Expert Insights: In Conversation with A/Prof. Valentina Fainard

Through our expert interviews, we explore real-world perspectives on emerging evidence, clinical practice, and prevention, helping healthcare professionals translate science into meaningful impact.

Meet the Expert

A/Prof. Valentina Fainard

Assistant Professor at the University of Parma, Italy, who provides a clear overview of the latest evidence surrounding RSV and its potential long-term implications.

Your work focuses on paediatric respiratory health. What first drew you to the field, and specifically to studying RSV?

My interest in pediatric respiratory medicine began during my clinical training. Respiratory health during childhood profoundly affects respiratory health in adulthood. RSV has an enormous impact in early life and in later age. As pediatricians, we see how a virus that is often perceived as a common respiratory infection can lead to severe bronchiolitis, hospitalization, and significant distress, particularly in young infants, including those who were previously healthy. I am particularly interested in understanding how respiratory events related to RSV influence long-term lung health and the development of wheezing and asthma.

If you had to explain the relevance of RSV to a parent in one sentence, what would you say?

RSV is not just a seasonal virus. It is the most common cause of severe lower respiratory tract infection in infants and can have consequences that extend beyond the acute illness increasing the risk of recurrent wheezing, asthma and respiratory morbidity later in childhood.

Where do you see the biggest gaps today between clinical practice and the evidence on RSV infections in early life?

We still need better ways to identify which children are most likely to develop severe disease or long-term respiratory consequences. A second gap is prevention since many countries around the world don’t have preventive tools, such as maternal vaccination and long-acting monoclonal antibodies. In countries where these strategies are available, the real-world application is still not uniform.

Based on the evidence, what aspects of RSV’s long-term impact should clinicians not underestimate in their day-to-day practice?

We know that RSV infection can significantly impact on respiratory health and the risk of developing asthma in later age is increased. Children with a previous RSV infection and respiratory symptoms should be evaluated by a pulmonologist and lung function must be assessed.

Learn from A/Prof. Valentina Fainard