RSV Burden in US Adults Substantial, Study Finds

Incidence rates and costs of medically attended respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in US adults were highest in those aged 60 and older and those younger than 60 with preexisting cardiopulmonary or immune conditions, according to a study published in the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy.

“The substantial burden of RSV highlights the need to raise awareness on the consequences of RSV infection, particularly among older and high-risk individuals,” wrote first author Marco Mesa-Frias, PhD, of Janssen Scientific Affairs, Titusville, New Jersey, and study coauthors. “In addition to the development and implementation of rapid and inexpensive diagnostic testing and RSV-specific treatments, prophylactic RSV vaccines currently under investigation may also potentially benefit adults.”

The study investigated the annual incidence of medically attended, International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-coded RSV in adults using two insurance claims databases: Optum’s Clinformatics Data Mart Database (January 2007 to June 2020) and IBM’s MarketScan Database (January 2000 to July 2020). Researchers also assessed health care costs associated with RSV.

Overall, the annual incidence of RSV in adults per 100,000 population was between 22 and 52.9 in Optum and 23.4 and 63.6 in MarketScan, according to the study. Compared with weeks 2 through 8 preceding RSV diagnosis (Optum: $1350; MarketScan: $872), all-cause mean weekly costs increased the weeks before (Optum: $2325; MarketScan: $2080) and after (Optum: $9523; MarketScan: $3551) RSV diagnosis.

By subgroup, RSV incidence rates were higher among adults aged 60 to 64 (Optum: 25.2-66.1; MarketScan: 31.9-82.1), 65 or older (Optum: 37.3-75.5; MarketScan: 54.1-97.3), 85 or older (Optum: 92.4-140.6; MarketScan: 79.4-234.7), and 18 to 59 with cardiopulmonary or immune conditions putting them at high risk of severe RSV (Optum: 41.3-135.9; MarketScan: 46.3-112.4), researchers reported. All-cause weekly cost increases were also higher in the same subgroups the weeks before and after RSV diagnosis compared with adults overall.

“The current findings on RSV incidence represent an underestimation, as the analyses focused on medically attended patients who had a claim with an ICD code for RSV,” researchers pointed out. “It is known that the clinical presentations of RSV infections are highly similar to those caused by influenza or other respiratory viruses. Additionally, it has been shown that RSV is not always considered in the differential diagnosis and, hence, is often not specifically tested for in adults presenting with flu-like symptoms.”

Reference

Mesa-Frias M, Rossi C, Emond B, et al. Incidence and economic burden of respiratory syncytial virus among adults in the United States: a retrospective analysis using 2 insurance claims databases. J Manag Care Spec Pharm. 2022;28(7):753-765. doi:10.18553/jmcp.2022.21459