Infotrak

Layoffs and unemployment not only impact individuals, but recent research shows they can also impact society, with increases in property crimes and criminal charges. Prof. Mark Votruba, Associate Professor of Economics in the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, explains why.

When sexual harassment happens in the workplace, chances are the company won't deal with the complaint properly. Why does this happen, and what can a victim do about it? Adrienne Lawrence, former ESPN anchor and legal analyst, and author of “Staying in the Game: The Playbook for Beating Workplace Sexual Harassment” shares her advice.

It seems every day, research tells us a certain food is unhealthy, then another study comes out, contradicting it. How can we know what to believe when it comes to nutrition? George Zaidan, science communicator, television and web host, and author “Ingredients: The Strange Chemistry of What We Put in Us and on Us” shares his research on the topic.

Contact tracing is considered an important tool in the fight against COVID-19. But the program ha s attracted scam artists. Colleen Tressler from the Federal Trade Commission shares tips on how you can avoid being a victim.

Do you understand the differences between two primary tests related to COVID-19? Bobbi Pritt, MD, from the Mayo Clinic, explains what every American needs to know about COVID-19 tests.

US government debt is expanding at an unprecedented rate. We face a long path to recovery, once the current crises are resolved. Although he is a deficit hawk, Bob Bixby, Executive Director of the Concord Coalition, believes that the US government has little choice than to pour trillions of dollars into the economy in response to the current economic tailspin.

In the battle against the coronavirus, scientists around the world are working to find an effective vaccine. We'll talk the co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine, Paul Offit, MD, Director of the Vaccine Education Center and Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He says the race to the finish line involves big challenges.

Many Americans have received their stimulus payments from the federal government, but millions of others are still waiting. Prof. Richard Winchester, from Seton Hall University School of Law, offers advice and web site locations for people to check on the payments and to provide information to the government to expedite the process. He also outlines the numerous aspects of economic aid built into the stimulus bill passed by Congress.

Brian Walsh, Certified Financial Planner at SoFi, a personal finance company, suggests some smart financial moves to make during the current economic downturn. He discusses scenarios for those who are unemployed, those who are worried about their jobs and those who have received stimulus checks.

During the COVID-19 situation, shoppers have encountered empty shelves and limited products to buy, and assume the cause is hoarding. Amy David, PhD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Supply Chain and Operations Management at Purdue University, says there are other factors causing the shortages.

Tim Lash, Chief Strategy Officer for West Health, a nonprofit organization dedicated to lowering the healthcare costs of senior citizens, shares the results of their poll that found that about 1 in 7 Americans say they would avoid seeking medical care if they experienced key symptoms associated with COVID-19, out of fear of the potential cost. He also discusses the greater impact of coronavirus in minority communities.

Among the unintended consequences of government-ordered lockdowns, Amanda Kubista-Owen, asocial worker with Mayo Clinic Health System, says cases of domestic violence and child abuse are becoming more frequent, more severe and more dangerous. She offers advice to those dealing with abusive relationships and says that resources are still available to help victims, despite the pandemic.

Americans love to travel. A recent poll reveals a pent up demand, with millions eager to travel again once the pandemic fears are over. But the transition to normal travel may take some time. Rick Seaney, CEO of FareCompare.com says although the current travel outlook is bleak with few flights in the air, there are numerous bargains for consumers who are willing to buy tickets for use later in the year.

Dr. Gregory Poland, Director of the Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, explains the pluses and minuses of herd immunity, what the similarities and differences are between COVID-19 and the flu, and how he thinks workplaces and schools may change in the future as a result of the pandemic, with less business travel and more e-learning.

Small businesses across the nation are struggling to pay their bills. Eric Groves, Co-Founder and CEO of Alignable, a social network for local businesses, says their recent poll found that over a third of small businesses won't be able to pay this month's rent.

As if the pandemic wasn't causing enough health worries for Americans experts are now concerned about a secondary health care crisis due to a virtual halt of all screenings, surgeries and routine tests. Dr. Benjamin Domb believes it threatens to be much larger than the crisis caused by COVID-19 itself.

Everywhere we go, we see visible signs of the pandemic, primarily people wearing cloth masks. Dr. Lisa Brousseau spent decades studying the efficacy and fit of surgical masks and respirators, and the aerosol transmission of infectious disease. She says there is no scientific basis for the general public to use cloth masks to prevent COVID-19. She explains why there is a great difference between the use of masks in medical settings vs going to the grocery store. She is concerned that authorities who are ordering the use of bandanas and the like are not taking the issue seriously, and that masks may cause the public to disregard physical distancing.

It’s being called the "Quarantine 15"-- gaining weight while staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Donald D. Hensrud, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Nutrition and Preventive Medicine at Mayo Clinic and Director of the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program talks about the common causes of weight gain during the coronavirus lockdowns and what people can do to avoid it and to get some exercise.

Tracing the sources of the coronavirus involves a lot of dedicated people. Prathit A. Kulkarni, MD, from Infectious Diseases Section of Baylor College of Medicine joins is to explain how contact tracing works and why it is useful.

Want to change the world? Jamie Amelio, the author of “Staying Bothered: Find Your Passion, Commit to Action, Change the World" says find one thing that bothers you, then take action to fix it!