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A CDC analysis of 18,301 adult RSV hospitalizations from 2014 to 2024 found that 8.6% of patients died in hospital or within 30 days after discharge. The researchers say the findings point to risk in the immediate post-hospital period, but the study does not establish that RSV caused every death.
A CDC analysis of 18,301 adults hospitalized with RSV from 2014 to 2024 found that 8.6% died in hospital or within 30 days after discharge, including 467 people who died after going somewhere other than hospice. The findings, presented at the IDWeek annual meeting, highlight a period of risk after discharge, though researchers cautioned that the deaths were not necessarily caused by RSV.
There were 1,565 deaths during hospitalization or in the 30 days following discharge across the eight RSV seasons studied. More than half, 812, occurred in hospital. Of the 753 post-discharge deaths, 286 patients had been discharged to hospice; the remaining 467 deaths followed discharge to a non-hospice setting, equal to 2.6% of all adults in the analysis.
Michael Melgar, MD, of the CDC in Atlanta, presented the results at IDWeek. He said the non-hospice deaths were concerning because patients may have gone home or to another level of care without an expectation that they would die within a month. The researchers found that people who died after discharge were more likely to be at least 65 than those who died in hospital: 85.8%, compared with 77.1%.
Deaths occurred at a similar overall rate across seasons, ranging from 7.4% in 2018-2019 to 9.7% in 2015-2016. The share of all hospitalized patients who died within 30 days after non-hospice discharge ranged from 1.8% in 2022-2023 to 3.2% in 2019-2020. These are observed rates in the study population, not estimates of the risk for every U.S. adult with RSV.
Risk Can Continue After Discharge
The analysis draws attention to deaths that occurred after patients left the hospital, a period that may receive less attention than the acute illness itself. The 467 non-hospice post-discharge deaths do not show that RSV directly caused those deaths, but they indicate that some patients who survived hospitalization died soon afterward. The findings support closer attention to recovery and care needs after discharge.
Melgar said the results support stronger discharge planning and early follow-up for people hospitalized with RSV. The study also reinforces prevention messaging for adults eligible for RSV vaccination. RSV can cause severe lower respiratory disease in adults, and hospitalized patients may also face cardiorespiratory events after discharge, including heart attack or stroke, according to the report.
RSV vaccine for adults 60 and older
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Eight Seasons of RSV Hospital Data
CDC investigators used the Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET), which tracks laboratory-confirmed influenza, COVID-19 and RSV hospitalizations in 14 states. The analysis covered RSV seasons from 2014 through 2024 and identified RSV hospitalizations using specified ICD-10 diagnosis codes for RSV pneumonia, bronchitis or bronchiolitis.
Adult RSV vaccines became available during the 2023-2024 season. The CDC recommends one dose of any of three FDA-licensed vaccines for adults aged 75 or older and for adults aged 50 to 74 at increased risk of severe RSV. The source report cites 75% vaccine effectiveness against RSV hospitalization. However, the investigators did not assess vaccination status among patients hospitalized in that season, so the analysis cannot determine whether vaccination affected its results.
Among patients who died in hospital or within 30 days after discharge, 89.0% had at least one underlying medical condition, 48.9% had been admitted to an intensive care unit and 29.1% had received invasive mechanical ventilation. Those who died in hospital were more likely than post-discharge decedents to have received intensive care or mechanical ventilation, reflecting different illness courses among the groups.
“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
Cause of Death Remains Uncertain
The analysis counted deaths during hospitalization and within 30 days after discharge; it did not establish that RSV caused each death. Some deaths may have resulted from underlying conditions or other causes. The researchers also did not examine vaccination status among hospitalized patients in the 2023-2024 season, leaving the vaccine’s possible effect on the study’s figures unresolved.
RESP-NET data come from 14 participating states, so the results may not represent the entire United States. Hospitalizations may also have been missed because the system relies on clinician-driven testing. The report describes the findings as preliminary, and the data do not show why individual patients died or whether specific discharge practices would have changed outcomes.
Prevention and Follow-Up in Focus
The findings were presented at IDWeek, and the supplied report does not identify a publication date for a full study or describe a planned follow-up analysis. The CDC’s existing recommendation remains a single RSV vaccine dose for adults aged 75 or older and adults aged 50 to 74 at increased risk of severe disease. The analysis does not change that guidance.
Researchers said the results support attention to vaccination for eligible adults and to planning care after an RSV hospitalization, including early follow-up. Further work would be needed to determine causes of post-discharge deaths, assess vaccination’s effect in hospitalized patients and establish how well these findings apply beyond the 14-state surveillance network.
Key Questions
How many adults died after an RSV hospitalization in the analysis?
Of 18,301 adults hospitalized with RSV from 2014 to 2024, 1,565 died in hospital or within 30 days after discharge. That is 8.6% of the study group.
How many deaths happened after discharge?
There were 753 deaths within 30 days of discharge. Of those, 286 patients had been discharged to hospice, while 467 had gone to a non-hospice setting.
Does the study show RSV caused these deaths?
No. The analysis recorded deaths during hospitalization or soon after discharge, but deaths were not necessarily attributable to RSV. Researchers said some may have had other causes.
Who is eligible for an RSV vaccine under CDC recommendations?
The report says the CDC recommends a one-time dose of any of three FDA-licensed RSV vaccines for adults aged 75 or older and adults aged 50 to 74 at increased risk of severe RSV. The analysis did not assess vaccination status among hospitalized patients in the 2023-2024 season.
Source: rss
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