RESUMEN
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that affects large numbers, mainly of children younger than five. The burden of RSV includes not only ill health for the children with the virus, which in severe cases results in hospitalisation, intensive care and even death; but also the emotional and practical burden on the affected families and carers; and the impact that has on productivity in the economy; alongside the costs of providing healthcare. We reviewed recent literature and published data relevant to the UK and used this information to model the costs to the healthcare system and to the wider UK economy in terms of productivity losses of parents/carers. We found healthcare costs and productivity losses in the UK resulting from RSV in children younger than five total approximately £80 million annually. These costs are the consequence, in part, of an estimated 467,000 GP visits per year in the UK for children aged under five with RSV and 34,000 hospitalisations. Our study also presents additional material, identified in the literature review, on the health impacts on affected children and the nature of the burden on parents and families of caring for a young child with RSV. The consequences of RSV are short-term for the majority of cases, but for some there are long term sequelae including poorer respiratory health in later life. RSV is also responsible for the deaths each year in the UK of an estimated 33 children under five.
RESUMEN
The ability to sequence and understand different variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and their impact is crucial to inform policy and public health decisions. Soon after the UK went into its first lockdown in March 2020, the CCOVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium was launched. COG-UK is a collaboration of experts in pathogen genomics including academic institutions, public health agencies, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, NHS Trusts and Lighthouse Labs. RAND Europe evaluated how COG-UK delivered against its objectives, for example how it contributed to advancing scientific knowledge about SARS-CoV-2, informing public health decisions, and providing information that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of vaccines and treatments. The evaluation also examined the diverse factors that influenced COG-UK progress and impact, including enablers and challenges, and considered implications for the future.