COVID-19 Linked to More Severe Outcomes Than Flu, RSV in 2022-2023 Season
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."
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
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
Further Support and Information on COVID-19
Read this next
Single-Dose Baloxavir Treatment Can Reduce Influenza Transmission
THURSDAY, April 24, 2025 -- A single-dose baloxavir treatment can reduce influenza transmission from index patients to household contacts, according to a study published in the...
Older Adults Have Low Knowledge of RSV Disease and Vaccine Eligibility
MONDAY, April 7, 2025 -- Knowledge of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease and RSV vaccine eligibility is low among hospitalized older adults, according to a study published...
CDC IDs Trends in Pediatric Flu Deaths With Influenza-Linked Encephalopathy
MONDAY, March 3, 2025 -- During the 2010-2011 to 2024-2025 influenza seasons, 9 percent of pediatric influenza-associated deaths had influenza-associated encephalopathy or...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.