weekend and prepare to travel and gather with loved ones, I encourage everyone to continue taking advantage of the tools we have available to protect against and treat COVID-19," said Gov. Kathy Hochul in a statement.

• North Carolina: The CDC says high-risk residents in North Carolina may want to mask up now that cases are trending higher in several counties. Officials say many of the new cases can be traced to the BA.2. Omicron subvariant.

The baby formula shortage is getting some much-needed relief thanks to the White House and FedEx. The assistance is part of the “Operation Fly Formula” effort, a Biden administration initiative that is designed to get as much baby formula on store shelves as soon as possible.

It’s been a busy week for FedEx’s network of long-haul pilots and express truck drivers. On Sunday, the company delivered its first airlift of formula – 114 pallets of Gerber Good Start Extensive HA that was flown in from Ramstein Air Base in Germany. On Wednesday, another FedEx plane flew from Germany with an additional 100,000 pounds – or about 1 million 8-ounce bottles – of Gerber formula. The shipment was offloaded and moved onto FedEx Express trucks for transport to a Nestle distribution center in Pennsylvania.

FedEx stated that it remains engaged with the Biden administration to provide logistics and transportation support as needed for Operation Fly Formula.

Transporting formula quickly

FedEx is involved with the effort because the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have the authority to use Department of Defense-contracted commercial aircraft to pick up formula overseas and bring it to the U.S. 

“Our network was designed for missions like this – to move time-sensitive shipments safely and quickly,” said Gina Adams, Senior Vice President for Government and Regulatory Affairs, at FedEx. “The FedEx Express integrated air and ground network expedited the movement of baby formula from manufacturers overseas to the United States for distribution to retail locations and hospitals throughout the country. We’re proud to be working with the U.S. government and our healthcare customers to help alleviate this crisis.”

"Typically, the process to transport this product from Europe to the U.S. would take two weeks,” explained White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. “Thanks to Operation Fly Formula, we cut that down to approximately three days. This is a testament of the president's commitment to pulling every lever to get more infant formula onto the market."

The White House is prepared to do more

President Biden has said he will direct his administration to take whatever actions are deemed necessary to ensure there is enough safe infant formula for U.S. families.

His options include invoking the Defense Production Act, entering into a consent agreement with the FDA to reopen Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis facility, and issuing guidance to permit major formula manufacturers to import formula that is not currently being produced for the U.S. market.

In its mission to keep as many people healthy and safe as possible, Pfizer has announced a major goodwill effort that it calls “Accord for a Healthier World”.

The initiative will provide all of Pfizer's current and future patent-protected medicines and vaccines on a not-for-profit basis to 45 lower-income countries. By taking this step, the company says it could close the health equity gap for more than a billion people.

Rwanda, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal, and Uganda are the first five countries that have committed to joining the Accord. Health officials in these countries will help spot and resolve any hurdles that Pfizer may face so that the company can learn and enhance the rollout in the rest of the lower-income countries.

“As we learned in the global COVID-19 vaccine rollout, supply is only the first step to helping patients. We will work closely with global health leaders to make improvements in diagnosis, education, infrastructure, storage and more. Only when all the obstacles are overcome can we end healthcare inequities and deliver for all patients,” said Pfizer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla.

The types of medicines Pfizer is providing

Pfizer says its commitment includes 23 medicines and vaccines that treat infectious diseases, certain cancers, and rare and inflammatory diseases. These diseases and conditions affect millions of lives each year in the countries the Accord will serve. As Pfizer develops and launches new medicines and vaccines, it will also make those products available on a not-for-profit basis.

One particular focus will be on Group B Streptococcus, a bacteria that commonly lives in people’s gastrointestinal and genital tracts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the bacteria is not harmful and doesn't make people feel sick most of the time, but it is a leading cause of stillbirth and newborn mortality in low-income countries. Working with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Pfizer is also discussing opportunities to support Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine development.

“Everyone, no matter where they live, should have the same access to innovative, life-saving drugs and vaccines,” Bill Gates said. “The Accord for a Healthier World could help millions more people in low-income countries get the tools they need to live a healthy life. Pfizer is setting an example for other companies to follow.”

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences explored patterns related to plastic packaging waste around the world. Ultimately, they learned that both consumers and producers of goods are responsible for the burden of plastic waste that exists globally. 

“We wanted to follow the plastic packaging waste embedded in the global supply chain,” said researcher Sandy Dall’erba. “This work allows us to conclude that the problem is a responsibility shared between economic agents, from the producers and their intermediaries to the retail stores and their consumers.” 

Food wrapping contributes to a lot of pollution

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from the World Bank and EXIOBASE. The latter platform tracks plastic packaging waste around the world based on global input and output data. This helped them identify where the biggest burden of plastic waste comes from and what the biggest culprits were in terms of waste. 

North America proved to be the biggest producer of plastic packaging waste, with consumers in the region being responsible for the largest portions of such waste. From a production standpoint, North America was linked to more than 40% of plastic waste; the U.S. alone was responsible for nearly half of that. Additionally, consumers in North and South America produced more than 35% of the world’s plastic waste. 

“High-protein food such as meat, fish, and dairy is a trademark in the Americas and those generate a lot of plastic packaging waste,” said Dall’erba. “For instance, every 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of fish consumed will lead to an average of about 1.6 kg (2.5 lbs) of waste. This includes plastic bags, trays, and cellophane used to wrap and cover the fish during transportation, storage, and sales.

“Plastic is not easy to replace. There is no other material to protect the freshness of a food product that will be shipped around the world. We need to further develop technologies that make plastics more biodegradable, such as products based on algae. But we also need stricter regulations to discourage plastic packaging production and use.” 

Finding solutions

The team explained that many developing countries had relocated their plastic waste to Asia. However, as the quantities of this kind of waste have shot up in recent years, this solution has backfired for two reasons: many countries don’t want to accept more waste, and this doesn’t actually solve the problem – it just moves the waste from one place to another. 

Instead, the researchers hope legislators work on recycling efforts that are targeted toward both producers and consumers. 

“All agents along the supply chain and final consumers need incentives to reduce plastic use,” said researcher Xiang Gao. “Some examples are taxes on waste management or refunds for returning plastic bottles. 

“Other steps include banning single-use plastic straws, or imposing fees for grocery store plastic bags. Consuming locally-grown, seasonal food would help, and so would better transparency about true recyclability associated with the resin identification code stamped on plastic packaging.” 

Consumers who are looking to hit the road over the Memorial Day weekend will have to pay high prices when they go to fill up.

AAA’s daily fuel price survey shows that the national average price of regular gas is $4.60 per gallon, which is a penny higher than last week. The average price of premium gas is $5.25 per gallon, which is two cents higher than last week. The price of diesel fuel went down slightly, falling to $5.53 per gallon from $5.57 per gallon last week. 

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that gasoline demand decreased by approximately 200,000 barrels per day. However, officials say demand is likely to spike over the weekend as consumers travel over the holidays. As long as demand falls again after the weekend, they say pump price increases should be limited. 

States with the most expensive gas

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

• California ($6.07)    

• Hawaii ($5.43)     

• Nevada ($5.24)

• Washington ($5.21) 

• Alaska ($5.19)

• Oregon ($5.18)   

• Illinois ($4.96) 

• New York ($4.92)    

• Arizona ($4.92)   

• District of Columbia ($4.84)   

States with the cheapest gas

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

• Oklahoma ($4.10) 

• Arkansas ($4.11)     

• Kansas ($4.12)

• Georgia ($4.13) 

• Missouri ($4.17)  

• Mississippi ($4.17)

• Nebraska ($4.19)   

• Louisiana ($4.21)     

• Minnesota ($4.22) 

• Colorado ($4.23)       

Ford Motor Company is recalling 22 model year 2022 Mustangs with an Image Processing Module A (IPMA) or forward-facing camera.

The camera is misaligned to the vehicle and not functioning as intended.

A front-facing camera that is not functioning properly may restrict or disable certain features including Pre-Collision Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping System, Driver Alert, and Auto High Beam Control, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will realign the front-facing camera free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on May 30, 2022.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S34.

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 83,745,827 (83,518,205)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,003,858 (1,002,780)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 527,529,231 (526,849,172)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,283,923 (6,280,942)‌

Experts discover possible cause of neurological symptoms

COVID-19 infections have often been linked to certain neurological symptoms, such as problems with memory, concentration, and headaches. In a recent study, researchers say the formation of amyloids in the brain could be to blame. 

Amyloids are abnormal proteins found in the body that experts have long linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. However, the research team says their findings show that they could also be formed during a COVID-19 infection. Infectious disease expert Dr. Arturo Casadevall said the study may provide another clue about how the virus affects our bodies.

“This is a very interesting study showing that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein has domains that could promote aggregation to form amyloid fibrils. Such fibrils have been associated with cellular dysfunction, and if this happened during COVID-19, it would suggest yet another mechanism by which the virus can damage organs,” he said.

Antibacterial drug may be a potential treatment

Researchers around the world are continuously working on new treatments to fight COVID-19 and all its subvariants. But experts from the Pasteur Institute in France say an antibacterial drug that already exists shows some promise.

The researchers say clofoctol, a drug that is used to treat respiratory tract infections, could be repurposed as a potential COVID-19 treatment. After seeing initial success in a mouse model, the team wants to move to a stage 3 clinical trial that will involve human subjects.

“Drug repurposing can accelerate the time for using it in humans since such a drug has already been tested for its toxicity and tolerability in humans,” explained researcher Dr. Jean Dubuisson. “Developing…a new drug takes much more time because it needs chemical optimization, with a lot of preclinical validations, and it can take 10-15 years for such a development.”

Jeff Bridges says COVID-19 nearly took his life

Well-known American actor Jeff Bridges recently opened up about his personal battle with COVID-19. He stated that the virus nearly ended his life while he was receiving chemotherapy treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. 

“I had no defenses. That’s what chemo does – it strips you of all your immune system. I had nothing to fight it,” he said. “COVID made my cancer look like nothing.”

Bridges certainly had a lot to overcome while battling cancer and his COVID-19 infection. Researchers from Case Western University recently found that breakthrough cases of the virus are much more common among consumers who have cancer or Alzheimer’s. They also said these consumers have a much higher chance of being hospitalized or dying.

Around the nation

• Michigan: New cases and deaths linked to COVID-19 continue to rack up in the state. On Wednesday, officials reported an additional 25,968 cases and 139 deaths from the virus over the previous six days. Despite the high totals, the average number of daily cases decreased over the last seven days from 4,181 to 3,710.

• Tennessee: Data from the State Department of Health shows that cases in Tennessee rose sharply over the last week. After remaining flat for months, hospitalizations spiked upwards over the same time period – rising by 44% to 270.

• New Jersey: Officials say “long hauler” illnesses in the Garden State now represent one-third of all cases. The CDC currently lists 10 New Jersey counties as having “high” transmission rates for COVID-19. Included in that list are Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Gloucester, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Salem, and Sussex counties.

• Arizona: A recent report reveals just how many lives may have been lost due to vaccination resistance. Researchers say 9,000 Arizonan COVID-19 deaths could have been prevented if vaccination rates were higher.

• Iowa: The Iowa Department of Public Health reports that 4,739 people tested positive for COVID-19 in the last week. That’s around 200 more cases than last week.