This piece was fully funded, initiated and written by Sanofi.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus is a leading cause of Lower Respiratory Tract Infections such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia.[1] RSV impacts nearly all infants, with 90 per cent contracting the virus before the age of two.[2] While most infections are mild and self-limiting, the virus is unpredictable and therefore all infants are at risk of severe disease with primary RSV infection.[3],[4],[5]
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As a result, RSV contributes to a significant burden in primary and secondary care. Approximately 30,000 infants are hospitalised with RSV every year[6] and 467,000 GP appointments are due to respiratory infections in children under five years old.[7] RAND Europe recently estimated that £80m was spent in annual healthcare costs and productivity losses to the economy from RSV in children under five years old in a report funded by Sanofi.[8]
Despite RSV having a significant impact on the NHS and society, it is under-recognised by healthcare professionals and the general population.[9] This is further compounded by a lack of data on the prevalence of the virus, which means the burden of RSV in infants and children could be greater than current estimates suggest.[10]
This also has implications for how RSV is treated. It is estimated that approximately 416,000 prescriptions are given by GPs to treat RSV with antibiotics;[11] however, data suggests that antibiotics are misused in one in three infection cases,[12] increasing costs to the NHS and also potentially contributing to antimicrobial resistance.[13]
The covid-19 pandemic has highlighted how vulnerabilities within the healthcare system can be exacerbated under additional strain, especially during the winter months. This reinforces the need for NHS to accurately monitor and analyse data of the burden that winter respiratory viruses, such as RSV, place on primary and secondary care so that primary and secondary care can proactively manage peaks in infections when they arise.
Improved understanding and management of RSV could serve to positively impact how NHS services are utilised during winter months, but also enhance the care that patients and their families receive.
MAT-GB-2201011(v1.0) October 2022
References:
[1] Krilov L.r, et al. (2019) Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection, Medscape. Accessed September 2022.
[2] Wennergren, G, & Kristjånsson, S. (2001) Relationship between respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis and future obstructive airway diseases. Eur Respir J 18:1044–1058 doi:10.1183/09031936.01.00254101. Accessed August 2022.
[3] Hall CB, Weinberg GA, Blumkin AK, et al. Respiratory syncytial virus-associated hospitalizations among children less than 24 months of age. Pediatrics. 2013;132(2):e341-e348.
[4] Arriola CS, Kim L, Langley G, et al. Estimated Burden of Community-Onset Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Associated Hospitalizations Among Children Aged <2 Years in the United States, 2014-15. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2019.
[5] Meissner HC. Viral Bronchiolitis in Children. The New England journal of medicine. 2016;374(1):62-72.
[6] Reeves, RM et al, (2017) Estimating the burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) on respiratory hospital admissions in children less than five years of age in England, 2007-2012. Influenza and other respiratory viruses. 11(2):122-129. doi:10.1111/irv.12443. Accessed September 2022.
[7] Fusco, F, et al. (2022) The burden of respiratory syncytial virus: Understanding impacts on the NHS, society and economy. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation. Accessed September 2022.
[8] Fusco, F, et al. (2022) The burden of respiratory syncytial virus: Understanding impacts on the NHS, society and economy. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation. Accessed September 2022.
[9] Wilcox, C, et al, (2019), Attitudes of Pregnant Women and Healthcare Professionals Toward Clinical Trials and Routine Implementation of Antenatal Vaccination Against Respiratory Syncytial Virus: A Multicenter Questionnaire Study. The Paediatric Infectious Disease Journal 38(9): 944-951, Accessed September 2022.
[10] Drysdale S.B, et al. (2016), RSV Vaccine use – the missing data, Expert Review of Vaccines, Oxford Vaccine Group, UK, 15, 2, 149-152. Accessed September 2022.
[11] Taylor S, Taylor RJ, Lustig RL, et al. Modelling estimates of the burden of respiratory syncytial virus infection in children in the UK. BMJ Open 2016;6: e009337. DOI:10.1136/ bmjopen-2015-009337. Accessed September 2022.
[12] Van Houten CB, et al, (2018), Antibiotic Overuse in Children with Respiratory Syncytial Virus Lower Respiratory Tract Infection. The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 37(11):1077-1081. Accessed September 2022.
[13] World Health Organization, (2018), Fact sheets: Antibiotic resistance, Accessed September 2022.
