Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
Infectious Respiratory Illness
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About Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
On this page:
What is RSV?
RSV symptoms
Who is most at risk for getting very sick from RSV?
How is RSV spread?
What can I do to protect myself and others?
When should I contact a health care provider?
Can my child participate in child care or school?
Protection from RSV through immunization
What is RSV?
Respiratory syncytial (sin-SISH-uhl) virus, also known as RSV, is a common viral infection. It can cause respiratory illness in people of any age and is one of the most common diseases of early childhood. It can also cause severe illness such as bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs).
RSV Symptoms
RSV is different from a cold. Although RSV can cause the same symptoms as a cold such as sneezing or runny nose, it can also cause serious illness, especially in people at high risk.
Common symptoms include:
- Cough
- Watery eyes
- Runny nose or nasal stuffiness
- Sneezing
- Decrease in appetite
- Fever
- Tiredness
- Irritability
- Loss of appetite
- Pauses in breathing (apnea)
- Wheezing (indicator of bronchiolitis)
- Coughing up mucus/lung congestion (indicator of pneumonia)
- Breathing rapidly
Who is most at risk for getting very sick from RSV?
Infants, young children, people with a weak immune system, and older adults are most at risk for severe disease.
This includes premature infants, infants under 6 months, children younger than 2 years old with chronic lung disease or congenital heart disease, or children with weakened immune systems and young American Indian and Alaskan Native children.
Adults at highest risk include all people 75 years of age and older and those 64-74 years of age with certain chronic diseases (including heart, lung, or immunocompromising conditions), other medical conditions (including severe obesity and severe diabetes), and residents in long-term care settings.
How is RSV spread?
RSV can spread in the following ways:
- A person with RSV coughs or sneezes, releasing tiny droplets into the air that can enter your eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Touching hands, objects, or surfaces that have germs from the nose or mouth of a person with the virus. Items can include tissues, doorknobs, or other items.
- Touching a contaminated item or surface and then touching your face before washing your hands.
It usually takes 4-6 days from the time a person is in contact with the virus until symptoms start. People with RSV are usually contagious for 3-8 days after symptoms start, although it can be longer in some cases.
What can I do to protect myself and others?
- Avoid close contact with ill people such as kissing or shaking hands.
- Avoid sharing drinking cups, straws, water bottles, or eating utensils, especially if you or others have any cold-like symptoms.
- Consider masking indoors as an added layer of protection against respiratory illness.
- Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue or your sleeve.
- Dispose of used tissues in the trash.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds.
- Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
- Clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces (this may include doorknobs, handles, and mobile devices).
- Get vaccinated if you never received a dose of RSV vaccine and are 75 years of age or older, or 60-74 years and at risk of severe disease.
- Talk to your health care provider if you are pregnant about protecting your baby from RSV by either getting yourself vaccinated or getting your baby immunized after birth.
When should I contact a health care provider?
You should contact a health care provider if you have:
- Severe symptoms such as pauses in breathing (children), wheezing, or lung congestion.
OR - Concerns about respiratory symptoms and are at risk for severe disease, such as premature infants, infants younger than 6 months old, people with chronic lung disease or congenital heart disease, or people with weakened immune symptoms.
A health care provider will decide if testing is needed.
Can my child participate in child care or school?
For information on RSV infection for child care providers, including when children should be excluded from child care and infection prevention and control measures, visit the Hennepin County infectious diseases in childcare settings and schools manual. Section 6 contains fact sheets for diseases including RSV.
- Children with RSV can return to child care settings when their fever is gone (without the use of fever reducing medication) and they are well enough to participate in routine activities. For example, they can eat and drink normally, have no respiratory difficulty, are alert and active, playful, and do not have a lot of nasal secretions).
- RSV and influenza testing should not be used to determine when a child can return to child care.
Protection from RSV through immunization
Getting immunized can reduce the risk for infants and older adults of getting very sick with RSV, preventing hospitalization and death.
CDC recommends one of two ways to protect babies from getting very sick with RSV:
- A pregnant person can get an RSV vaccination at 32 through 36 weeks of pregnancy between September through January. The pregnant person makes antibodies that are transferred to the baby during pregnancy. These antibodies help protect the infant after birth during the RSV season.
OR - Infants 8 months or younger can get RSV immunization between October through March of their first RSV season and at age 8 to 19 months in their second RSV season if they have certain medical conditions or are American Indian or Alaskan Native. The infant directly receives antibodies through a single dose given as a shot into the muscle, giving immediate protection.
Talk to your health care provider early in your pregnancy to determine the best option for you and your baby. Pregnant people who received RSV vaccine in a previous pregnancy should not get another dose. Instead, their baby should receive nirsevimab after delivery to protect them against RSV disease. For more information, visit CDC: RSV Immunization to Protect Infants, CDC: Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Preventive Antibody: Immunization Information Statement (IIS), or CDC: Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) VIS.
Pregnant people who are 16-49 years and have a computer, tablet, or smartphone can register for V-safe after receiving an RSV vaccine at CDC: About V-Safe to report how they feel after vaccination. V-safe is one of several systems CDC uses to closely monitor the safety of vaccines. People can sign up at Welcome to V-safe!
RSV vaccination is recommended for people 75 years of age and older and those 60-74 years of age who are at higher risk for getting very sick from RSV. Getting vaccinated can prevent serious lung infections, such as pneumonia, caused by RSV.
Vaccination is especially important if you are:
- 75 years of age or older.
- 60-74 years of age or older, and
- live with a chronic medical condition.
- have a weakened immune system.
- live in a nursing home or long-term care setting
Visit CDC: Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) or CDC: RSV Vaccination for Older Adults for more information.
Adults 60 years and older who have a computer, tablet, or smartphone can register for V-safe after receiving an RSV vaccine to report how they feel after vaccination. V-safe is one of several systems CDC uses to closely monitor the safety of vaccines. People can sign up at Welcome to V-safe!