Clinical Features of Influenza and Acute Respiratory Illness in Older Adults at Least 50 Years of Age in an Outpatient Setting in the Republic of Korea: a Prospective, Observational, Cohort Study.
Two prospective, multi-centre, observational studies (GlaxoSmithKline [GSK] identifier No. 110938 and 112519) were performed over 2 influenza seasons (2007-2008 and 2008-2009) in the Republic of Korea (ROK) with the aim to evaluate the burden of laboratory-confirmed influenza (LCI) in patients ≥ 50 years of age seeking medical attention for acute respiratory illness (ARI). The median participant age was 58 years in the 2007-2008 season and 60 years in the 2008-2009 season. LCI was observed in 101/346 (29.2%) of ARI patients in the 2007-2008 season and in 166/443 (37.5%) of ARI patients in the 2008-2009 season. Compared to patients with non-influenza ARI, those with LCI had higher rates of decreased daily activities (60.4% vs. 32.9% in 2007-2008 and 46.4% vs. 25.8% in 2008-2009), work absenteeism (51.1% vs. 25.6% and 14.4% vs. 7.7%), and longer duration of illness. These results indicated that influenza is an important cause of ARI in adults aged 50 and older causing more severe illness than non-influenza related ARI.
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul, Korea. wjkim@korea.ac.kr.
Woo Joo
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4546-3880
WJ
Kim
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Inha University Inha Hospital, Incheon, Korea.
Jin Soo
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7862-5519
JS
Lee
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
Chang Kyu
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7528-7833
CK
Lee
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
Hee Jin
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2532-1463
HJ
Cheong
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
Mijeong
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4456-206X
M
Kim
GSK Vaccines, Wavre, Belgium.
Javier Sawchik
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7744-908X
JS
Monegal
GSK Vaccines, Wavre, Belgium.
Rute
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8981-1261
R
Carneiro
GSK Vaccines, Wavre, Belgium.
Moe H
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0258-6645
MH
Kyaw
GSK Vaccines, Wavre, Belgium.
François
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4989-3738
F
Haguinet
GSK Vaccines, Wavre, Belgium.
Riju
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2540-4533
R
Ray
GSK Vaccines, Wavre, Belgium.
Gonçalo
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1595-4811
G
Matias
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D011446:Prospective Studies; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D012621:Seasons; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
Acute Respiratory Illness; Adult; Epidemiology; Influenza; Republic of Korea