Observational Study on the Clinical Reality of Community-Acquired Respiratory Virus Infections in Adults and Older Individuals

Abstract

The impact of common respiratory virus infections on adults and older individuals in the community is unclear, excluding seasonal influenza viruses. We examined FilmArray® tests performed on 1828 children aged 60 years with rhinovirus/enterovirus (RV/EV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), parainfluenza virus-3 (PIV-3), or human metapneumovirus (hMPV) infection required hospitalization, of whom seven died; 26 out of 160 patients (16.3%) aged <60 years required hospitalization mostly because of deterioration of bronchial asthma, with no reported deaths. In older patients with RV/EV infection, three with few respiratory symptoms died due to worsened heart failure. Although the frequency of common respiratory virus infections in older adults is low, it may be overlooked because of subclinical respiratory symptoms, and its clinical significance in worsening comorbidities in older adults should not be underestimated.

Keywords

• respiratory virus
• older adults
• comprehensive PCR
• comorbidity