Respiratory group disease (RSV) has been shown to cause serious illness in older adults and people with underlying diseases, but the dangers of this virus are still underestimated. Subjectivity and lack of information lead to many people being slow in prevention as well as discussing with doctors, increasing the risk of hospitalization and causing long-term impacts on health.
According to the survey results recently published by GSK Global Biofarmic Agency, more than 40% of people aged 50 and over with chronic diseases still underestimate the risk of RSV, even though this is the group with the highest rate of severe progression and hospitalization. It is worth mentioning that although 8/10 people in this group admitted to being worried about RSV at a severity level, up to 45% still did not consider this a serious disease.
Another noteworthy figure: 60% of cardiovascular patients are unaware that RSV can cause dangerous complications, while their risk of heart failure or acute cardiovascular events increases by more than triples if hospitalized for RSV. This data shows that even people who are proactively controlling underlying diseases may be missing an important risk factor.
RSV causes more than 5 million infections per year. Elderly people and people with underlying diseases such as diabetes, COPD, asthma, coronary artery disease or heart failure are the most susceptible to serious complications. In Vietnam alone, in the past 5 years, it is estimated that there have been about 4.6 million cases of acute respiratory infections caused by RSV in people aged 60 and over.
However, many misunderstandings still exist. About 26% of surveyors mistakenly thought RSV was a form of flu virus, while 27% thought the virus only affected the lungs, leading to a lack of concern for prolonged complications.
Dr. Elena DeAngelis - Medical Director of GSK Vietnam - said: Even in high-risk groups, many people still underestimate the severity of RSV. This virus can greatly affect health and quality of life, especially in people with chronic diseases. People especially high-risk groups need to proactively discuss with doctors to better understand RSV and self-protection measures.
