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COVID-19 Linked to More Severe Outcomes Than Flu, RSV in 2022-2023 Season

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Jan 30, 2025.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Jan. 30, 2025 -- COVID-19 was associated with more severe disease outcomes than influenza or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) during the 2022 to 2023 season, according to a study published online Jan. 27 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Kristina L. Bajema, M.D., from Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System in Oregon, and colleagues compared disease severity of COVID-19, influenza, and RSV among U.S. veterans in a retrospective cohort study. The cumulative incidence and risk differences were calculated for the primary outcomes of 30-day hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, and death.

The researchers found that the 30-day risk for hospitalization was similar for COVID-19 and influenza (16.2 versus 16.3 percent) and was lower for RSV (14.3 percent) during the 2023 to 2024 season. The 30-day risk for death was slightly higher for COVID-19 compared with influenza or RSV during the 2022 to 2023 season (1.0 percent versus 0.7 and 0.7 percent), but was similar during the 2023 to 2024 season. At 180 days, mortality risk was higher for COVID-19 during both seasons. In both seasons, higher mortality was seen for veterans without COVID-19 vaccination in the previous year compared with those without seasonal influenza vaccination. In contrast, no mortality differences were seen at any time point between COVID-19 and influenza among those vaccinated against their respective infections.

"Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was far more common than influenza or RSV and resulted in more severe disease outcomes, including short-term hospitalization and mortality through six months," the authors write. "This was most apparent among older adults and attenuated by updated COVID-19 vaccination."

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted January 2025

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