Hospitalisation, morbidity and outcomes associated with respiratory syncytial virus compared with influenza in adults of all ages

Background Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is understood to be a cause of significant disease in older adults and children. Further analysis of RSV in younger adults may reveal further insight into its role as an important pathogen in all age groups. Methods We identified, through laboratory data, adults who tested positive for either influenza or RSV between January 2017 and June 2019 at a single Australian hospital. We compared baseline demographics, testing patterns, hospitalisations and outcomes between these groups. Results Of 1128 influenza and 193 RSV patients, the RSV cohort was older (mean age 54.7 vs. 64.9, p