4 Things Older Adults Need to Know About RSV as Cases Surge

2. Shortness of breath is a warning sign you need medical attention

If you find yourself battling a bad case of RSV, you may need to be hospitalized.

Shortness of breath is one warning sign that you should seek immediate medical attention. “If you find yourself having coughing spasms or fits where it’s hard to catch your breath, that’s not normal,” says Patricia A. Stinchfield, a pediatric nurse practitioner and president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID). The same goes if you get out of breath while doing routine chores.

“That means that your lungs and your heart and your circulatory system are sort of overworking,” Stinchfield says. (Likewise, struggling to catch a breath or taking short and shallow, rapid breaths are red flags for severe RSV in babies.) 

You should check in with a doctor if you have significant weakness or your symptoms get worse and won’t go away, Glesby says.

“The main thing for older adults and parents of young children is to listen to your gut. If your gut is saying, ‘I don't think this is normal, and I’m scared,’ that's when it’s time to call [the doctor],” Stinchfield says.

An NFID report found that although adults with RSV and influenza report similar symptoms, RSV patients don’t seek medical attention as quickly as flu patients.

3. There is no specific treatment for RSV 

Unlike with the flu or COVID-19, there isn’t an antiviral treatment available for the majority of adults that can knock out RSV, nor is there a vaccine that can help prevent it, though researchers are working to develop both.

There also isn’t an easy at-home test that can tell you if your illness is due to RSV. If you go to your doctor’s office with symptoms, they’ll probably test you for multiple viruses to rule out different treatment options.

If you’re positive for RSV, over-the-counter pain relievers can help to manage fevers and general discomfort. Fluids can help keep you hydrated and your immune system functioning at its best, Stinchfield says. If you need to be hospitalized, you may receive oxygen support and fluids through an IV.

4. RSV is very contagious 

You can catch RSV just like you might catch the flu and other respiratory bugs. Virus droplets can fly through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes and land in your eyes, nose or mouth. RSV can survive for several hours on hard surfaces, the CDC says, so be sure to wipe down high-touch areas (think doorknobs, light switches and TV remotes) if you or someone you live with is sick.

You can also get RSV from direct contact with the virus, say by kissing an infected grandchild on the face. Once you have it, you’re usually contagious “for quite a while,” Stinchfield says — up to eight days. Some infants and people with weakened immune systems can spread the virus for as long as four weeks, according to the CDC. 

To that point, if you have a grandchild or another little one you plan to be around who is battling a runny nose and cough, it’s best to wait until symptoms subside before visiting, Stinchfield says.

As RSV rages, it’s important to wash your hands often (and correctly, which means with soap and water for 20 seconds), wipe down frequently touched surfaces and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth — all familiar precautions from the coronavirus pandemic, Glesby says. Finally, if you can, stay home when you are sick.

Editor's note: This article, originally published Oct. 26, 2022, has been updated to include new information.