NousEvidence — Influenza High-Risk Populations

Societal Burden

DALYs · Caregiver · Absenteeism · Presenteeism · ADL Decline

Beyond direct medical: the invisible burden — years of healthy life lost, workforce impact, and household caregiving cost.

Why societal metrics matter

Direct medical costs are only 30% of the total US flu burden. The rest — $8B in productivity loss, 111M workdays lost, and 92 hours of caregiving per hospitalized elder — hits payers, employers, and families in ways HEOR models routinely under-count.

US DALYs / year

~1.05M

Direct + long-term disability

Workdays lost / yr

~111M

Ages 18–64 US

Caregiver hours

92 h

Per ≥65y hospitalized case

ADL loss at discharge

31%

≥65y flu-hosp patients

DALY Breakdown — Total US Flu Burden

Years of life lost (YLL) + Years lived with disability (YLD), stratified by high-risk tier

≥65y drive the majority of YLL; multi-morbid + IC contribute disproportionately to YLD.

Caregiver Burden

Household caregiving hours and financial impact per hospitalization

Assumes minimum wage × informal caregiving hours; excludes lost promotion or educational impact.

Productivity Loss

Absenteeism (days out) + presenteeism (sub-optimal days at work)

Presenteeism often exceeds absenteeism in cost — especially in white-collar occupations.

Functional Decline After Flu — ≥65y

Loss of ≥1 Activity of Daily Living (ADL) tracked at discharge, 30d, 6mo

Post-influenza ADL decline is a major driver of nursing-home placement and long-term care spend.