Being an older adult can put you at increased risk for severe infections from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)1,2
If you’re an older adult, RSV could cut your plans short.1,2
While you may be doing everything you can to stay healthy, the immune system typically weakens with older age, and has a harder time fighting off infections, such as those from RSV.4
While RSV infections are typically mild, there is still a possibility it could pose a severe threat, especially in older adults.1,4-7
Part of that severe threat is that RSV infection can cause serious complications, such as exacerbation of congestive heart failure (CHF), asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in older adults.1,4-7
In older adults, RSV is a significant cause of pneumonia and other severe lower respiratory tract complications. RSV can cause severe infections that may lead to hospitalization in adults aged 60 and older and adults living with certain underlying conditions like CHF, asthma, and COPD.1,5-7
DO YOU KNOW RSV?
True or false: Only babies can contract RSV.
get the answer
False. People of all ages can get RSV.
1 in 20 people aged ≥ 65 years test positive for RSV in Singapore.12
Some older adults (aged ≥60) hospitalized with RSV may require certain aid upon being discharged, such as: 6,9
- Taking on a home health service
- Moving to a skilled nursing facility
- Moving to a residential facility or nursing home
Certain people hospitalized with RSV may even have to be readmitted to the hospital 6 months after discharge.6
Did you know?
Among older adults 60 years of age and older in industrialized countries,* RSV causes approximately 470,000 hospitalizations. Of those hospitalizations, ~7% result in death.10,11
*High-income countries include the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, and South Korea. No incidence data were available for South Korea
Remember, there is no specific treatment for RSV in adults, but learning who is at risk of severe infections from RSV can help protect you and your loved ones.13
Reference
1. Branche AR;Clin Infect Dis;2022;74;1004-1011
2. Walsh EE;Clinics in chest medicine;2017;38;29-36
3. Watson A;Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease;2021;15;1-17
4. Stephens LM;Vaccines;2021;9;624
5. Belongia EA;Open Forum Infect Dis;2018;1-10
6. Tseng HF;The Journal of Infectious Diseases;2020;222;1298-1310
7. Papi A;N Engl J Med;2023;388;595-608
8. Curran D;Influenza Other Respir Viruses;2022;16;462-473
9. Falsey AR;Open Forum Infect Dis;2021;8;1-11
10. Savic M;Influenza Other Respi Viruses;2022;1–10
11. United Nations. World Population Prospects 2019. Available at: https://population.un.org/wpp/Publications/Files/WPP2019_Volume-II-Demographic-Profiles.pdf. Last assessed: April 2024
12. Ang LW;Influenza Other Respi Viruses;2020;14;412–419
13. American Lung Association. RSV in Adults. Available at: https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/rsv/rsv-in-adults. Last Assessed: April 2024
