How widespread the Respiratory Syncytial Virus will be cannot be predicted, the Association of Vaccine Manufacturers (ÖVIH) informed on Monday in a press release and warned of severe disease courses in infants and older people. Seniors and pregnant women can get vaccinated, and there has recently been free passive immunization for newborns.

Start of RSV Season

The RSV network ÖRSN at the MedUni Vienna has already registered positive RSV detections. A similar situation is seen in the hospital. According to the SARI dashboard (Severe Acute Respiratory Infections), 142 people have so far had to be admitted to the hospital with the cold virus, the ÖVIH reported. It is not too late to get vaccinated or to have the offspring immunized. Almost every fifth hospital admission in children under five years of age is due to an RSV disease and the risk of a severe course increases again in old age, it was explained.

"In younger, healthy people, the virus usually only causes a kind of cold with cough and runny nose, but in older people - especially those with pre-existing conditions in the area of the lungs or the cardiovascular system - it can become dangerous. This is also shown by a current study that was carried out at our AKH and has now been submitted for publication," said Stefan Winkler, deputy head of the Clinical Department for Infections and Tropical Medicine at the MedUni Vienna. "We compared hospitalization rates and clinical courses of RSV and influenza infections. Even though there were fewer hospital admissions due to RSV than influenza, the mortality rate among RSV patients was even higher," emphasized Winkler.

(APA/Red)

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