Weekly Alerts

The CDC reports that from March 31 to October 5, 2024, rates of pneumonia in kids ages 2-4 increased from 1 to 7.2 percent, and from 3.6 to 7.4 percent among kids 5-17. Among St. Louis adults surveyed, 29 percent reported hearing about the increase during the last 7 days.   Is it pneumonia?    Symptoms of pneumonia usually […]

[Update] On Sunday, December 15th, the authors of a study referenced in this alert issued a correction to their findings.  We have updated the alert and assets to reflect this correction. Updated text is shown in bold. A new study found that black-colored plastics used in cooking utensils and toys may contain banned toxic chemicals. Over […]

Holiday gatherings often bring together people with differing perspectives, sometimes leading to sensitive conversations. We asked St. Louisans what they discussed at their Thanksgiving meals.   Different viewpoints were common  Among adults surveyed in St. Louis and Omaha, 74% shared a meal with family or friends from outside their household; of those, nearly two-thirds said someone at […]

This week, 16% of St. Louis adults surveyed reported that in the last 7 days they had heard that “all fluoride in water is dangerous;” of those who heard it 46% thought it was probably or definitely true.  What is fluoride? Fluoride is a natural mineral found in water, soil, air, and certain foods. In the […]

On October 7, the FDA authorized another over-the-counter at-home COVID-19 and flu combo test kit. One in five (20%) St. Louis adults surveyed reported hearing about it this week, an increase from 9% who had heard about it one week prior.   How does the combo test kit work?  The Healgen Rapid Check COVID-19/Flu A&B Test is made […]

Asked if they trust the safety of the food they buy in stores or restaurants, 74% of St. Louis adults surveyed say they “mostly trust it,” and 9% say they “trust it completely.”  About 12% said they “mostly do not trust it,” and 5% said they “don’t trust it at all.”  Trust in food safety […]

If you’ve never heard of a sobering support center, you’re not alone. Only 13% of St. Louis adults surveyed had heard of it, and of those, only 1 in 4 knew the name or address of St. Louis’s center.  What is a sobering support center?  A sobering support center is a better community response to public intoxication. It’s a […]

As of October 12, 2024, Whooping Cough cases in St. Louis County are 25 times higher than the same period in 2023. Only one in six St. Louis adults (17%) surveyed this week said they had heard about the rise in cases during the last 7 days.   More St. Louisans hearing about Whooping Cough    This is the […]

Over 500 miles away from the nearest damage brought by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, adults in St. Louis still heard false claims about the storms.   No, humans cannot create or steer hurricanes…    Among St. Louis adults surveyed, 32% heard in the last week that humans can create hurricanes, 29% heard that humans can control the […]