Sarah Fentem
Sarah Fentem reports on sickness and health as part of St. Louis Public Radio’s news team. She previously spent five years reporting for different NPR stations in Indiana, immersing herself deep, deep into an insurance policy beat from which she may never fully recover. A longitme NPR listener, she grew up hearing WQUB in Quincy, Illinois, which is now owned by STLPR. She lives in the Kingshighway Hills neighborhood, and in her spare time likes to watch old sitcoms, meticulously clean and organize her home and go on outdoor adventures with her fiancé Elliot. She has a cat, Lil Rock, and a dog, Ginger.
-
As coronavirus cases rise and more contagious variants take hold in Missouri, the four largest hospital systems in St. Louis are requiring all their workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by fall. Employees at St. Luke’s, SSM Health, BJC HealthCare and Mercy Health will need to be vaccinated by late September. Hospital officials say unvaccinated health workers are more at risk of catching the virus and more likely to spread it to patients.
-
Missouri is a hot spot for the delta variant, which is easy to catch and transmit, and health officials are urging the state to redouble its efforts to give Missourians the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. George Turabelidze, Missouri state epidemiologist, said people should assess their risks and whether they should wear masks.
-
Across Missouri, more than 100 schools have spent over $3.5 million — often at taxpayers’ expense — snapping up ionization and other air-purifying devices in an attempt to keep kids safe from COVID-19. But experts warn the largely unregulated technology hasn’t been thoroughly tested in classroom settings and is “often unproven.”
-
Under the new law, Missouri counties and towns will only be able to issue orders that restrict access to businesses, churches and schools for 30 days when the governor declares a public health emergency. Without it, they can impose restrictions for 21 days. The law also bars officials from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccinations to use public facilities and services.
-
A three-judge panel from the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld a federal judge’s decision last year that blocked Missouri from enforcing a 2019 law that banned most abortions at eight weeks or because a fetus has Down syndrome.
-
As seasons become warmer due to climate change, more ticks survive, thrive and multiply, latching onto animals and humans and spreading diseases including Lyme disease and Heartland virus. A recent study by University of Missouri researchers found ticks are active eight months out of the year, from early spring through late fall. The extended season mean more ticks spread potentially fatal diseases.
-
Daily COVID-19 vaccinations in Missouri have decreased by nearly 65% since reaching their high point in mid-April, and the slowing has doctors skeptical of whether the state can vaccinate enough people to stop the coronavirus from spreading.
-
The Missouri health department has acknowledged that it has used national data to estimate Missouri’s racial breakdown, rather than data based on the state's population. That information has been a source of frustration for local health officials working to ensure that vaccine distribution is equitable. State officials now plan to use 2019 U.S. Census data from Missouri but say some parts of the data remain problematic.
-
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced Thursday that nearly 2 million Missourians will become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine by April 9, when every adult in the state qualifies. Parson said the first 900,000 will include homeless people, construction workers and those who work in higher education, all of whom become eligible for the vaccine on March 29.
-
Two large-scale events at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park will inoculate approximately 6,000 people next Thursday and Friday. Other state-run vaccination events will take place through Saturday.