The epidemiology and burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-related respiratory illness is not well-defined in adults.1 The symptoms of RSV mimic those of other viral respiratory pathogens, and specific diagnostic testing is rarely performed in the outpatient setting.2 Multiple studies have documented that RSV is an important cause of respiratory illness in adults, particularly those who are immunocompromised or have cardiopulmonary disease.3, 4 In 2018, we published a report describing the epidemiology and outcomes of RSV infection among adults with outpatient respiratory illness who were systematically recruited and tested for respiratory viruses during 12 influenza seasons.5 Among 243 patients ≥ 60 years of age with RT-PCR-confirmed RSV, 47 had a serious outcome defined as hospital admission, emergency department visit, or pneumonia. For this study, we analyzed typical clinical and demographic characteristics among patients with RSV in the prior study to develop a predictive model that identifies patients with an elevated risk for a serious outcome as defined above. This was a secondary analysis of a previously published study reporting clinical features, severity, and incidence of RSV illness among older adults living in and around Marshfield, Wisconsin.5 Adults ≥60 years old with medically attended acute respiratory illness.
Reference link- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/irv.12751
