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.8
While RSV infections are typically mild, there is still a possibility it could pose a severe threat, especially in older adults.1,3-7
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.1,3-7
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 hospitalisation in adults aged 60 and older and adults living with certain underlying conditions like CHF, asthma, and COPD.1,4-6
DO YOU KNOW RSV?
True or false: Only babies can contract RSV.
get the answer
False. People of all ages can get RSV.
RSV infection can have long-term effects on older adults9
RSV can diminish your independence, even after recovery. For older adults, certain daily tasks can become challenging after recovering from RSV infection, such as:9
Eating
Washing
Walking
Breathing
Even after recovery, RSV may cause prolonged loss of physical or emotional function in some older adults. These long-term challenges can impact relationships, social activities, productivity, and sleep ability.9
Some older adults (aged ≥60) hospitalised with RSV may require certain aid upon being discharged, such as:5,10
- Taking on a home health service
- Moving to a skilled nursing facility
- Moving to a residential facility or nursing home
Certain people hospitalised with RSV may even have to be readmitted to the hospital 6 months after discharge.5
Did you know?
Among older adults 60 years of age and older in industrialised countries,* RSV causes approximately 470,000 hospitalisations. Of those hospitalisations, ~7% result in death.11,12
*High-income countries include the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, and South Korea. No incidence data were available for South Korea.
Watch Debbie’s story about surviving RSV
Learn what happened when Debbie was diagnosed with RSV.
“When the ER doctor told me I had RSV, the first thing out of my mouth was, ‘But I’m an adult!’ I had no idea that an adult could get RSV.”Text on Screen
RSV infection in older adults typically causes mild cold-like symptoms including runny nose, sore throat, cough, and headache. But, in older adults RSV can sometimes be severe, causing hospitalization and in some cases, death. Debbie is a patient advocate and survivor of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). This is her experience; others’ experiences with RSV may be different. Debbie has an underlying medical condition that may have put her at increased risk for severe RSV infection. Debbie is not a healthcare provider. She was compensated by GSK for her participation in this program.
Debbie
One day, I was babysitting my two-year old grandson who had a cold, or so we thought, and it was a few days after that that I got sick with a high fever, a nasty cough, and I just didn’t feel right. I went to the local ER. When the ER doctor told me I had RSV, the first thing out of my mouth was, “But, I’m an adult!” I had no idea that an adult could get RSV.
Text on Screen
Debbie’s RSV story
Debbie
When I called my primary care physician, I was told that I had a virus and that there was no treatment for it. I was told to ride out the symptoms and to buy an over-the-counter cough medication for my cough. I know for a lot of people RSV can be pretty mild, but for me it was pretty severe. My fever was going up, 102, 102.5. The cough was uncontrollable. I coughed morning, noon, and night.
Text on Screen
RSV is usually mild, though in older adults, it can sometimes be severe.
Debbie
There were days I rarely got up out of that bed. Brush my teeth, brush my hair— wasn’t going to happen. It was a devastating time for me. It was a time when for the first time in my life I felt old. I missed out on so many activities at my church, with my grandson’s school, and I could no longer be the independent woman that I was. There were days that, I was so sick I honestly thought, “This was it.”
Text on Screen
Most RSV infections go away on their own in a week or two.
Debbie
The first two months with RSV were very difficult. The next two months I started feeling better. My fever went away, and the cough was still there, but it wasn’t as persistent, and finally, after four months, I could honestly say that I was over RSV. I just want to share that I am so very, very grateful every day that I got through it. I want older adults to know that RSV can be a very serious disease. I would not want anyone to go through what I went through.
Text on Screen
(GSK logo) Intended for US audiences only. Trademarks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies. 2022 GSK or licensor. RSAVID220006 November 2022 Produced in USA
Learning who is at risk of severe infections from RSV can help protect you and your loved ones.
For further information about RSV, please consult your doctor.13
Any information provided on this website should be discussed with a healthcare professional and does not replace a healthcare professional's advice.
References: 1. Branche AR;Clin Infect Dis;2022;74;1004-1011 2. Walsh EE;Clinics in chest medicine;2017;38;29-36 3. Stephens LM;Vaccines;2021;9;624 4. Belongia EA;Open Forum Infect Dis;2018;1-10 5. Tseng HF;The Journal of Infectious Diseases;2020;222;1298-1310 6. Papi A;N Engl J Med;2023;388;595-608 7. CDC;2022;1-2;RSV in Older Adults and Adults with Chronic Medical Conditions 8. Watson A;Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease;2021;15;1-17 9. Curran D;Influenza Other Respir Viruses;2022;16;462-473 10. Falsey AR;Open Forum Infect Dis;2021;8;1-11 11. Savic M;Influenza Other Respi Viruses;2022;1–10 12. United Nations;2019;1-1238;World Population Prospects 2019 13. CDC;June;2018;1-2;Older Adults Are at High Risk for Severe RSV Infection
