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Planning a Safer Cold & Flu Season for Seniors:
The Need for Advanced Respiratory Testing in Senior Living
Current Situation
Seasonal acute respiratory infections wreak havoc among all age ranges when they strike. For senior populations in particular, these highly infectious, highly virulent respiratory illnesses can be dangerous and sometimes fatal.
Flu, COVID-19, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) can all pose serious risk for seniors, even those who are in good health. While COVID and Flu have received a lot of attention from the media, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases reports that RSV leads to as many as 177,000 annual hospitalizations among adults 65 years and older, and 14,000 annual deaths among this same population1. In fact, RSV has been referred to as a “hidden epidemic.” At highest risk from RSV and other acute respiratory infections are older adults who also have other serious chronic health conditions such as heart and lung disease.
Right Test. Right Time. Right Treatment.
Fortunately, major advances in diagnostics technology have expanded respiratory testing options, offering a variety that can be applied to fit specific situations and conditions.