When is RSV dangerous?

For most healthy children and adults, RSV is a common, mild, cold-like illness - runny nose, cough, a few miserable days. The CDC is clear about who it turns dangerous for: infants, especially those under 6 months, and premature babies, whose small airways clog easily; older adults; and people of any age with heart or lung disease or weakened immune systems. In babies, RSV is the leading cause of bronchiolitis - the warning signs are breathing fast or working hard to breathe (tummy sucking in under the ribs, grunting), pauses in breathing, poor feeding or fewer wet nappies, and unusual irritability or floppiness - any of those, and especially blue or grey lips or skin, means urgent help. Timing matters: bronchiolitis symptoms are usually worst between days 3 and 5, so a baby who is coping on day 2 can still worsen - keep watching through that window. There is no home treatment beyond fluids, smaller more frequent feeds, and saline nose drops; no cough medicines for little ones. Prevention now exists: the CDC recommends immunization options to protect infants (a maternal vaccine or an infant antibody shot) and older adults with risk factors - worth asking about in season. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you judge a baby's breathing.