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A CDC analysis of 18,301 adults hospitalized with RSV from 2014 to 2024 found that 8.6% died in hospital or within 30 days after discharge. Of the post-discharge deaths, 467 occurred among people discharged somewhere other than hospice; the study cannot establish that RSV caused those deaths.
A CDC analysis of 18,301 adults hospitalized with RSV from 2014 to 2024 found that 8.6% died in hospital or within 30 days of discharge, including 467 people who died after leaving for somewhere other than hospice. The preliminary findings, presented at the IDWeek annual meeting, highlight deaths in the immediate post-hospital period, but do not establish that RSV caused them.
There were 1,565 deaths during hospitalization or within 30 days after discharge across the eight RSV seasons examined. More than half, 812, occurred in hospital; 753 occurred after discharge. Of those post-discharge deaths, 286 people had been discharged to hospice. The remaining 467 deaths followed discharge to a non-hospice setting, representing 2.6% of all adults in the analysis who had been hospitalized with RSV.
Michael Melgar, MD, of the CDC, presented the findings. He said the non-hospice group was concerning because patients may have gone home or to another level of care without an expectation that they would die within a month. The analysis found that the share of hospitalized adults who died during or soon after their stay remained within a similar range across seasons, from 7.4% in 2018-2019 to 9.7% in 2015-2016.
The investigators used CDC Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network data from 14 states, covering hospitalizations with laboratory-confirmed RSV. The study identified RSV using specified diagnostic codes. It was a surveillance analysis, not a trial of treatment or vaccination, and the report describes the results as preliminary.
Deaths After Discharge Need Attention
The findings draw attention to a period that can be less visible in hospital statistics: the weeks after patients leave the hospital. The 467 non-hospice deaths do not show that discharge was premature or that RSV directly caused each death. They do, however, point to a group whose outcomes may inform discharge planning and early follow-up, as Melgar said.
The results also reinforce prevention messaging for adults eligible for RSV vaccination. RSV can cause severe lower respiratory illness, and adults hospitalized with the infection may face other health risks after discharge. The analysis did not test whether vaccination changes the risk of dying after a hospitalization, so it cannot quantify that effect.
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RSV Vaccination and Surveillance
Adult RSV vaccines became available during the 2023-2024 season. The source report says vaccination has shown 75% effectiveness against RSV hospitalization. CDC recommendations call for a one-time dose of any of three FDA-licensed vaccines for all adults ages 75 and older, and for adults ages 50 to 74 at increased risk of severe RSV. Those recommendations provide prevention context, but this analysis did not assess patients’ vaccination status during the season vaccines became available.
The study spans eight RSV seasons, from 2014 through 2024, and relies on RESP-NET, which monitors hospitalizations across participating states. Among people who died during the hospitalization or within 30 days afterward, 81.3% were 65 or older and 89.0% had at least one underlying medical condition. These characteristics describe the patients in the analysis; they do not by themselves explain why an individual died.
“We think this latter category is the most concerning, as these patients were likely discharged home or to some higher level of care — but they were probably not expected to die within a month of the hospitalization with RSV infection.”
— Michael Melgar, MD, of the CDC, speaking at IDWeek
Cause of Death Remains Uncertain
The analysis counted deaths occurring during hospitalization or within 30 days of discharge, but deaths may not have been caused by RSV. The report does not establish the cause of each death or show that the infection, rather than underlying illness or another event, led to the outcome.
Other limitations include possible undercounting of hospitalizations because testing depended on clinicians ordering tests. The researchers also did not examine vaccination status among hospitalized patients in the 2023-2024 season. Because RESP-NET covers 14 states, its results may not represent the whole United States. The report does not specify what share of post-discharge deaths were linked to particular complications, such as heart attack or stroke.
Follow-Up and Prevention Questions
The findings support attention to recommended RSV vaccination for eligible adults and to follow-up after discharge, according to Melgar. The source report does not identify a new CDC policy or a scheduled follow-up analysis. Further work would be needed to clarify causes of post-discharge deaths, how vaccination status relates to outcomes, and whether the patterns seen in participating states apply nationally.
For now, the headline figure should be read as a measured outcome among adults hospitalized with RSV, not as proof that RSV caused every death or that a particular discharge practice led to them. The next evidence needed is more detail on causes of death, vaccination status, and post-discharge care.
Key Questions
How many adults died during or soon after an RSV hospitalization?
Among 18,301 adults hospitalized with RSV from 2014 to 2024, 1,565, or 8.6%, died in hospital or within 30 days of discharge.
How many died after leaving the hospital?
A total of 753 people died within 30 days after discharge. Of these, 286 had been discharged to hospice and 467 to somewhere other than hospice.
Does the analysis show RSV caused those deaths?
No. The analysis recorded when deaths occurred but did not establish that RSV caused them. The report says some deaths may not be attributable to RSV.
Who does the CDC recommend receive an RSV vaccine?
The source report says CDC recommends a one-time dose of an FDA-licensed RSV vaccine for adults 75 or older and adults ages 50 to 74 at increased risk of severe RSV. People considering vaccination can discuss their circumstances with a qualified health professional.
How broadly do the findings apply?
The analysis used hospitalization data from RESP-NET in 14 states. The report cautions that the results may not represent the entire U.S. and that some hospitalizations may have been missed because testing was clinician-driven.
Source: rss
