Current Events in August 2022

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Leicester is exploring ethnicity-related disparities in health care. According to their findings, the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened some of these inequities in the health care system. 

“As we now plan for recovery, improved surveillance, and risk factor management, it will be imperative that primary and specialist care services urgently focus on the disproportionate impact the pandemic has had on ethnic minority populations,” said researcher Kamlesh Khunti. 

Heightened issues in health care

For the study, the researchers analyzed the structure of health care systems in both the U.S. and the U.K. They looked closely at education, neighborhood resources, housing, employment opportunities, and food, and the ways that disparities in these areas also affected access to health care.

Ultimately, the team found that a lack of attention to issues that are outside of health care is likely to affect minorities in the health care system, and this became especially true throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The study showed that minorities had a higher risk of exposure to COVID-19, were more likely to struggle to get access to quality health care for the virus, and were more likely to have pre-existing conditions that worsened the virus. 

The researchers explained that several factors are responsible for these conditions – overcrowded living conditions, having jobs as essential workers, health insurance status, access to medical care, and pre-existing conditions, like diabetes. 

“Diabetes is a risk factor for severe COVID-19, and the combination of ethnic disparities may have contributed to the inequality of coronavirus outcomes for those living with the condition,” Khunti said. 

While efforts have been made to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 virus, these findings point to bigger structural issues that continue to face minority consumers. The researchers say policymakers need to do more work to break down some of the structural inequities that have been plaguing minorities long before the pandemic. 

“Only by taking a long-term, holistic view of health care will we, and particularly our most vulnerable populations, be able to cope better with future pandemics,” said Khunti. 

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

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 92,562,436 (91,993,384)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 1,035,549 (1,035,005)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 587,651,288 (586,897,066)

Total ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 6,428,190 (6,422,057)‌

COVID-19 cases at an inflection points, experts say

After an early 2022 surge, the U.S. appears to be at a plateau when it comes to COVID-19 cases, according to some medical experts. After the sharp increase, hospitalizations and deaths have leveled off in recent weeks.

While the U.S. has admitted 40,000 COVID-19 patients to hospitals, and 400 people are dying each day. But the numbers suggest that’s a much better result than during the winter months when serious cases and deaths were much higher. Looking ahead, few scientists know what to expect.

"We've never really cracked that: why these surges go up and down, how long it stays up and how fast it comes down," Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist and professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research,” told CNN. "All these things are still somewhat of a mystery."

CDC says COVID-19 risks are increasing in some areas

While conditions are improving in some areas, other U.S. counties are moving in the wrong direction, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In its latest report, the agency said the number of U.S. counties in the high-risk of transmission category jumped 71% in just the last week.

The CDC’s high-risk map shows that 1,143 counties now meet the threshold for that top threat designation. That’s more than triple the number from last month, a move that CDC officials call a clear reversal.

Only about 25% of counties are now considered to be at low risk for COVID-19 spread. In the June 17 update, 60% were in the low-risk category.

AMA gives an outlook for the fall

Despite current worrisome COVID-19 trends, the American Medical Association (AMA) has a more positive outlook for the fall. The good news, the AMA says, is that most of the country has been exposed to the virus either through infection or vaccination, leading to a reduction in hospitalizations and deaths.

While there has been discussion of an updated COVID-19 vaccine that might be ready for boosters by October, some health experts aren’t sure whether it’s wise to change the vaccine to target the emerging subvariants.

“By the time it's ready in the fall, BA.5 may be past us and we may be on to something entirely new,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, a virology expert and AMA member.

Around the nation

• California: School is starting in many school districts across the state, and health officials are expressing relief that it’s coinciding with a sharp decline in COVID-19 cases. The California Department of Public Health this week reported that the statewide COVID-19 case rate is at 33.7 per 100,000 residents, a 19% decline in the past week.

• Texas: Jazmin Kirkland, a North Texas mother of three, left the hospital this week after being treated for a severe case of COVID-19. Kirkland was admitted to the hospital on Aug. 3, 2021. A few days later, she was placed on a ventilator because the virus had attacked her heart and lungs.

• Virginia: School classrooms are open all across the state, but many students apparently prefer virtual instruction. Virginia Virtual Academy Executive Director Suzanne Sloane said the school’s full-time enrollment is currently nearing 5,000 students, which is higher than before the pandemic.

• Ohio: Officials at Ohio State University say they plan to use the same COVID-19 protocols that were in place during the summer sessions for the fall term. Students, faculty, and staff will be required to show proof of vaccination, and masking will be optional.

• Georgia: Stacey Abrams, the Democratic candidate for governor, has tested positive for COVID-19. Abrams' campaign spokesperson Alex Floyd said the candidate tested positive Wednesday morning after giving a public speech on the economy Tuesday night in Atlanta.

Chipotle Mexican Grill said it and the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection have come to an agreement to resolve claims regarding the Fair Workweek Law and Earned Safe and Sick Leave Act.

An investigation found that Chipotle violated its Fair Workweek law, including failing to perform requirements like posting work schedules 14 days in advance, paying a premium for those schedule changes, and ensuring that current employees are offered available shifts before hiring new employees.

To resolve the matter, Chipotle has agreed to pay 13,000 current and former workers who were employed by the company between November 26, 2017, and April 30, 2022, $50 for each week they worked. The total amount comes to approximately $20 million.

“We’re pleased to be able to resolve these issues and believe this settlement demonstrates Chipotle’s commitment to providing opportunities for all of our team members while also complying with the Fair Workweek law” said Scott Boatwright, Chief Restaurant Officer, Chipotle.

Boatwright went on to say that Chipotle has implemented a number of compliance initiatives and added new technology to help its restaurants process timekeeping better. 

Chipotle said the average hourly wage for nearly 4,000 employees in its 129 restaurants in New York City rose 11% over the last year, to $17.37 per hour. It also notes that it has raised wages across the country while continuing to offer perks such as tuition reimbursement, health benefits, and quarterly bonuses.

The cost of renting an apartment in New York City hit a record high in June, as the median asking price hit $3,500, according to data collected by New York real estate site StreetEasy. It was even higher in Manhatten, hitting a median of $4,100 a month.

But the nation’s largest city is not the only place where the cost of renting a home is now rising faster than home prices. In many major population centers, where jobs pay well and are relatively plentiful, rents are rising through the roof.

Real estate broker Redfin reports that rents in the Cincinnati housing market jumped 39% in June. The median asking price was $1,815, giving the Ohio city the distinction of experiencing the largest percentage increase among the nation’s 50 largest metros. Seattle, Nashville, and Austin were close behind with rent increases of at least 30%.

Supply and demand

Housing economists point to supply and demand as the cause behind these increases – the same factor that has driven home prices to record highs and priced millions out of the home purchase market. Inventory levels of homes for sale remain extremely low, but demand rose dramatically during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

People who can’t afford to buy a home must continue to rent, creating another supply and demand imbalance. Lily Liu, CEO of Piñata, a landlord services app, says home prices have slowed their rise. However, she points out that high mortgage interest rates have made a home purchase unaffordable for many people.

“People were looking in the last few months whether prices would drop significantly,” Liu told NextAdviser. “Prices are actually pretty stable on the housing side, which means it still continues to be a difficult market to buy.” 

Rents in some cities are rising faster than the national average

Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin, says rents are rising faster in some markets than others. She sees a slowdown in rent growth because, just like with homebuyers, there is a limit to what renters can pay.

“Rent growth is likely slowing because landlords are seeing demand start to ease as renters get pinched by inflation,” Fairweather said. “With the cost of gas, food and other products soaring, renters have less money to spend on housing.” 

While the rise in rents may slow in the months ahead, Fairweather doesn’t see that happening everywhere. She notes that rents are still climbing at unprecedented rates in strong job markets like New York and Seattle and in areas like San Antonio and Austin that soared in popularity during the pandemic.

Researchers from Rutgers University have explored how stress can affect young people's mental health. Their findings showed that students who have the highest academic-related stress may also have the poorest mental health outcomes. 

“This study shows that college students are not uniformly impacted by academic stress or pandemic-related stress and that certain groups should be offered additional resources and support,” said researcher Xue Ming. 

Academic pressures can be burdensome

For the study, the researchers had nearly 900 college students answer questions from two popular questionnaires – the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS) and the Perception of Academic Stress Scale (PAS). The former included questions about general mental health and wellness, while the latter asked about workload, students’ perception of their academic performance, and their expectations for their academic performance. 

It was clear to the researchers that high academic stress was linked with poorer mental health. The more stressed students were about their academic lives, the more likely they were to struggle with their mental health. 

Three groups stood out as having the highest stress levels: female students, nonbinary students, and second-year college students. The team speculates that second-year students are starting to get serious about their lives outside of college and feel the pressure to finalize their majors, take more difficult classes, and put more on their plates. By comparison, first-year students had the lowest stress levels when it came to both academics and COVID-19. 

To help support students during these stressful times and lower their risk of poor mental health, the team hopes universities around the country do their part to provide resources to their students. 

“Colleges should consider offering tailored mental health resources to these groups to improve students’ stress levels and psychological well-being,” said Ming. “To raise awareness and destigmatize mental health, colleges can distribute confidential validated assessments, such as the PAS and SWEMWBS, in class and teach students to self-score so they can monitor their stress and mental well-being.” 

Mothers affect their kids both physically and mentally by how they interact with them. Now, researchers from the University of Houston are exploring how moms’ personal lives can affect their kids’ attachment styles. 

According to their findings, mothers who struggle with their own interpersonal relationships are more likely to have kids who develop an insecure attachment style, which can ultimately affect kids well into adulthood. 

“When mothers struggle in their own interpersonal relationships, the passing on of secure attachment and healthy relationship functioning to adolescent offspring seem to be impeded,” said researcher Carla Sharp. “Maternal interpersonal problems were associated with higher levels of insecure attachment in adolescent offspring such that adolescents would either dismiss the need for attachment with their moms or show angry preoccupation with the relationships with their moms.” 

Developing attachment issues

The researchers interviewed 351 pairs of mothers and children who were receiving inpatient psychiatric care. Children were asked specifically about their attachment to the people in their lives and the effect it has had on them. Mothers were asked to report on what they remembered about bonding with their own mothers. Both groups also answered questions about how close they felt to other people, if they struggled to feel close with other people, or if they tried too hard to please others. 

The study showed that when mothers struggled to maintain healthy interpersonal relationships – platonic, familial, or romantic – their children were more likely to have attachment issues. The researchers also found that this could be generational; mothers involved in the study who had poor experiences with their mothers were more likely to struggle in their relationships with their own kids. 

The researchers explained that all parents are hoping their children develop a secure attachment; this is when kids feel emotionally supported and connected to their parents and view them as comforting figures. However, this study highlighted the other attachment styles – insecure, dismissing, and preoccupied -- often create insecure attachments in kids.

Kids with insecure attachments will either completely reject a connection with their parents or have an unhealthy preoccupation with their relationship. Over time, this can affect mental health by increasing the risk of anxiety and depression. It can also be detrimental to social relationships and increase the risk of substance abuse. 

Audi is recalling 2,584 model year 2022 Audi S3 and A3 sedans.

The retention force of the seat belt tensioner on the driver and front passenger seats may be inadequate to properly restrain the occupants in a crash.

Improperly restrained occupants have an increased risk of injury.

What to do

Dealers will replace the driver and front passenger seat belt assemblies free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on September 16, 2022.

Owners may contact Audi's customer service at (800) 253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 68i2.

Textron Specialized Vehicles of Augusta, Ga., is recalling about 2,300 Arctic Cat Alterra 600 and Tracker 600 All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) sold in the U.S. and Canada.

A fuse in the ATV’s electrical system can fail during operation. This can result in a sudden loss of engine power and headlights, posing a crash hazard.

The firm has received five reports of fuses blowing while a vehicle was in use. No accidents or injuries have been reported.

The Arctic Cat Alterra 600 ATVs were sold in various colors, including green, gray, and fossil (tan).

The Tracker 600 vehicles were sold in various colors, including red, white, STRATA Camo, and gray. The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is located on the front right-hand frame tube beside the right-hand shock.

A list of the VIN number ranges for the recalled ATVs may be found here.

The Arctic Cat Alterra was sold at Arctic Cat dealers nationwide from July 2021, through May 2022. The Tracker 600 was sold at Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, and Tracker dealers nationwide from July 2021, through May 2022.

The recalled ATVs sold for between $7,400 to $10,400.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled ATVs and contact Textron Specialized Vehicles to arrange for a free repair. Textron will send consumers instructions, along with a replacement 20 Amp fuse and a new label for the fuse box.

Consumers may also bring the vehicle to an authorized repair shop or dealer to have the repair performed free of charge. Textron is contacting all known purchasers.

Consumers may contact Textron Specialized Vehicles toll-free at (888) 525-6040 from between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday, by email at jcook03@textron.com, or online for more information. 

Ford has announced that it will start taking orders again on its electric pickup truck, the Lightning F-150, this Thursday. But for consumers who have waited for the vehicle to become available again, they’ll be paying a pretty penny – up to $96,874 for the Platinum Extended Range edition. That's up to $8,500 more than they would have paid when the vehicle was originally released.

When the truck first hit the streets in May 2021, the “Pro” base model had an MSRP of $40,000. Now, its sticker price is $46,974. There are several layers of bells and whistles a buyer can get their truck decked out with, including everything from police-grade heavy-duty cloth front seats to an automatic trailer hitch mechanism. The package upgrades run anywhere from $6,000-$13,000.

In announcing the truck’s return, Ford said the higher price points came about due to “significant material cost increases and other factors.” However, it says the truck's standard range battery will improve the driving range from an EPA-estimated 230 miles to 240 miles. 

“Current order holders awaiting delivery are not impacted by these price adjustments,” said Ford official Marin Gjaja. “We’ve announced pricing ahead of re-opening order banks so our reservation holders can make an informed decision around ordering a Lightning.”

Special offers and tax credits

The automaker said consumers who made a reservation for a Lightning truck but elected to extend their reservation because their vehicle specification was unavailable will receive a “private offer for use in upcoming waves.” ConsumerAffairs reached out to Ford for an explanation as to what the “private offer” would entail or cost, but the company did not immediately respond to our request.

Consumers who don’t want to feel the sting of the higher prices on the F-150 should keep in mind that the federal government’s EV tax credit can lower the cost by $7,500. And that credit will now last a decade thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act that Congress just passed.

However, those tax credits come with their own set of requirements, such as the vehicle being assembled in North America and a requirement for the “critical minerals” in its battery to be sourced in the U.S. or in a country that the U.S. has a free trade agreement with. 

VantageScore, a provider of credit scores to lenders, has reportedly decided to drop medical debt from its calculations – a move that could raise many consumers’ credit scores.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the company’s move goes farther than those recently announced by Equifax, Experian, and Transunion – the three credit reporting agencies that jointly own VantageScore.

In March, the three credit reporting agencies announced that medical debt turned over to collections but later repaid will be removed from a consumer's credit report. Under current practices, it remains as part of a consumer's credit history.

The Journal reports that VantageScore is taking it a step further. The company will remove all medical collections from the data used to determine a credit score. Company executives told the Journal that it has found medical debts are not a good indicator of how consumers handle other debts.

Medical debt often can’t be avoided

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, two-thirds of medical debts are the result of a one-time or short-term medical expense arising from an emergency or sudden medical need. After two years of the COVID-19 pandemic and a detailed review of the prevalence of medical collection debt on credit reports, all of the credit reporting agencies are now changing the way they view medical debt.

“Especially given the impact that Covid-19 had on consumers, having medical debt isn’t necessarily reflective of someone’s ability to pay back a loan,” VantageScore CEO Silvio Tavares told the news outlet.

VantageScore’s action expands on moves by its parent companies. In July, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion began deleting information about medical bills sent to collections if the bills had later been paid. The three firms also put off including new unpaid medical debts to credit reports for a full year after being sent to collections. Previously, there was a six-month waiting period. 

Starting next year, the three credit reporting agencies said they would remove unpaid medical debt if it is less than $500. While it’s a step in the right direction, federal regulators say it doesn’t go far enough.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) said the steps taken by the three credit reporting agencies probably won’t help that many people. In February, before the credit reporting changes took effect, the CFPB estimated that about $88 billion in medical bills were listed on 43 million credit reports.  

After years of declining inventory, there are a growing number of homes for sale. The inventory of available homes rose by 30.7% on an annual basis last month, the largest increase on record.

As sellers face more competition, prices are likely to fall. But the Realtor.com Monthly Housing Trends Report shows that hasn’t happened yet. Average listing prices remain near their all-time high.

"The U.S. housing market continues to move toward more evenly balanced supply and demand compared to the 2021 frenzy,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist for Realtor.com. “Our July data shows elevated mortgage rates left many buyers tightening their budgets and sellers responding with price reductions, while home shoppers who kept searching saw more available options." 

Even though home inventories increased in July, new listings declined. Hale says the shift in the housing market may be causing current homeowners to put off selling for a while.

“But data indicates that homeowners grappling with this decision are still in a good position in many markets, with buyer interest keeping well-priced homes selling quickly,” she said. “Plus, many sellers have a substantial equity cushion to leverage, thanks to the past decade of rising prices. Whether or not they take advantage of these opportunities will be key to inventory trends moving forward."

Lack of buyers

The report concludes that a lack of buyers is the main reason inventory levels are increasing. Rapidly rising mortgage rates have made homes at current prices unaffordable for millions of would-be buyers.

With more buyers on the sidelines, many sellers have begun to cut their asking prices after two or three weeks with no offers. The previously red-hot markets of Las Vegas, Denver, Austin, Nashville, Tampa, and Sacramento saw the most price reductions, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Realtor.com reports that typical monthly mortgage payments are now 1.5 times higher than in July 2021, with many buyers putting their purchase plans on hold. That is giving active listings room to grow. 

However, Hale says buyers aren’t the only people affected by the shift in market conditions. Sellers, seeing prices dip and facing the same high mortgage rates when they buy another house, are staying put for now. New listings declined in July for the first time since March.

If mortgage rates remain elevated, home prices will have to moderate to draw buyers back into the market. July’s median listing price was $449,000 - just $1,000 less than June’s record high. On a square foot basis, year-over-year asking price growth moderated slightly in July from the June pace.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill explored the risks of rising temperatures around the world. According to their findings, nighttime temperatures continue to rise as a result of climate change, which has been linked with a higher risk of death globally. 

“The risks of increasing temperature at night were frequently neglected,” said researcher Yuqiang Zhang, Ph.D. “However, in our study, we found that the occurrences of hot night excess (HNE) are projected to occur more rapidly than the daily mean temperature changes. The frequency and mean intensity of hot nights would increase more than 30% and 60% by the 2100s, respectively, compared with less than 20% for the daily mean temperature.” 

How heat affects consumers’ health

For the study, the researchers created two climate change models for nearly 30 cities across South Korea, China, and Japan. Their models tracked heat-related deaths from 1980 through 2015 and then projected what daytime and nighttime temperature increases might look like from 2016 through the 2100s. 

The study showed that as nighttime temperatures increase, the risk of death also increases. When the temperature is excessively high at night, the mortality risk could be 50% higher than on nights when the temperature isn’t as high.  

Additionally, the findings highlighted that nighttime temperatures are expected to increase more over time than daytime temperatures. This means that the risk of death as a result of exposure to extreme heat is even higher. Between 2016 and 2100, the mortality risk is projected to increase by six times; this is much higher than the projections related to daytime temperature increases. 

While these findings were focused strictly on cities across Asia, the researchers hope more work can be done globally to address climate concerns. They also hope policymakers step in to help consumers protect themselves against rising nighttime temperatures. 

“To combat the health risk raised by the temperature increases from climate change, we should design efficient ways to help people adapt,” Dr. Zhang said. “Locally, heat during the night should be taken into account when designing the future heatwave warning system, especially for vulnerable populations and low-income communities who may not be able to afford the additional expense of air conditioning. Also, stronger mitigation strategies, including global collaborations, should be considered to reduce future impacts of warming.” 

Many consumers struggled with their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, a new study conducted by researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center explored how mental health during the pandemic affected physical health outcomes. 

According to their findings, mental health struggles may be responsible for weight gain among obese consumers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic is a fascinating model for individual and social stress and showed that changes in mental health can really preclude people from maintaining a healthy body weight,” said researcher Dr. Jaime Almandoz. 

Mental health and physical health

The researchers surveyed over 400 people who had been receiving obesity treatment for at least two years at one of three clinics in Dallas about their mental and physical health. The surveys were conducted between March 2021, and November 2021.

Though all of the participants were enrolled in a program designed to help them lose weight, they all gained weight over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. The average weight gain was over 4% of body weight, though some gained as much as 80 pounds throughout the pandemic. 

The team then broke down the survey responses to get a better idea of the participants’ lifestyles and mental health. They learned that mental health concerns played a significant role in weight gain. Participants who reported struggling with anxiety, stress, and depression gained the most weight. 

The researchers also accounted for socioeconomic factors, like household income and education level. While nearly 60% of participants were college graduates and almost half made more than $75,000 per year, these mental health and weight struggles persisted. 

“People who are enrolled in weight management programs typically lose weight,” said Dr. Almandoz. “If people with these levels of privilege are experiencing significant challenges during the pandemic, these stresses are likely amplified in the general population. 

Though the study showed that following an unhealthy diet and having poor sleeping habits also contributed to weight gain, these findings emphasize that consumers’ mental health is an important part of their physical health. 

“Our findings underscore the complexity of obesity; it’s not just about telling people to eat less and move more,” Dr. Almandoz said. “There’s a mental health aspect that has to be integrated into treating the person as a whole.”