RSV Infection Takes Significant Long-Term Toll on Older Adults

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)–positive acute respiratory infections (ARI) were associated with a significant long-term impact on health-related quality of life in a community-based cohort of US adults aged 50 and older, according to a study published online in JAMA Network Open.

“An effective RSV vaccine might be an important measure to mitigate the impact of RSV-positive ARI, especially in older adults,” wrote study corresponding author Young J Juhn, MD, MPH, and Robert J Pignolo, MD, PhD, both of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, along with coauthors. 

The study investigated the incidence of RSV–positive ARI before and during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as outcomes in 2325 community-dwelling adults aged 50 or older in southeast Minnesota. Researchers focused on two specific RSV seasons: before the COVID-19 pandemic (October 2019 to April 2020) and during the pandemic (October 2020 to April 2021).

The prepandemic incidence rate of RSV-positive ARI was 48.6 per 1000 person-years with a 2.50% attack rate, according to the study. During the pandemic RSV season, no RSV-positive ARI cases were identified; but during the summer of 2021, the incidence rate of RSV-positive ARI was 10.2 per 1000 person-years with a 0.42% attack rate. 

Participants with RSV-positive ARI during the prepandemic season had significantly lower health-related quality of life on the Short-Form Health Survey-36 at 2 to 4 weeks after RSV-positive ARI than matched participants with RSV-negative ARI. Limitations reported by participants with RSV-positive ARI included physical health (adjusted mean difference of  −16.7), fatigue (−8.4), and difficulty in social functioning (−11.9), researchers reported.

Quality of life continued to be lower 6 to 7 months after RSV-positive ARI (fatigue −4.0, difficulty in social functioning −5.8, and limitation due to emotional problems −7.0) and, again, at 12 to 13 months after RSV-positive ARI (fatigue −4.4, difficulty in social functioning −5.2, and limitation due to emotional problems −5.7).

“RSV-positive ARI poses significant long-term impacts on certain health-related quality of life beyond the significant short-term outcomes of RSV-positive ARI in older adults,” researchers wrote.

Reference: 
Juhn YJ, Wi CI, Takahashi PY, et al. Incidence of respiratory syncytial virus infection in older adults before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(1):e2250634. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.50634