What is Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)? And is it contagious?

If you’ve got children at home, you’ve likely heard of RSV. While RSV, or Respiratory Syncytial Virus, can often be shrugged off as a common cold and cough that only concerns kids, adults can actually catch RSV too. And for the safety of more vulnerable members of our community, like babies, older adults, and people with health conditions, it’s important that everyone understands how to prevent the spread of RSV and keep everyone healthy.

What is RSV?

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a very common virus in Aotearoa, especially in winter and spring. It affects the respiratory tract, the parts of the body involved in breathing, such as the nose, windpipe, air passages in the lungs, and the lungs. RSV is one of several viruses that can cause infections like bronchiolitis and pneumonia.

For many people, RSV looks and feels much like a regular cold, with symptoms usually improving in one to two weeks. However, in some cases, particularly for more vulnerable members of the community, it can lead to more serious illness. While it’s possible to catch RSV more than once, symptoms are usually milder after the first time.

What are the symptoms of RSV?

RSV symptoms usually show up about four to six days after being exposed to the virus. Common signs include:

• Runny or blocked nose
• Dry cough
• Sneezing
• Sore throat
• Low-grade fever
• Headache
• not feeling like eating or, in babies, difficulty feeding often due to breathlessness.

In very young infants with RSV, symptoms include:

• Irritability
• Decreased activity
• Breathing difficulties

How RSV spreads

RSV is highly contagious and very easy to catch, spreading much like the common cold. You can get RSV when:

• An infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks and droplets enter your eyes, nose, or mouth
• You have close contact, like kissing a child who has RSV
• You touch a surface with the virus on it (for example, a toy, table, or doorknob) and then touch your face before washing your hands.

The virus can survive for several hours on hard surfaces, but usually for a shorter time on soft ones like tissues or hands.

Children often pick up RSV at school or daycare and can bring it home, where younger siblings, especially babies, are more at risk of catching the virus. Almost all children will have had an RSV infection by the time they are four years old.

Diagnosing RSV

Doctors often suspect RSV based on your symptoms and the time of year (winter and spring seasons). During a check-up, they may listen to your lungs to listen for wheezing or other unusual sounds.

In most cases, extra tests aren’t needed. But if your doctor thinks RSV could be causing complications, or wants to rule out other conditions, they might recommend further checks. These can include:

• A swab from the nose or throat to look for signs of the virus
• A blood test to check white cell counts or to look for viruses, bacteria and other germs
• A chest x-ray to see if there’s inflammation in the lungs
• An oxygen level check using a painless skin monitor.

In more serious cases

Most people recover from RSV within about 10 days. However, for some, the virus can last longer and become more serious.

Those most at risk of complications include premature babies, very young children, older adults and people with compromised immune systems or existing heart or lung conditions.

When RSV becomes more serious, it can cause wheezing, breathing troubles, and a loss of appetite. Babies may struggle to feed, while older adults may experience confusion. These symptoms are often linked to inflammation in the small breathing tubes of the lung (bronchiolitis) or a lung infection (pneumonia).

Seek immediate medical attention if your child, or anyone at risk of severe RSV infection, has difficulty breathing, a high fever, or a blue colour to the skin, particularly on the lips and in the nail beds. Severe or life-threatening infection requiring a hospital stay may occur in premature infants or in anyone who has chronic heart or lung problems.

Treating RSV

There is no specific treatment for RSV infection, with most people getting better on their own. Care at home involves relieving symptoms, such as:

• Managing fever and pain with paracetamol
• Drinking enough fluids to prevent dehydration (loss of body fluids)
• Talk to your healthcare provider before taking cold and cough medicines - especially for children as some medicines contain ingredients that are not good for them.

For some infants and young children who are at high risk of severe RSV illness, there is a medicine called palivizumab. It’s given as a monthly injection during RSV season and your healthcare provider will let you know if your child is eligible.

For older adults, there is an RSV vaccine called Arexvy available in Aotearoa, aimed at people aged 60 years and over.

How to prevent the spread

There are simple steps you can take to help protect others:

• Stay home if you or your tamariki are unwell, and keep them away from school or childcare until symptoms have cleared
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow, and throw tissues away immediately
• Wash and dry your hands often, especially after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands
• Clean and disinfect frequently used surfaces, like doorknobs, toys, and bathroom areas
• Keep rooms well ventilated
• If you’re sick, wear a mask and avoid crowded places or close contact with others.

For more articles and resources about everyday health, visit https://www.nib.co.nz/free-resources