Nearly 80 percent of adults living with a chronic illness say that respiratory viruses, including the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), significantly affect their day-to-day routine, according to an international survey promoted by the company GSK.
On the occasion of the RSV Awareness Week 2026, which is held from November 2 to 8, GSK has developed a global poll in which 6,041 adults aged 18 or over from more than a dozen countries participated, including more than 500 respondents in Spain. The aim was to deepen the level of information about this respiratory virus and the experiences of those who suffer from certain chronic diseases.
The study included patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), type 1 and 2 diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic kidney disease (CKD) and arterial hypertension.
According to the results, 52 percent of those who have asthma indicate that their symptoms worsened after contracting a respiratory virus. The same situation is described by 45 percent of COPD patients, 35 percent of those who have chronic kidney disease, 29 percent of people with cardiovascular diseases and 27 percent of those living with diabetes.
In the total group of participants, 36 percent reported a recovery that was slower than expected, 25 percent had to make additional visits to their Primary Care doctor, and 18 percent were forced to go to the Emergency services.
Among those who had had an RSV infection, the impact in many cases extended beyond the acute episode. Two out of five respondents who had suffered from RSV point to changes in their health status during, at least, one month. Almost 1 in 10 says that it took more than a year to return to the previous situation, or that they have still not recovered completely.
More than half, 55 percent, rate the symptoms associated with RSV as moderately severe or very severe. This perception increases to 68 percent among people with COPD and chronic kidney disease, reaches 64 percent in those with cardiovascular disease, and arrives at 63 percent in patients with asthma.
"Living with a chronic illness involves paying special attention to health every day. When an infection with RSV or another respiratory virus appears, its consequences can go much further than feeling unwell for a few days. It can affect independence and the ability to continue doing the things that are important in everyday life. Those who live with chronic diseases should feel confident when consulting their healthcare professional about the measures they can take against respiratory infections such as RSV," the medical director of the Therapeutic Area of GSK Spain, Iñaki Hernáez, has said.
Seventy-nine percent of respondents express concern about the possibility that a respiratory virus could interfere with the control of their chronic disease or worsen their symptoms. However, 46 percent had not discussed RSV with a healthcare professional in the last two years, including 33 percent who acknowledge that they have never mentioned it. This gap is more pronounced in older age groups: while 66 percent of adults between 18 and 49 years old had spoken about RSV with their doctor in the last two years, only 45 percent of those over 50 years old had done so.
"These results highlight a significant gap between people's concern about RSV and its potential impact on their chronic condition and the decision to consult a healthcare professional. Greater awareness of RSV and its possible consequences can help people actively decide to seek advice from their doctor," Hernáez concluded.