Spotlight on Health Headlines
3 M has continued to ramp up production of its N95 respirator masks, as the coronavirus pan- demic intensifies again in parts of the world. 3M’s medical-grade masks are widely seen as the highest-quality option to protect against infection, and they have been in high demand throughout this pandemic. The company began increasing its production of N95s in late January, just weeks after the novel coronavirus emerged out of China. The company is currently on track to produce 2 billion N95 masks this year, about half of which will be in the United States where demand has spiked as Public health experts stress the impor- tance of people wearing face coverings to slow transmission of the Covid-19 virus. AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson are also conducting late-stage phase three clinical trials. Although health officials are extremely optimistic that in the near future there will be positive results coming from late-stage clinical trials for coronavi- rus vaccines and therapeutics. They remain realistic that people will still have to practice mask wearing and social distancing for the foreseeable future, which will take us well into 2021. A s coronavirus cases continue to surge to record highs, the U.S. is racing to develop and distribute a Covid-19 vaccine under the federal government’s Operation Warp Speed program. Some of those candidates from Pfizer and Moderna have fully enrolled people in their clinical trials and could be granted an emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by the end of this year. MASKS & PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES WILL GO WELL INTO 2021 3M CONTINUES TO FOCUS ITS MASK PRODUCTION
T he maker of Canada Dry ginger ale has agreed to pay more than $200,000 to settle a class-action lawsuit launched by a B.C. man who alleged he was misled by mar- keting suggesting the popular soda beverage had medicinal benefits as it was made from real ginger. A B.C. Supreme Court decision on costs show that the claimant bought Canada Dry on the basis it was “made from real ginger’’ but the mar- keting was false and it contained none. The soda’s maker, Canada Dry Mott’s Inc., denied the allegations and any liability. Under the settlement agreement, the company is not required to change its labelling or adver- tising for products marketed in Canada. SURGE OF COVID-19 CASES IN THE UNITED STATES IS CONCERNING W ith much of the country focused on the upcoming presidential election, many say voters should be concerned with the record surge of coronavirus cases in the United States as it pushes hospitals to the brink of ca- pacity. The U.S. recently broke its single-day record for new coronavirus infections, reporting at least 91,248 new cases, as 21 states reported their highest daily number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients since the pandemic started. LAWSUIT OVER MARKETING OF CANADA DRY GINGER ALE SETTLED
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SEPTEMBER 2020 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020
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