Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can cause severe illness, but little is known about long-term consequences in hospitalized adults. We surveyed adults (>18 years of age) who survived hospitalization for RSV or COVID-19 during February 2022-September 2023 about physical functioning and quality of life; surveys were conducted 6-12 months after hospitalization. We compared outcomes after RSV hospitalization by age (60 years) and to those hospitalized for COVID-19 by using multivariable regression models. Among 146 adults hospitalized with RSV, 27.4% reported severe breathlessness and 21.9% poor quality of life at follow-up. Few differences were seen in posthospital illness by age. After adjustment, participants with RSV had 1.81 (95% CI 1.08-3.04) times increased odds of worse dyspnea than did those with COVID-19. Participants reported functional and quality of life impairments after RSV hospitalization, regardless of age, and a postdischarge sequelae constellation similar to that for those hospitalized for COVID-19.
Leis et al. (Wed,) studied this question.