Among hospitalized older adults, RSV is less common but associated with higher disease severity when compared with COVID-19 or influenza, according to results published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Wesley H. Self, MD, and colleagues examined data for 5,784 adults aged 60 and older hospitalized with acute respiratory illness and laboratory-confirmed RSV (n=304), COVID-19 (n=4,734), or influenza (n=746) at 25 hospitals in 20 states from February 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023. The team found that use of standard-flow oxygen, high-flow nasal cannula, or non-invasive ventilation, as well as ICU admission, was more common among patients with RSV compared with COVID-19 or influenza. Patients with RSV received invasive mechanical ventilation or died more often compared with patients with influenza (adjusted OR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.33-3.26).
