LOGINIn recent weeks, McDonald’s has been under scrutiny due to an E. coli outbreak linked to its Quarter Pounders, leading to illnesses and even a death in several states, most notably Colorado. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pointed to slivered onions used in the burgers as the likely source of contamination. The supplier, Taylor Farms, has cooperated fully, recalling onions from its Colorado facility. McDonald’s responded by removing the Quarter Pounder from its menus in affected states and pausing the distribution of onions in the impacted regions.
As of October 11, the outbreak resulted in 49 confirmed cases of illness across ten states, primarily affecting Colorado and Nebraska, with one reported death in Colorado. While McDonald’s swiftly acted to remove the contaminated products, the damage was already done as the outbreak significantly impacted consumer sentiment and hospital visits across these states.
Foot Traffic Data Insights: Hospital Visits and Cross Visits with McDonald’s Locations
Advan Research’s foot traffic data provides crucial insights into the hospital visits in the weeks leading up to and following the outbreak. This data helps illuminate a clear correlation between the increase in E. coli cases and the foot traffic spikes in hospitals, especially in Colorado, which saw the highest concentration of cases according to the CDC.
Key Findings from Advan’s Foot Traffic Data
1. Sharp Increase in Hospital Visits in Colorado: On the week of September 23, hospital visits in Colorado surged by a staggering 91%, directly aligning with the CDC’s identification of this state as the epicenter of the outbreak. The following weeks also saw elevated levels, with increases of 70%, 77%, and 74% respectively through mid-October. This sustained rise in hospital visits aligns with the timeline of reported E. coli cases and underscores the severity of the outbreak in Colorado.
2. Cross Visits Between McDonald’s and Hospitals: Similarly, the cross visits between McDonald’s locations and hospitals also showed a substantial uptick in Colorado. Beginning with a significant 72% rise in cross visits the week of September 23, the data clearly indicates a relationship between the infected population and visits to McDonald’s prior to hospitalizations. Even as hospital visits began to stabilize after October 7, cross visits continued to remain elevated, increasing by 57% and 60% in subsequent weeks.
3. Comparing Other States: Nebraska also saw an increase, albeit less dramatic than Colorado, with a rise in hospital visits of 6% and 7% during the earlier weeks of September, followed by modest spikes in both hospital and cross visits. Michigan and Washington, while included for comparison, did not show a significant rise in either metric, which may be explained by the absence of reported E. coli cases in these states as of yet.
4. Possible Future Implications for Other States: While Michigan and Washington have not reported E. coli cases, the modest increases in hospital foot traffic could be early indicators of undetected cases or patients preemptively seeking medical help due to concerns over the outbreak.
Advan Research’s foot traffic data has proven to be a powerful tool in capturing and correlating consumer behaviors, including patterns such as hospital visits and the interplay with potentially contaminated restaurant locations. The data, particularly from Colorado not only confirms the CDC’s findings but also demonstrates the real-time impact of food safety crises on public health and movement patterns.
The stark rise in cross visits between McDonald’s and hospitals is particularly telling, showing how quickly consumers were affected following the exposure to contaminated food. This data emphasizes the importance of real-time location tracking to provide insights during outbreaks and offers a valuable resource for public health agencies looking to respond to similar crises in the future.
