Report Urges Increased Role of Health Community in Increasing Awareness of RSV Disease

Officials with the The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) recently issued a Call to Action urging stronger public health efforts to boost awareness of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the United States.

The report, Call to Action: Reducing the Burden of RSV across the Lifespan, "addresses the underappreciated impact of RSV and outlines key strategic priorities to drive progress in RSV surveillance, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment," including an increased effort on testing and addressing health care disparities, according to a press release issued on the report.

NFID Medical Director William Schaffner, MD noted in the release, “New vaccines and monoclonal antibodies in development, for the first time in 20 years, promise to improve RSV prevention and treatment. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical for healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the public to better understand RSV, and the need for a strong and rapid response.”