Is RSV going around in Greece?

RSV activity in Greece typically begins rising in late autumn, peaks between December and February, and fades into spring. Post-pandemic seasons have been less predictable than pre-2020 patterns, with earlier or delayed peaks in some years. EODY publishes RSV indicators within its weekly respiratory-virus surveillance alongside flu and SARS-CoV-2.

The groups at highest risk of severe RSV are infants (particularly those under six months, preterm babies, and infants with underlying heart or lung disease) and older adults, especially those aged 75 and above or with chronic respiratory or cardiac conditions. In otherwise healthy children and adults, RSV usually resembles a common cold and resolves without complications.

Since 2023, RSV vaccines have been authorised in the EU for older adults and for passive protection of infants. Greece has begun introducing the long-acting monoclonal antibody nirsevimab for infants entering their first RSV season, and adult RSV vaccines are recommended for defined risk groups in line with EODY guidance. Uptake and clinical impact are monitored through weekly surveillance.

RSV surveillance in Greece combines sentinel GP data, virological testing coordinated by EODY, and hospital-admission signals for severe paediatric and adult respiratory infection. Weekly results are published by EODY and also reported to ECDC ERVISS, which lets Greece's RSV curve be compared directly with Italy, Cyprus, and other EU/EEA countries.

In EODY surveillance, flu and RSV appear as separate positivity streams within the same respiratory panel. RSV disproportionately affects infants and the very elderly, while flu burden spreads across age bands and is especially severe in older adults. Symptom overlap between the two viruses is wide, so the distinction relies on laboratory testing rather than clinical impression.