b'RSV Is as Severe as COVID-19, Flu When Everyones UnvaccinatedATLANTAArecentprospectivelyenrolled studysuggestedthatadult participants who RSVdiseaseseverityhadbeenadmittedto issimilartounvacci- the hospital with acute nated patients hospital- respiratoryillnessand izedwithCOVID-19laboratory-confirmed orinfluenzabutsig- RSV,SARS-CoV-2 nificantly more severeorinfluenzainfec-than patients hospital- tion at 25 hospitals in izedwiththosedis- 20 states from Feb. 1, easeswhohadbeen2022, to May 31, 2023. vaccinated. The 7,998 participants Leaders and soldiers receive their influenza vaccination as the annual flu That cohort study ledshot campaign kicks off at the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellencehadamedianageof by national Centers forheadquarters at Fort Novosel, AL. U.S. Army photo by Kelly Morris67and50.6%were DiseaseControlandfemale.)Datawere Prevention (CDC) researchers, involved 7,998 hos- analyzed from August to October 2023.pitalized adults in 20 U.S. states during FebruaryThe researchers used multivariable logistic regres-2022 to May 2023. sion to compare the severity of RSV disease with These findings suggest that before RSV vaccineCOVID-19 and influenza severity, by COVID-19 introduction in the U.S., RSV disease was at leastand influenza vaccination status, for a range of clini-as severe as COVID-19 or influenza among unvac- cal outcomes, including the composite of invasive cinated patients and more severe than COVID-19mechanical ventilation (IMV) and in-hospital death.or influenza among vaccinated patients hospitalizedOf the participants, 484 (6.1%) were hospitalized with those diseases, the authors advised. withRSV,6,422(80.3%)werehospitalizedwith The CDC recommended the first RSV vaccines onCOVID-19, and 1,092 (13.7%) were hospitalized June 21, 2023, for adults age 60 years and older usingwith influenza. sharedclinicaldecision-making.UnderstandingThe results indicated that, among patients with the severity of RSV disease in adults can help guideRSV, 58 (12.0%) experienced IMV or death, com-thisclinicaldecision-making,accordingtotheparedwith201of1,422unvaccinatedpatients report in JAMA Network Open. 2 with COVID-19 (14.1%) and 458 of 5,000 vac-Thestudysoughttodescribediseaseseveritycinated patients with COVID-19 (9.2%), as well among adults hospitalized with RSV and compare itas 72 of 699 unvaccinated patients with influenza with the severity of COVID-19 and influenza disease(10.3%) and 20 of 393 vaccinated patients with by vaccination status. To do that, the research teaminfluenza (5.1%).6'