On March 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its isolation guidelines for COVID and other respiratory infections. In a survey of 421 adults in three states (MD, MO and NE) conducted March 9-11, 58% had heard about the change. However, African American respondents were less likely to have heard about the […]
During the first 2 months of 2024, 41 measles cases have been reported across 16 states, including Missouri. In all of 2023, there were only 58 cases in the U.S. Nearly one in four (24%) St. Louis adults reported hearing that measles cases were on the rise last week. Because most measles cases are reported […]
A recent TikTok video claimed that long-term use of Benadryl could increase your risk of dementia. Nearly one in six (16%) St. Louis adults reported hearing the claim in the last week, a 5% increase from the prior week; 93% believed it was true. Older adults 50+ were more likely to hear the claim than […]
UPDATE (March 1, 2024): The CDC guidance on isolation with COVID & other respiratory illnesses has changed. Please use the newest resource “New CDC Guidelines”. On February 13th, The Washington Post reported that CDC would be relaxing its COVID isolation guidelines. However, CDC officials said that there are no updates to the guidelines. Despite CDC’s denial, 29% […]
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reopened an investigation into a Listeria outbreak after new illnesses were reported in December 2023. In last week’s iHeard survey only 19% of St. Louis adults had heard that “A Listeria outbreak was linked to dairy products.” Those under age 50 […]
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning Americans not to use Neptune’s Fix products, which have been linked to seizures, loss of consciousness, and two deaths. When surveyed last week, only 5% of St. Louis adults said they’d heard that Neptune’s Fix was illegal and dangerous. Neptune’s Fix products contain tianeptine (pronounced: tai·uh·nep·teen), which […]
Despite being unsupported by research, claims about COVID-19 mRNA vaccines interfering with human DNA continue to circulate. This week, one in six adults (17%) surveyed in four states said they’d heard the claim in the last 7 days; 72% of those believed it could be true. Persistence of this claim may be due to concerns […]
Respiratory infections are on the rise in St. Louis, but free face masks are harder to find. The City of St. Louis Department of Health recently issued a masking recommendation for residents due to the increased respiratory infection rates in late December: However, 1 in 7 St. Louis adults surveyed said they’ve heard that it […]
According to Red Cross, the number of people donating blood is the lowest it has been in 20 years. Among St. Louis adults surveyed, 27% had heard about the emergency blood shortage in the last 7 days. Younger adults (<40) were less likely to hear about it than those 40 and older (14% vs. 40%), […]
Help raise awareness about lead screening options in St. Louis. St. Louis County is offering walk-in lead screenings at all three clinic locations. Lead screening services are also available to children 6 years of age and under that live in the City of St. Louis: contact your primary care provider or local Federally Qualified Health […]
As we ease into the winter season, the number of cases of COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are increasing. Last week, almost half (44%) of St. Louis adults have heard that RSV cases are increasing, and 1 in 5 (21%) heard COVID cases are rising in nursing homes. More older adults (50+ years […]
iHeard St. Louis provides real-time, hyper-local, health information insights and resources to support local organizations. Do you know someone or some organization that would benefit from iHeard weekly alerts and social media assets? Please forward them this information so they can sign up, or share the graphic below! Suggested caption: Sign up for weekly iHeard […]
Please join us in celebrating a few iHeard accomplishments from 2023: We are grateful that you are a part of iHeard St. Louis. Together, we can enrich the health information environment in St. Louis. Best wishes for a healthy and prosperous year ahead! Download the graphic below to share about this topic. Suggested caption: Want […]
Do cell phones, Wi-Fi, and 5G cause radiation poisoning? Many social media posts claim they do, and a survey of 331 adults in four states found that 20% of respondents heard the claim in the last week. In St. Louis, only 6% of adults surveyed had heard the claim, but 62% of them believed it […]
Infections from Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in Missouri have reached their highest rates since early 2023. Among St. Louis adults surveyed, 27% had heard about rising RSV rates in the last 7 days. Adults ages 40 and older were more likely to hear about it than those under 40 (36% vs 19%), as were African […]
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating a Salmonella outbreak linked to cantaloupes and urging consumers to avoid eating certain recalled cantaloupe products, including some fruit cups. As of today, the outbreak has caused 117 illnesses, 61 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths in 34 states, including Missouri. In the last week, more than a […]
An online influencer posted a Spanish-language video on Facebook with a false claim that mammograms are not necessary or safe for women over 40. The video had 500,000+ views before it was removed. We asked adults in Missouri, Colorado and Nebraska if they had heard the claim in the last 7 days. Overall, 1 in […]
On October 27, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers to stop using 26 over-the-counter eye drop products due to unsanitary manufacturing conditions. Last week, about 1 in 6 (16%) St. Louis adults said they had heard that eyedrops are unsafe. Almost all (92%) who heard it said it could be true. Not […]
Schnuck’s Markets recalled its cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches because they may contain high lead levels. This follows last week’s recall by WanaBana USA of its Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree Pouches due to possible lead contamination. Weis Markets in Pennsylvania also recalled a similar product. Only 15% of St. Louis adults heard about the WanaBana recall last […]
Local efforts to address inaccurate health information may be working. For weeks, a social media meme has been circulating, claiming that “if vaccines worked, we wouldn’t have diseases like flu, measles and mumps.” However, the proportion of St. Louisans who believe the claim has dropped for 5 straight weeks. Among St. Louis adults surveyed, less […]
The local supply of COVID vaccine for children is lagging, and more St. Louisans are hearing about it. Last week, one in five adults surveyed had heard that it’s hard to find COVID vaccine for young children, up 20% from the prior week. Availability of the pediatric COVID vaccine currently varies across St. Louis. Some […]
Every U.S. household is again eligible to receive four free COVID-19 rapid test kits delivered to their homes this fall. When asked if they’d heard about the free tests in the last week, only 43% of St. Louis adults surveyed said yes. The free test kits are part of public health efforts to reduce the […]
It’s been three weeks since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the updated COVID-19 vaccine for people six months and older. More than 1 in 3 St. Louis adults (36%) have heard about the FDA’s approval, but many are also hearing that the vaccine is hard to find in St. Louis right now. […]
Oral phenylephrine (PE; pronounced “fen-il-ef-rin”), considered a decongestant, is listed as an active ingredient in many common over-the-counter oral cough and cold medicines. There’s just one problem: the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it may not work. On September 11th, FDA held a Non-prescription Drug Advisory Committee meeting and concluded that there is […]
In parts of the U.S., infections from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are on the rise. About 1 in 5 St. Louisans (20%) say they’ve heard about the increase. RSV infection typically causes mild cold-like symptoms but can be severe among infants and older adults. Among St. Louis adults surveyed, African American community members were more […]
For the last 10 weeks, St. Louis has seen a steady increase in the proportion of adults who have heard that the FDA recommended an updated COVID vaccine for the fall. In last week’s survey, 40% of St. Louis adults had heard about the FDA recommending an updated COVID vaccine. This survey was administered just […]
We asked St. Louis adults what they are hearing about COVID-19. In the last 7 days, nearly two-thirds (65%) have heard that COVID cases are rising. This is a big increase from last week (+42%). In addition, 35% heard there is a new COVID variant, and 37% heard that FDA advisers recommended an update to […]
We asked St. Louis adults if they had heard “COVID cases are rising” in the past week. Almost half (46%) said “yes” and nearly all of them (93%) believed it was true. When the same respondents were asked about their own COVID precautions such as mask-wearing, hand-washing, avoiding close contact or large gatherings, 11% reported […]
Over half (54%) of adult survey respondents in St. Louis reported knowing someone who has ever experienced post-partum depression (PPD), and 1 in 5 (20%) know someone who’s had PPD in the last year. Postpartum depression – a condition in which a person feels sad, anxious, and tired after giving birth – has been in […]
Only one week after the FDA approved a new pill for postpartum depression, nearly 30% of St. Louis adults surveyed had heard the news. Increasing community awareness of this treatment is an important part of protecting moms, babies and families in St. Louis. According to the CDC, 1 in 8 women who recently gave birth […]
In last week’s poll, 38% of St. Louis adults surveyed reported hearing about the closure of SSM Level II trauma services at DePaul Hospital in North County. This week, we asked respondents if they would be affected by the change, and separately, if they would be affected the expected closure of South City Hospital. Almost 1 […]
Within weeks, North County’s DePaul Hospital will be ending its Level II trauma services. That news is spreading in St. Louis: 38% of adults surveyed this week heard about the change in service, up 68% from the prior week. SSM Health announced that on September 10th it will end Level II trauma services at DePaul […]
We asked St. Louis adults, “If someone you know in St. Louis needs help staying cool or paying utility bills from air conditioning, do you know where to send them?” Only 24% said “yes.” The majority (63%) said “no,” while 13% were “not sure.” Younger St. Louisans (under age 40) were less likely to know […]
Elon Musk claimed on Twitter that COVID vaccines may be the cause of basketball player Bronny James’ cardiac arrest. We asked St. Louisans if they had heard in the past week that COVID vaccines are causing increased heart problems among young athletes. Although few had heard it (9%), two-thirds of those (67%) believed it. Multiple […]
For 22 weeks, iHeard panel members have reported hearing about the rising mental health crisis among teens. This week, we asked what they were hearing about the reason for declining teen mental health. Most cited social media use (53%), followed by social and cultural division in the U.S. (12%) and gender and sexual identity (8%). […]
In a poll from June 24-26, St. Louis adults rated gun violence as the biggest health problem in St. Louis. Three weeks later, in a follow-up survey among the same adults, 37% selected “banning semi-automatic weapons and assault rifles” as the most effective way of reducing gun violence in St. Louis, followed by “increasing the […]
The two health stories most heard by St. Louis adults last week both involved beverages. Almost half (45%) of respondents to a weekly survey had heard in the last 7 days that aspartame sweeteners may cause cancer; 28% had heard about new energy drinks under investigation due to possible health risks. White St. Louisans were […]
More St. Louis organizations are expanding access to safe spaces for young people, and at least some in St. Louis are getting the message. In this week’s poll, 43% of African American adults surveyed and 25% of Whites had heard about it. Adults ages 40 and older were more likely to have heard it than […]
Although there was widespread agreement in last week’s survey about the biggest health concerns facing St. Louis, we found some differences by sub-group that are relevant for local community leaders and service providers to consider. Respondents chose from 13 health problems: Gun violence, Mental health, Healthcare access and cost, Drug abuse, Traffic safety, Obesity, Reproductive […]
In the latest iHeard survey, we asked St. Louis adults what they considered the biggest and second biggest health problem facing St. Louis. By a landslide margin, most people named gun violence the area’s biggest health problem. The order of health problems in our survey was randomized for each respondent. This week’s report is based on […]
It’s been one month since a new recommendation was announced to lower the starting age for mammograms from 50 to 40 years, but awareness of the guideline remains low in St. Louis. Only 19% of St. Louis adults surveyed heard last week about the new recommendation, a 39% decline from when we first asked about […]
St. Louis hospitals are now distributing free gunlocks to help reduce firearm injuries, but only 15% of St. Louis adults surveyed have heard about the initiative. African American community members were more likely to have heard about it than Whites (26% vs 9%). On June 2, 2023, SSM Health joined 8 other hospitals across the […]
Only 8% of a panel of St. Louis adults said they understood Artificial intelligence (AI) “very well,” and asked specifically about AI and healthcare, more had heard about potential negative impacts than benefits (50% vs. 38%). Most respondents said they understood AI only “somewhat well” (61%), or “not well at all” (30%). Males reported greater […]
Nearly half (46%) of St. Louis adults surveyed think that social media’s effect on youth is mostly negative. Only 4% think it is mostly positive, and the rest think it is equally positive and negative (37%) or don’t know (14%). When asked who is most responsible for making social media safer for young people, 45% […]