Coronavirus scams to watch out for, care homes brace for impact: CBC's Marketplace cheat sheet

Miss something this week? Don't panic. CBC'sMarketplacerounds up the consumer and health news you need.

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Why many passengers grounded by COVID-19 aren't getting refunds for cancelled flights

Would-be travellers are being denied refunds from major Canadian airlines for trips cancelled by the carriers because of COVID-19.

That wasn't the case until recently. Now,anyone without travel insurance will only get a travel credit, good for 24 months.

Grounded passengers who spoke with CBC News are angry the airlines are keeping their money for trips not taken and services not delivered.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Transport Agency says airlines owe you a voucher, but not a refund.

The watchdogsays it's aiming for a balance between passenger protection and "airlines' operational realities" as border closures prompt carriers topark planes and lay off thousands of employees

Last week,Marketplacelooked into howyou can fight for a refund.Read more

How to fight for a refund for your cancelled flight

5 years ago

Duration 4:29

Most airlines are only offering credit and no-fee rebooking for flights cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Airline passenger advocate Gabor Lukacs offers tips on how to fight for a refund.

Medical experts warn against claims by Winnipeg acupuncturist advertising 'coronavirus prevention tea'

Be careful out there. Health Canada has not approved any product to prevent, treat or cure COVID-19,but that hasn't stopped fraudsters from trying to market products that do so anyways.

In an email to clients last week, Guojian Huang, a Winnipeg-based acupuncture therapist and specialist in traditional Chinese medicine, advertised a six-day herbal tea treatment to prevent COVID-19.

"Selling unauthorized health products or making false or misleading claims to prevent, treat or cure COVID-19 is illegal in Canada," a Health Canada spokesperson said in an email to CBC News.

The organization is urging anyone with information about the advertising or sale of health products claiming to treat, prevent, or cure COVID-19 to report it using its online complaint form.

If you'veencountered any scams related to coronavirus, we want to hear from you. Email us:marketplace@cbc.ca
Read more

Families worry about how short-staffed nursing homes can keep residents safe during pandemic

Like many Canadians with loved ones in long-term care, being denied the ability to visit during the COVID-19 pandemic has been very difficult for Margaret Calver, 81, who used to volunteer daily at her husband Wayne's residence, Markhaven Home for Seniors.

But for the facility north of Toronto,keeping visitors out hasn't stopped the coronavirus from getting in. And now families are concerned about how staff will manage to protect other residents and themselves.

AMarketplaceinvestigation last yearrevealed that long before the coronavirus pandemic, staff at Markhaven struggled to keep up with care needs. Staff admitted to skipping lunch breaks to get all their work done, and residents in wheelchairs were seen waiting up to an hour to use the restroom.

In British Columbia,families caught in a COVID-19 outbreak atNorth Vancouver's Lynn Valley Care Centre say the system left seniors at risk

The death toll at Lynn Valley remains a moving target after it recorded Canada's first COVID-19 death on March 8. At least 10 more residents have since died. And more than 40 additional patients have tested positive for the virus, along with 21 staff members.

Read more

Experts alarmed as recipes for homemade hand sanitizer proliferate online

It's no secret that it's hard to find hand sanitizer in many stores right now, but experts say you shouldn't be so quick to jump on homemade recipes.

Many Canadians are turning to social media for information about how to make their own and some of that information is very misleading.

"You don't want anyone making up their homemade hand sanitizers that might have a component that's going to lead to some kind of toxic reaction on their hands," said Dr. Alyson Kelvin, an assistant professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax and a member of the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology.

DIY sanitizersmight not even be effective at killing the virus.

One YouTube video that touts a concoction of witch hazel, tea tree oil and aloe vera has been viewed 1.8 million times. Another YouTube video, viewed 747,000 times in the past two weeks, recommends isopropyl rubbing alcohol with concentrations as low as 70 per cent a level that, when mixed with the other ingredients, wouldn't be enough to kill the virus.

Remember, if you're at home, chances are you already have something in the house that's effective at killing the virus: soap and water.

In the end, experts say hand-washing is still your best option.Read more.

What else is going on?

-The riskiest surfaces for coronavirus and how to clean them
What materials are worst, how long the virus lasts, and how to protect yourself.

-Consumers rush to equip homes with technology during COVID-19 pandemic
As more businesses close their offices and send staff to work from home, technology companies are struggling to keep with demand for equipment.

-Sunwing laying off 1,500 flight staff, including pilot with COVID-19
Sunwing and its employees hope for government aid to help beleaguered airline industry.

-Canada Post to reduce hours, install clear barriers in response to COVID-19
Canada Post said Tuesday its offices will open an hour later and close an hour earlier to clean, restock and "provide some relief to employees." The first hour of opening will be dedicated to customers at higher risk, including seniors and people with compromised immune systems.

The latest in recalls

- These glueshave been recalled due to lack of hazard information and child-resistant packaging.

- These USB chargers might be a fire and shock hazard.

This week on Marketplace

How Taiwan keeps kids in school during COVID-19; Testing SmileDirectClub

School's out in Canada, but kids in Taiwan are already back in class.

Marketplace asked Taiwan officials what they've done to help make this a reality and spoke with experts to see if the measures taken in Taiwan could work in Canada.

Is it possible we could attempt these measures here in Canada?

Plus: At a time when the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic is encouraging Canadians to stay inside, SmileDirectClub is telling consumers that social distancing shouldn't stop you from straightening your teeth and getting "the smile you love from the safety of your home."

"This pandemic isn't stopping us, or you," the company posted on Facebook and Instagram late last week. "We're hearing from people every day who are excited to change their smiles and who see starting their smile journey as a bright spot in this scary time."

SmileDirectClub has quickly made a name for themselves in the world of teeth straightening, offering moulded aligners to customers for a fraction of the cost of braces. They brag about hundreds of thousands of customers, but at Marketplace, we've been hearing from consumers who weren't so happy after treatment.

So we took a closer look at the teledentistry company, which relies on off-site dentists to review a scan of your teeth, so you never actually meet the dentist or orthodontist the company says is supervising your treatment.

Our investigative team sent hidden-camera testers into their storefront locations, to hear the sell and listen to what their sales staff were saying. And we showed SmileDirect's treatment plans to some seasoned orthodontists, to hear what they thought of the plans and their potential consequences.

If you're seeing SmileDirectClub ads in your social media feeds, this is an episode you don't want to miss.

Watch this week's episode and catch up on past episodes ofMarketplaceanytime on CBC Gem.

Have you seen any COVID-19 related scams online or in your community?

Marketplace is on the lookout. Email us: marketplace@cbc.ca