Why carry out the study?

We described the risk profile of 706 respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) patients among adults aged ≥ 60 years and compared them with 635 influenza and 60 COVID-19 controls (from the early phase of the pandemic).

What was learned from the study?

More than 80% of RSV patients had cardiovascular conditions, 65% endocrine/metabolic, 46% chronic lung, and 43% immunocompromised conditions.

Among RSV patients, smoking, underlying coinfection or cardiovascular, neurologic, or chronic lung diseases were risks for hospitalization. Care institution residence and coinfection were risks for higher severity.

RSV patients presented with an advanced acute respiratory infection and had similar severity outcomes to influenza but less than early pandemic COVID-19 patients.

RSV vaccination could have an important public health impact among older adults.