RSV Isn’t Just a Cold; It’s a Global Crisis We Keep Ignoring
Why RSV is more dangerous than people think and what we’re doing to change that
By Jared Bauer, CEO of Seek Labs | july 8, 2025
In January, my wife got sick. Really sick. RSV, influenza, and pneumonia, all at once. She’s a healthy, active 38-year-old who rarely misses a beat. But this knocked her flat. She was so weak she couldn’t walk across the room without gasping. Her fever lingered for weeks.
We didn’t expect that. Most people don’t. Because RSV still flies under the radar.
RSV: The Overlooked Threat in Every Season
Each year, RSV causes millions of infections globally — though exact numbers are hard to quantify. It leads to over 3.6 million hospitalizations and more than 100,000 deaths in children under five. For infants in low-resource settings, it remains one of the deadliest viruses on the planet. RSV also overwhelms pediatric ICUs during seasonal surges and has become a growing threat to older adults — especially those over 60.
In the U.S. alone, RSV leads to over 100,000 hospitalizations and up to 10,000 deaths annually in adults over 60 [CDC]. In high-income countries globally, RSV causes a substantial and growing number of hospitalizations among older adults — likely in the hundreds of thousands annually, though exact global figures vary by source [IQVIA]. These aren’t just statistics — they reflect real people, real families, and real systems under strain. These are lives disrupted, communities stretched, and hospitals pushed to the brink.
Unlike a cold, RSV can spiral into severe respiratory distress in days. Especially in infants, older adults, or anyone with weakened lungs. Picture a pediatric ICU in winter: tiny patients on ventilators, parents sleeping upright in plastic chairs, nurses working double shifts. RSV fills those rooms. It slows recovery, triggers reinfections, and leaves families reeling. The suffering in those ICUs carries a broader cost — one that ripples through economies and communities.
Why Has Progress Against RSV Been So Slow?
RSV was first identified in the 1950s. We’ve had more than half a century to act. But the virus is elusive. It mutates. Its symptoms mimic other respiratory illnesses. It doesn’t spark the same urgency as headline-grabbing pandemics. And it affects populations that have historically had less political and commercial influence: infants, the elderly, the immunocompromised.
Until recently, the only approved treatment was Ribavirin — a toxic, decades-old antiviral used only in extreme cases. Vaccines and monoclonal antibodies like Arexvy and Abrysvo have only recently been approved, but they are preventative, not curative. They’re costly, not widely available, and not effective once RSV has already taken hold.
For most people, supportive care remains the only option. And that’s not good enough.
Beyond the Human Toll: A Growing Economic Burden
The economic burden is staggering. Studies estimate the global cost of RSV in older adults at $7–10 billion annually, including hospital care, lost productivity, and long-term complications [RTI Health Solutions]. For a family like mine, one hospitalization can mean thousands in medical bills and weeks of lost income. Pediatric wards are overrun. ICU beds are limited. Staff burnout rises. One infection can send ripples through entire communities.
We would never accept this level of seasonal disruption from a virus we fully understood and could outmaneuver. So why are we still tolerating it from RSV?
A New Playbook
Today, we announced that RSV will be one of the first therapeutics Seek Labs will develop.
Using BioSeeker we mapped the RSV genome, pinpointing stable regions — the virus’s weak points. Then, using our Programmable Target Ablation Platform (PTAP™), we designed RNA guides to strike those sequences with precision — like a sniper targeting the virus’s power supply.
The end result of this analysis is a pan-RSV therapeutic candidate, that targets both RSV A and B subtypes, by hitting multiple stable regions at once. It’s precise. It’s scalable. And it doesn’t rely on the immune system catching up.
Programmable RNA guides — think of them as molecular GPS devices — help us direct our treatment to the virus’s most vulnerable spots.
This approach isn’t just for RSV. It could represent a fundamental shift in how we deal with rapidly mutating respiratory viruses — from influenza to emerging coronaviruses.
It’s Time to Pay Attention
RSV is part of a much bigger problem. The pace of viral evolution has outstripped our traditional toolkit. We’re still relying on blunt-force responses to precision threats. At Seek Labs, this fight is personal — born from losses too many families know too well. The cost — in money, in momentum, in lives — is growing.
If we want to get ahead of infectious disease, we need platforms that move as fast as the pathogens they’re built to stop. Smarter targeting. Faster discovery. Programmable response.
And collaboration.
Join the Fight
If you’re working in global health, vaccine strategy, antiviral research, or diagnostics — let’s talk. Email us at contact@seeklabs.com or connect on LinkedIn to share your insights and join our mission to outpace RSV and threats like it. RSV isn’t just a cold. It’s a global challenge we’ve overlooked for too long.