When a retired physician complained of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) complications, doctors suggested antibiotics he didn’t
As the COVID-19 pandemic ebbs, the resumption of social activity has led to a spike in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The lower respiratory tract infections that come with the Virus can be very serious for some children and elderly people. RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis in children under the age of two. Roughly one-quarter of people admitted to hospital with RSV will require intensive care — and 6.6% of those who are hospitalized will die.
When a retired physician in his early 80s checked himself into Rochester General Hospital in New York complaining of severe difficulty breathing, his physicians suspected that his pre-existing heart failure was to blame. They gave him drugs to try to lower his blood pressure and started him on antibiotics. The medications, however, made no difference. His physicians were perplexed.
Public-private collaboration to increase awareness of the incidence and spread of respiratory syncytial virus in elderly adults: the case for vaccine introduction
Wide-scale surveillance of RSV — including where it is spreading, who it is infecting and how its genetic make-up is evolving — is woefully inadequate. This leaves public-health agencies without any idea of the best way to use the latest drugs.
PCR testing — or any sort of testing at all — is still under-used. A study released this year6 revealed that just 4.3% of 937 US hospitals tested people aged 65 or older who were hospitalized with lower respiratory tract infections for RSV. Falsey says that a lack of awareness resulted in the testing oversight, mainly because most doctors did not think about it when they were in medical school.
falsey said the nasal-swab tests for identifyingRSV in adults are nearly useless because of this. Around 1,000 viral particles per millilitre are needed to generate a positive RSV antigen test result, but “most adults don’t have that in their nose”, she says.
There is a good news on the awareness front, that some multiplex tests now automatically include flu, sRV and CoV-2. Hospitals and physicians have increased their viral testing since the Pandemic. “It’s funny, people will come to me now like, ‘My goodness! What is going on with the vehicle? It’s in all my old people!’” Falsey says. “I’m like, ‘Nothing is going on — it’s just that you’re testing.’”
Regardless of the country, what’s ultimately needed across the board for adult RSV is more awareness, says Nair, who is leading a European consortium called Promise. Promise is a public–private partnership with 22 members, including universities and pharmaceutical companies. The goal of the group is to shed light on the burden of the RSV disease in older adults in Europe and at the global level, in order to help decision makers decide the most effective path for vaccine introduction. The Promise team is trying to understand the risk factor that can lead to poor outcomes in older people with vaccine for the respiratory syncytial virus, orRSV, as they work on a cost-effectiveness analysis. Poor awareness of the impact of respiratory syncytial virus is one of the main barriers to answering these questions.
The Prospects for RSV in Low-Income Countries: The Challenges of Providing Quality Treatment for Vulnerable People
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Even as these developments engender hope, there are still hurdles that must be overcome. People in low-income countries are more vulnerable than other people due to the unfair access to existingRSV interventions. Without policies in place to ensure equity, these communities could be left exposed despite the recent progress.
Efforts to prevent infections and keep vulnerable people out of the hospital are starting to pay off, but they are not easy toDeploy these strategies presents new challenges