Health experts raise calls for RSV awareness among seniors

MANILA, Philippines — Health professionals are calling on the public, particularly senior citizens, to observe preventive measures against Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV.

Pharmaceuticals company GSK (formerly GlaxoSmithKline) hosted a panel discussion with partner doctors regarding the need for increased RSV awareness in the country in the middle of the rainy season.

Philippine College of Physicians President Dr. Rontgene Solante described RSV as a lesser-known respiratory virus yet as widespread, with symptoms including cough, fever, congestion and wheezing.

Solante said RSV can infect people at any time but transmission is more intense during the rainy season, peaking during the colder "Ber" months (September to December), and spreads easily within households where a person can infect three others.

Because of its intensity during the rainy season, Solante said it co-circulates with other illnesses like influenza and COVID-19, which makes it hard to differentiate.

Dr. Solante said there is a particular test for RSV that has only been done for two years. He stressed that there is no specific treatment for RSV in adults, only supportive care.

RSV was initially thought to be more prevalent among children below five years old, but the data that Solante presented shows hospitalization among seniors or the elderly with the virus is on the rise; hence, GSK's awareness campaign.

Solante also showed data where the chances of lower respiratory complications, bacterial infections, cardiac complications and death during hospitalization is slightly higher for seniors with RSV compared to seniors with the flu.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that there are 9.2 million senior citizens in the Philippines, and Solante said over half have co-morbidities like high blood pressure and diabetes.

He emphasized the importance of knowing one's co-morbidities as the chance of RSV infection grows higher for specific ones: twice higher for seniors with asthma, six times higher for seniors with heart disease and diabetes, and 13 times higher for seniors with COVID-19.

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