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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. Of all patients studied, 2.6% died after discharge somewhere other than hospice; the analysis does not establish that RSV caused each death.
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, highlight deaths in the weeks after hospitalization, though researchers said the study cannot determine whether RSV caused those deaths.
Of the 1,565 patients who died during the study’s specified period, 812 died in hospital and 753 died within 30 days after discharge. Among those discharged patients, 286 had been sent to hospice. Another 467 died after discharge to somewhere other than hospice, equal to 2.6% of all adults in the analysis who had been hospitalized with RSV.
The share of hospitalized patients who died in hospital or within 30 days after discharge ranged from 7.4% in the 2018-2019 season to 9.7% in 2015-2016. Deaths within 30 days after discharge to a place other than hospice ranged from 1.8% of hospitalized patients in 2022-2023 to 3.2% in 2019-2020. Researchers reported that these rates remained broadly steady across the seasons.
Most people who died in hospital or within 30 days of discharge were 65 or older (81.3%), and 89.0% had at least one underlying medical condition. Nearly half had been admitted to intensive care, while 29.1% received invasive mechanical ventilation. Those who died after discharge were older on average than those who died in hospital, but were less likely to have received intensive care or mechanical ventilation during their stay.
Deaths After RSV Discharge
The figures draw attention to a period that can be overlooked when hospital outcomes are counted: the first month after discharge. The 467 deaths among patients discharged somewhere other than hospice do not establish that those deaths were unexpected or caused by RSV. They do, however, identify a group for whom discharge planning and follow-up may warrant attention, particularly among older adults and people with underlying conditions.
The findings also add urgency to prevention discussions. Adult RSV vaccines became available in the 2023-2024 season, and the CDC recommends a single dose for all adults 75 and older and for adults ages 50 to 74 at increased risk of severe RSV. The analysis did not assess vaccination status for hospitalized patients, so it cannot show whether vaccination affected the deaths recorded.
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Eight Seasons of RSV Surveillance
The researchers used the CDC’s Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET), which tracks hospitalizations with laboratory-confirmed influenza, COVID-19 and RSV in 14 states. RSV cases in this analysis were identified using specified ICD-10 diagnosis codes for RSV pneumonia, acute bronchitis or acute bronchiolitis.
The study covered seasons from 2014 through 2024, including years before and after adult RSV vaccines became available. CDC investigator Michael Melgar said the vaccine rollout may have influenced the data in the final season, but the team did not examine individual patients’ vaccination status. RSV can cause illness ranging from cold-like symptoms to severe lower respiratory disease requiring hospitalization; the study focused on deaths recorded around those hospital stays.
“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 investigator, speaking at IDWeek
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What the Death Counts Cannot Show
The analysis records deaths during hospitalization and within 30 days of discharge, but deaths may not have been caused by RSV. It also does not establish that patients discharged outside hospice were expected to recover, or explain the specific circumstances behind their deaths. The study reports an association with the post-hospital period, not proof that RSV itself led to each outcome.
Researchers noted that surveillance may miss some hospitalizations because testing depends on clinicians ordering RSV tests. The findings come from RESP-NET’s participating states and may not represent the whole United States. The analysis also did not assess vaccination status among hospitalized patients, leaving the vaccine’s effect on these particular outcomes unresolved.
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Follow-Up and Prevention Questions
The reported findings point to two areas for continued attention: recommended RSV vaccination for eligible adults and care planning after hospitalization. Melgar said the results support stronger discharge planning and early follow-up, but the source report did not identify a specific new CDC protocol or announce a timeline for one.
Further analysis would be needed to clarify causes of post-discharge deaths, how outcomes vary by patient risk and vaccination status, and whether the patterns apply nationally. For now, the reported percentages describe outcomes in the surveillance network and should not be read as proof that RSV caused every death counted.
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Key Questions
How many hospitalized adults died in the analysis?
Among 18,301 adults hospitalized with RSV from 2014 to 2024, 1,565, or 8.6%, died in hospital or within 30 days after discharge.
How many died after leaving the hospital?
753 patients died within 30 days after discharge. Of those, 286 had been discharged to hospice; 467 had been discharged somewhere other than hospice. The latter figure was 2.6% of all hospitalized adults in the analysis.
Does the analysis show that RSV caused these deaths?
No. Researchers counted deaths during hospitalization and within 30 days after discharge, but said deaths may not be attributable to RSV. The analysis does not establish the cause of each death.
Who is eligible for the CDC-recommended RSV vaccine?
The source report says the CDC recommends a one-time dose for all adults 75 or older and adults ages 50 to 74 who are at increased risk of severe RSV. The study did not examine vaccination status among the hospitalized patients.
Source: rss
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