Most seniors with RSV-linked hospitalization are aged ≥75, according to research

by Elana Gotkine

Most respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-associated hospitalizations among seniors aged ≥60 years occur in those aged ≥75 years, and although RSV is less common among seniors, it is associated with more severe disease than COVID-19 or influenza, according to research published in the Oct. 6 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

14 oct 2023--Fiona P. Havers, M.D., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues examined characteristics of 3,218 adults aged ≥60 years who were hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed RSV infection during July 2022 to June 2023.

The researchers found that 54.1% of a random sample of 1,634 older adult patients with RSV-associated hospitalizations were aged ≥75 years. Obesity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, and diabetes were the most common underlying medical conditions. Overall, 18.5% of patients aged ≥60 years had severe outcomes: 17.0, 4.8, and 4.7% were admitted to an intensive care unit, required mechanical ventilation, and died, respectively.

Diya Surie, M.D., also from the CDC, and colleagues characterized RSV-associated severity among 5,784 adults aged ≥60 years hospitalized with acute respiratory illness and laboratory confirmed RSV, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or influenza infection (5.3, 81.8, and 12.9%, respectively) from 25 hospitals in 20 U.S. states during Feb. 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023.

The researchers found that compared to those hospitalized with COVID-19 or influenza, patients hospitalized with RSV were more likely to receive standard flow oxygen, high-flow nasal cannula or noninvasive ventilation, intensive care unit admission, and invasive mechanical ventilation.

"Health care providers and older adults should consider RSV disease severity when making a shared clinical decision about RSV vaccination," Surie and colleagues write.

More information: Fiona P. Havers et al, Characteristics and Outcomes Among Adults Aged ≥60 Years Hospitalized with Laboratory-Confirmed Respiratory Syncytial Virus—RSV-NET, 12 States, July 2022–June 2023, MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2023). DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7240a1

Diya Surie et al, Disease Severity of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Compared with COVID-19 and Influenza Among Hospitalized Adults Aged ≥60 Years—IVY Network, 20 U.S. States, February 2022–May 2023, MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2023). DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7240a2