A study published in The Lancet stated that worldwide more than 100,000 children below five years of age died in 2019 due to acute lower respiratory infections caused by the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).

RSV generally causes mild, cold-like symptoms resulting in hospitalization of more than three million children under the age of five per year. As, COVID restrictions are being lifted everywhere, children aged six months and below were more prone to be infected. Moreover infants born in the last two years have never been exposed to RSV, as a result lack the required immunity to combat the viral infection.

In 2019, 33 million RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infection episodes in children under the age of five occurred worldwide, resulting in 3.6 million hospital admissions, 26,300 in-hospital deaths, and 101,400 RSV-related deaths. In 2019, there were 6.6 million RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infection episodes in children under the age of six months, resulting in 1.4 million admissions in hospitals, 13,300 hospital fatalities, and 45,700 RSV- associated deaths.

According to estimates of in-hospital vs general RSV mortality rates, only 26% of RSV-related deaths in children under the age of five occur in a hospital. In the low- and middle-income countries 97% RSV deaths have been reported in children under the age of five. (ETWorldHealth, May 21, 2022)