2023-05-08 17:04:00
The respiratory syncytial virus, responsible for bronchiolitis, causes 250,000 hospitalizations each year in people over 65.
By Valentin Dechambre for Le Point
© VALLAURI Nicolas / MAXPPP / PHOTOPQR/LA PROVENCE/MAXPPP
Published on
Subscriber-only audio playback
Lhe virus responsible for bronchiolitis in infants also takes its toll on the elderly, with consequences that are often serious but much less known, reports The Parisian. Each winter, bronchiolitis is in the spotlight: its symptoms in toddlers are impressive (cough and wheeze), although the episode is generally harmless. This year, the epidemic was of an unprecedented scale for more than ten years.
This infection of the small bronchi is most often caused by a virus called respiratory syncytial (RSV) which is very widespread and very contagious. What is much less known is that this virus also affects adults. Certainly, a healthy adult who contracts the virus has a good chance of developing a common infection that resembles a cold, or even of being asymptomatic. Therefore, many people carry the virus and are contagious without knowing it.
17,000 deaths per year
In an elderly person, the virus can lead to dehydration, breathing difficulties and more serious conditions, such as pneumonia. It can also aggravate chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart and lung disease. And RSV might be just as serious as the flu virus. If in France there is monitoring of cases of bronchiolitis in children, there is no equivalent for vulnerable adults.
READ ALSODemorand – Bronchiolitis, respiratory physiotherapy is effective!
The figures across Europe speak for themselves: 250,000 people aged 65 and over are hospitalized every year due to RSV infection, and 17,000 die from it, according to estimates by the European Health Agency. medications. In the United States, estimates range from 60,000 to 120,000 hospitalizations and 6,000 to 10,000 deaths per year in this same age group.
The situation might change with the imminent arrival of future vaccines. The British pharmaceutical group GSK has announced that it has obtained a favorable opinion from the European Medicines Agency for its vaccine intended for seniors once morest RSV. The European Commission’s final decision is expected for July 2023. Pfizer and Moderna laboratories are also each developing an RSV vaccine for the elderly, which are currently under review.
1683641613
#elderly #lesserknown #victims #bronchiolitis #virus
