Common respiratory condition fuels death risk by 3 times in adults up to a year

Adults with respiratory syncytial virus-associated acute respiratory infection (RSV-ARI) are likely to be at a 2.7-fold higher risk of death within one year, warned a study. 

RSV-ARI refers to a group of illnesses caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) — a common and highly contagious virus that primarily affects the respiratory tract.     

The study presented at the Congress of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID Global 2025) in Austria, is based on an analysis of data from 5,289 adults (over 18 years) diagnosed with RSV-ARI between 2011 and 2022 in Denmark. They were compared to 15,867 matched controls from the general population and followed up to a year after RSV-ARI onset.   

“One of the most striking findings from this study was the prolonged and significant impact of RSV-ARI,” said lead study author, Maria Joao Fonseca, a researcher.  

“Even after the acute phase, patients continued to experience worse outcomes compared to the general population. This underscores just how serious and enduring the effects of RSV-ARI can be,” she added.  

While the impact of RSV on infants and young children is well-documented, it can also lead to serious complications in adults, including pneumonia and chronic respiratory disease.   

The findings underscore the significant, yet often under-recognised, long-term health and economic burden of RSV-ARI in adults, particularly among those with underlying conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.   

In addition to the increased risk of death, the study showed that adults with RSV also experience exacerbations of COPD and asthma, with increases in hospitalisation and intensive care unit. 

“Exacerbations of COPD and asthma were the most common adverse clinical outcomes. These pre-existing conditions are already challenging in themselves, and RSV-ARI exacerbates their severity,” Fonseca said, noting that the condition also raised healthcare costs.  

She urged healthcare to pay “closer attention to patients with these underlying conditions to prevent further, potentially life-threatening complications”.    

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