General Information
RSV FAQs
How is RSV spread?
RSV can spread when someone talks, coughs, or sneezes, sending tiny droplets into the air. If these droplets get into someone else’s mouth or nose, they can get sick too. You can also catch RSV by touching surfaces that have the virus on them and then touching your face.
When is RSV Season?
RSV season generally starts during fall and peaks in the winter, but the timing and severity of the season can vary from year to year.
Who gets the RSV?
People are typically infected with RSV for the first time as an infant or toddler and nearly all children are infected before their second birthday. However, repeat infections may occur throughout life, and people of any age can be infected.
When and for how long is a person able to spread RSV?
People are usually contagious for 3 to 8 days and may become contagious a day or two before they start showing signs of illness.
However, some infants, and people with weakened immune systems, can continue to spread the virus even after they stop showing symptoms, for as long as 4 weeks.
How soon after you are exposed to the RSV do symptoms appear?
People infected with RSV usually show symptoms within 4 to 6 days after getting infected. Symptoms usually appear in stages and not all at once.
What are the symptoms of the RSV?
People infected with RSV usually have mild symptoms and are able to manage their symptoms on their own.
Symptoms of RSV infection usually include the following:
- Congested or runny nose
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Low-grade fever
- Headache
- Sore Throat
In rare cases, individuals may develop serious complications with severe symptoms that require immediate medical attention.
Emergency symptoms may include:
- Fever
- Severe cough
- Wheezing
- Rapid breathing or difficulty breathing
- Bluish color of the skin
In infants, additional emergency symptoms may include:
- Short, shallow and rapid breathing
- Struggling to breathe — chest muscles and skin pull inward with each breath
- Poor feeding
- Unusual tiredness
- Irritability
What can be done to prevent the spread of the RSV?
1. Practice good hand, coughing, and sneezing hygiene.
- Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after coughing, sneezing, or touching surfaces in public areas. When soap and water are not available, hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol may be used.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your elbow (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing. Dispose of tissues properly and wash your hands immediately afterward.
2. Stay home when sick.
- Return to normal activities when your symptoms are better overall, and you have not had a fever for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medicine.
3. If eligible, receive an immunization or monoclonal antibodies in the fall. View what may be recommended for you and where to get an RSV immunization below.
Immunization Options
Infants & Young Children
Immunization Recommendations
An RSV preventive antibody, Nirsevimab, is available for babies and some young children which reduces the risk of severe RSV disease by about 80%. Protection from Nirsevimab lasts at least five months.
Is an antibody the same as a vaccine?
Antibodies are proteins that the body’s immune system uses to fight off harmful germs. Like traditional vaccines, preventive antibodies are immunizations that provide protection against a specific pathogen. While both are immunizations, the way they provide immunity is different. Nirsevimab is an immunization that provides antibodies directly to the recipient. Traditional vaccines are immunizations that stimulate the recipient’s immune system to produce antibodies.
Preventive antibody should not be used to treat children already infected with RSV.
When to get an RSV immunization?
CDC recommends RSV immunizations during specific months to maximize protection during RSV season. View the timing recommendations here.
RSV immunizations are recommended for the following populations:
1. All infants under 8 months should receive for their first RSV season unless the mother received the RSV vaccine during pregnancy and 14 days before delivery.
2. Some children ages 8 through 19 months entering their second RSV season and who are at increased risk for severe RSV disease:
- Children who were born prematurely and have chronic lung disease.
- Children with severe immunocompromise.
- Children with cystic fibrosis who have severe disease.
- American Indian and Alaska Native children
RSV Immunization Products for Infants & Young Children
Nirsevimab
Brand name is Beyfortus.
For more information, visit Immunizations to Protect Infants | RSV | CDC.
Older Adults & Pregnant Women
RSV Immunization Recommendations
This is not an annual vaccine—If you got one last year, you do not need one this year.
When to Get an RSV Immunization:
Eligible adults can get an RSV vaccine at any time, but the best time to get vaccinated is in late summer and early fall before RSV usually starts to spread in communities.
RSV Immunizations are Recommended for the Following Populations:
1. All adults ages 75 years and older
2. Adults 60 years and older who are at increased risk of severe RSV including the following:
- have chronic heart or lung disease
- have a weakened immune system
- have certain other medical conditions
- including severe obesity and severe diabetes
- live in a nursing home or other long-term care facility
3. Women who are 32-36 weeks pregnant and at least 14 days before delivery.
- The purpose of immunizing pregnant women is to provide immunity to their infants, protecting them from RSV in the early months of life when they are most vulnerable to severe RSV disease.
RSV Immunization Products for Older Adults & Pregnant Women
Pfizer's ABRYSVO
Adults aged 60 years and older are eligible.
Women who are 32-36 weeks pregnant are eligible.
GSK's AREXVY
Adults aged 60 years and older are eligible.
Moderna's mRESVIA
Adults aged 60 years and older are eligible.
For more information, please visit CDC's RSV Immunization page.
Where to Get Immunization?
Where Can I Get the RSV Immunization or Monoclonal Antibodies?
View the Respiratory Illness Community Immunization Clinic Calendar to find Whitman County clinics that offer RSV immunizations or monoclonal antibodies. You can also talk with your primary care provider to see if you can get immunized at your next doctor's office visit.
Treatment
Most people with RSV have mild illness and do not need medical care.
Take steps to relieve mild symptoms at home:
- Manage symptoms.
- Fever and Aches: Use over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). Follow the dosage instructions on the label and consult with a healthcare provider if you have concerns.
- Sore Throat and Cough: Soothe a sore throat with warm saltwater gargles, drinking honey and lemon in warm water, or cough drops can also provide relief.
- Ease congestion: steam inhalation, saline nasal spray, and a humidifier may help.
- Get plenty of rest and stay hydrated
However, RSV can cause severe illness in some people.
Infants, young children, and older adults are at increased risk of severe RSV.
These individuals may seek early treatment with antivirals from their doctor.
- Antiviral drugs are different from antibiotics. RSV antivirals are prescription medicines and are not available over the counter.
- Antiviral drugs can make illness milder and shorten the time you are sick. They might also prevent serious complications when treatment is started early.
RSV Fact Sheet
