1. Alarming Toll of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in Young Children A new study published in The Lancet journal reveals that a common virus, the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), has caused the deaths of more than 100,000 children under the age of five. This comprehensive study is the first to analyze the disease burden of RSV in narrow age brackets, shedding light on the vulnerability of infants aged six months and younger.
2. RSV’s Dominance as a Cause of Respiratory Infection RSV is the leading cause of acute lower respiratory infection in young children, making children aged six months and younger particularly susceptible, as per research co-author Harish Nair from the University of Edinburgh, UK. The study highlights the increased risk due to reduced exposure to RSV as COVID-19 restrictions are eased globally.
3. Importance of Vaccination for Pregnant Women With numerous RSV vaccine candidates in development, the study underscores the significance of prioritizing specific age groups, including pregnant women. Protecting pregnant women through vaccination can offer protection to the youngest age groups, similar to existing strategies for other diseases like whooping cough, typhoid, and tetanus.
4. Updated Estimates Enhance Understanding The study’s updated calculations of RSV mortality for the year 2019 incorporate data from over a hundred new studies, allowing researchers to provide estimates for narrower age groups. This includes the age range of 28 days to six months, known for its highest RSV fatality rate.
5. Global Impact of RSV in 2019 Globally, in 2019, there were 33 million RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infection episodes in children under five, resulting in 3.6 million hospital admissions and 26,300 in-hospital deaths. The overall RSV-attributable deaths for this age group reached 101,400, accounting for 2% of annual deaths from any cause.
6. RSV Impact on Infants Under Six Months Old In the age group of infants under six months old, there were 6.6 million RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infection episodes worldwide in 2019. This led to 1.4 million hospital admissions, 13,300 hospital deaths, and 45,700 overall deaths attributed to RSV. RSV accounted for 2.1% of annual deaths from any cause in this age range.
