RSV is an important cause of hospitalisation in babies under 12 months.1-3
It's a common virus that can affect any baby - most children will be infected with RSV before they are 2 years old.4 RSV-related illness is unpredictable; we don't know whether a baby will develop mild or more serious illness when infected.5,6
Any baby — even if they were born full term and healthy — can be hospitalised in their first year.2,7-12
So as parents, we all need to accept that during the RSV season, which usually runs from the winter months through to spring,13 any baby is at risk from RSV infection.2,7-12
per round trip to see a general practitioner
of parent's work-related productivity lost for every day of hospitalisation
burden for parents
MEDIAN
spent in hospital
But the burden doesn't stop there. RSV can often overwhelm health services too, adding strain on hospitals that already experience high pressure during the winter season:
In a study conducted in the UAE, up to 81.7% of infants hospitalised with bronchiolitis were found to have RSV infections.16
1. Leader S and Kohlhase K. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2002; 21(7): 629–632.
2. Demont C et al. BMC Infect Dis 2021; 21(1): 730.
3. Li Y et al. Lancet 2022; 399(10340): 2047–2064.
4. Simoes EAF. Lancet 1999; 354(9181): 847–852.
5. Bianchini S et al. Microorganisms 2020; 8(12): 2048.
6. Hall CB et al. Pediatrics 2013; 132(2): e341–348.
7. Sanchez-Luna M et al. Curr Med Res Opin 2016; 32(4): 693–698.
8. Kobayashi Y et al. Ped Intl 2021; 64: e14957.
9. Hartmann K et al. J Infect Dis 2022; 226: 386–395.
10. Yu J et al. Emerg Infect Dis 2019; 25(6): 1127–1135.
11. Thwaites R et al. Eur J Pediatr 2020; 179(5): 791–799.
12. Arriola C et al. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc 2020; 9(5): 587–595 & SuppInfo.
13. Li Y et al. Lancet Glob Health 2019; 7: e1031–e1045.
14. RAND. The burden of respiratory syncytial virus. Available at: www.rand.org.uk/pubs/research_reports/RRA1895~1.html. Accessed: February 2023..
15. Youssef, Y. et al. (2021). Burden of RSV in MENA: A systematic review. Vaccine, 39(29), 3803–3813. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.05.076