RSV circulates on roughly the flu's clock - arrives in fall, peaks in winter, fades by spring. For most healthy adults it is a bad cold. The danger concentrates at the ends of life: RSV is the commonest cause of infant hospitalization (warning signs: fast breathing, poor feeding, unusual tiredness), and in adults 75+ - or 50 to 74 with heart, lung, or immune conditions - it can become pneumonia.
Prevention targets those groups, per the CDC: a maternal vaccine during pregnancy, an infant antibody shot after birth, and an RSV vaccine for all adults 75+ and at-risk adults 50-74. The seasonal behaviors are the flu set: hand washing, sick visitors kept from newborns, and no toughing out breathing trouble. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can help you judge a winter cough.
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Common questions
What is RSV season?
RSV - respiratory syncytial virus - is a common respiratory virus that circulates on roughly the flu's schedule: it arrives in fall, peaks in winter, and fades by spring, which is why 'RSV season' lands right on top of flu season. For most healthy adults and older children it is indistinguishable from a bad cold: runny nose, cough, a few miserable days, done. The danger concentrates at the two ends of life: in infants, RSV is the commonest cause of hospitalization - tiny airways clog easily, and the warning signs are fast breathing, poor feeding, and unusual tiredness; and in older adults, especially 75 and older or younger with heart, lung, or immune conditions, it can become pneumonia and land people in the hospital. That is why prevention now targets those groups specifically, per the CDC: a maternal RSV vaccine during pregnancy protects the newborn, an antibody shot protects infants directly after birth, and an RSV vaccine is recommended for all adults 75 and older plus adults 50 to 74 at increased risk. The seasonal behaviors are the flu-season set: hand washing, keeping sick visitors away from newborns, and not toughing out breathing trouble. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you judge a winter cough's level of concern.