Adult RSV

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cold virus that’s usually active during winter months. RSV causes upper respiratory tract infections, like the common cold.

RSV can also cause more serious lower respiratory tract infections, like bronchiolitis and viral pneumonia. Some people are more likely to develop serious RSV illness, including:

• Infants

• Older adults

• People with weakened immune systems or chronic heart or lung conditions 

These people may become sick enough to need respiratory support and care in a hospital. 

Nearly everyone has gotten RSV at least once by the time they’re 2 years old. It’s common to get RSV several times during your life, but usually the first illness is the worst. That’s why RSV affects young children so much. But as people get older, they once again become more vulnerable to serious RSV illness.

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Symptoms

Some people who get sick with RSV don’t have any symptoms. But most people develop mild cold symptoms, like:

• Runny nose and congestion

• Cough

• Postnasal drip

• Sore throat

It’s possible to develop fever with an RSV infection, but this is more common in children than adults. Symptoms usually start 4 to 6 days after someone comes in contact with the RSV virus. Most people get sick gradually instead of all of a sudden.

People typically feel their worst on days 3 to 5 of their illness. In total, most people are sick for about 7 to 10 days. Some symptoms — like cough — can linger for several weeks, especially in young children.

People with more severe RSV illness can also develop:

• Fever

• Trouble breathing

• Rapid breathing

• Trouble eating and dehydration

RSV illness can worsen certain medical conditions, like asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). If you have one of these conditions, you may notice that your symptoms worsen or that your medication doesn’t help as much as it usually does.

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Diagnosis

RSV can be diagnosed with two types of laboratory tests — antigen testing and real-time PCR (reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction) testing. A healthcare provider will rub a swab on the inside of your nose to collect a sample. The sample from the inside of your nose will show if you have RSV.

Rapid antigen testing can give you results in less than 1 hour. But this test is much more accurate in young children than adults or older children. That’s because young children tend to shed more virus. 

PCR tests are equally accurate for people of all ages. Depending on how long it takes for your sample to get to the lab, it may take 1 to 2 days to get results. 

There’s an at-home test for RSV that doesn’t require a prescription. You collect your own nasal swab, but you need to bring the sample to a lab for testing. There aren’t any at-home tests that can give you rapid results.

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Treatments

There’s no cure for RSV. Treatment focuses on relieving or minimizing RSV symptoms while the immune system fights off the virus. Most people can treat their symptoms at home using treatments that also help relieve the common cold. 

These treatments include:

• Over-the-counter cold medications to relieve cough and congestion

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) to relieve fever and muscle ache 

• Cold or warm beverages and lozenges to relieve sore throat

• Nasal saline sprays to clear out mucus and congestion

If you have asthma or COPD, your healthcare provider may recommend that you increase your inhaler medications or start additional treatments, like steroids.

Older adults are more likely to get dehydrated when they’re sick. To help loved ones stay hydrated, encourage them to drink small but frequent amounts of fluids.

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Prevention

RSV is an extremely contagious virus. A 2021 study estimated that it takes a week for RSV to infect everyone in a household. 

The best way to prevent getting RSV is to stay away from people who are sick with cold symptoms. Other general hygiene measures can also keep you healthy, including:

• Washing your hands often

• Disinfecting commonly touched surface

• Not sharing cups and utensils with others

And for more protection, consider wearing a face mask while on public transportation or in areas with large crowds.

Stay home if you’re sick with RSV or cold symptoms. If you go out, wear a mask. This helps limit the spread of RSV and protects people at risk for serious RSV illnesses.

If you’re over 60 years old, you may be eligible for Arexvy or Abrysvo, which are RSV vaccines for adults. In clinical studies, Arexvy lowered people’s risk of developing severe RSV symptoms by 94%, and Abrysvo lowered the risk by up to 86%. Researchers are still looking at how long this protection lasts. 

Abrysvo is also FDA approved for use during pregnancy. Getting the vaccine between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy can protect your newborn from developing RSV illness for up to 6 months. In a clinical study, Abrysvo lowered the risk of severe RSV symptoms in newborns by 82% within 90 days after birth.

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