Latest Study of The Lancet - Respiratory Syncytial Virus Kills Over 100,000 Children Under 5 Years Old Worldwide in 2019

May 2022 provides the first analysis of the burden of respiratory syncytial virus disease in a fine age range. The study estimates that acute lower respiratory tract infections caused by respiratory syncytial virus will cause more than 100,000 deaths in children under 5 years of age and more than 45,000 deaths in infants under 6 months of age worldwide in 2019. 

Specifically, acute lower respiratory tract infections associated with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children under 5 years old: 33 million (range: 25.4 million – 44.6 million).

Hospital admissions: 3.6 million (range: 2.9 million – 4.6 million)

In-hospital deaths: 26,300 (range: 15,100 – 49,100).

Deaths attributed to RSV in this age group: 101,400 (range: 84,500 – 125,200) (including community deaths), representing 2% of annual all-cause deaths in this age group.

Cases of acute lower respiratory tract infections associated with RSV in children under 6 months of age: 6.6 million (range: 4.6 million – 9.7 million). Hospital admissions: 1.4 million (range: 1.0 – 2.0 million).

In-hospital deaths: 13,300 (interval: 6,800 – 28,100).

Cases attributed to RSV deaths in this age group: 45,700, accounting for 2.1% of annual all-cause deaths in this age group.

According to study co-author Associate Professor Xin Wang from Nanjing Medical University and the University of Edinburgh, UK, “Our study estimates that three-quarters of RSV deaths occur outside the hospital setting. This gap is even greater in low and middle income countries, especially for children under six months of age, where more than 80 per cent of deaths occur in the community. This reflects the fact that access to and availability of hospital care in these areas remains limited.

Rapid test is an effective method to identify respiratory syncytial virus, which can be used to identify community cases early and refer sick children (especially children with low peripheral oxygen saturation) to hospital, so as to block and reduce community transmission as soon as possible.

References:

1、Global, regional, and national disease burden estimates of acute lower respiratory infections due to respiratory syncytial virus in children younger than 5 years in 2019: a systematic analysis.