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A CDC analysis covering eight RSV seasons found that 1,565 of 18,301 hospitalized adults died in hospital or within 30 days of discharge. Of those post-discharge deaths, 467 occurred among patients discharged somewhere other than hospice; the study cannot establish that RSV caused those deaths.
A CDC analysis of 18,301 adults hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) found that 8.6% died in hospital or within 30 days after discharge across eight RSV seasons from 2014 to 2024. The findings, presented at the IDWeek annual meeting on October 24, point to a risk that may continue after patients leave hospital, though the study does not establish that RSV caused each death.
Of the 1,565 deaths recorded, 812 occurred during hospitalization and 753 within 30 days after discharge. Among those who died after leaving hospital, 286 had been discharged to hospice. Another 467 died after discharge to a destination other than hospice, equal to 2.6% of all adults in the analysis who had been hospitalized with RSV.
CDC researcher Michael Melgar, MD, said investigators viewed the latter group as particularly concerning because patients discharged outside hospice may not have been expected to die within a month. He presented the results at IDWeek. The analysis found that the share of hospitalized patients who died during their stay or within 30 days of discharge stayed within a range of 7.4% to 9.7% across the seasons studied.
Most patients who died during hospitalization or within 30 days of discharge were 65 or older (81.3%), and 89% had at least one underlying medical condition. Nearly half had been admitted to an intensive care unit, while 29.1% received invasive mechanical ventilation. Those figures describe the patients who died; they do not show that RSV was the cause of every death.
The Risk May Continue After Discharge
The findings draw attention to the period immediately after an RSV hospitalization, when patients may still be medically vulnerable. The 467 deaths among people discharged somewhere other than hospice suggest that follow-up and discharge planning warrant attention, although the study did not test whether different care plans would prevent deaths.
Melgar said the results support early post-discharge follow-up and stronger discharge planning. He also said they reinforce prevention messaging about RSV vaccination for eligible adults. These are implications offered by the presenter, not interventions evaluated in this analysis.
For readers, the report adds evidence about the seriousness of RSV in adults, particularly older people and those with underlying conditions. It does not provide an individual prognosis or show that every person hospitalized with RSV faces the same risk. The analysis reports outcomes among hospitalized patients, not all adults who contract RSV.
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Eight Seasons of RSV Surveillance
The CDC team used data from the Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET), which tracks hospitalizations involving laboratory-confirmed influenza, COVID-19 or RSV in 14 states. RSV cases in this analysis were identified using diagnostic codes for RSV pneumonia, acute bronchitis due to RSV or acute bronchiolitis due to RSV.
Adult RSV vaccines became available during the 2023-2024 season. The CDC recommends a one-time dose of any of three FDA-licensed RSV vaccines for adults 75 and older, and for adults ages 50 to 74 at increased risk of severe RSV. The source report cites 75% vaccine effectiveness against RSV hospitalization, but the researchers did not examine vaccination status among the hospitalized patients in this analysis. The study therefore cannot show whether vaccination affected the reported death rates.
“We think this latter category is the most concerning, as these patients were likely discharged home or to some higher level of care — but they were probably not expected to die within a month of the hospitalization with RSV infection.”
— Michael Melgar, MD, CDC, speaking at IDWeek
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Cause of Death and Coverage Limits
The study counted deaths during hospitalization and within 30 days after discharge, but deaths may not have been caused by RSV. The analysis does not establish the cause of each death or determine how much the infection, other illnesses or later events contributed.
The researchers also did not assess patients’ RSV vaccination status, including during the 2023-2024 season when adult vaccination became available. The report notes that hospitalizations may have been missed because testing depended on clinicians ordering tests. Since RESP-NET covers 14 states, its findings may not represent the entire U.S. The analysis also does not explain why individual patients died after discharge or whether particular follow-up measures would have changed their outcomes.
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Prevention and Follow-Up Questions
The results were presented as preliminary findings at IDWeek. The source report does not identify a publication date for a full study or announce a specific next analysis. Further research could clarify how vaccination status, discharge destination, underlying conditions and care after discharge relate to outcomes, but those questions remain open.
For now, the CDC recommendations cited in the report call for a one-time RSV vaccine dose for adults 75 or older and for adults ages 50 to 74 at increased risk of severe RSV. The study’s authors also pointed to discharge planning and early follow-up as areas for attention. It is not yet clear whether the reported findings will lead to changes in clinical guidance or hospital practice.
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Key Questions
How many adults in the analysis died after an RSV hospitalization?
Among 18,301 adults hospitalized with RSV, 1,565, or 8.6%, died during their hospital stay or within 30 days after discharge. The study covered eight RSV seasons from 2014 to 2024.
How many deaths happened after discharge?
753 patients died within 30 days after leaving hospital. Of these, 286 had been discharged to hospice and 467 had been discharged somewhere other than hospice.
Does the analysis show RSV caused these deaths?
No. The researchers counted deaths during and shortly after an RSV hospitalization, but the source report says deaths may not be attributable to RSV. The analysis does not establish the cause of each death.
Did the study measure whether RSV vaccination reduced deaths?
No. Adult RSV vaccines became available during the 2023-2024 season, but researchers did not examine vaccination status among hospitalized patients. The study cannot show what effect vaccination had on the outcomes it recorded.
Who does the CDC recommend receive an RSV vaccine?
The recommendations cited in the report call for a one-time dose of an FDA-licensed RSV vaccine for all adults 75 and older and adults ages 50 to 74 who are at increased risk of severe RSV. People can consult a qualified health professional about medical decisions.
Source: rss
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