Although RSV causes mild, cold-like symptoms in most adults, it can cause severe symptoms in some high risk adults. Knowing what to look out for can help prevent complications if you have RSV.

Adults get a cold an average of two to three times a year, and children tend to have more than that. A cold shares many symptoms with RSV but is less likely to cause severe illness.

Adults can and do get RSV, too. In most adults, RSV will cause mild cold- or flu-like symptoms — many adults may not be aware they have the virus unless they have a test.

The Cleveland Clinic notes that RSV causes at least 60,000 to 160,000 hospitalizations per year among adults age 65 or older in the U.S. Symptoms in adults typically include cold-like symptoms ...

RSV symptoms in adults can appear very similar to the common cold, the flu or COVID-19. This may include coughing, sneezing, congestion, runny nose, fever, wheezing, fatigue and sore throat ...

In general, RSV causes cold-like symptoms in adults, but there is always a risk of developing more severe complications, especially pneumonia, which can be deadly, Dr. Russo says.

May 7, 2012 — Oral zinc formulations may lessen the duration of cold symptoms in adults, but not in children, according to the findings of a meta-analysis. Michelle Science, MD, from the ...

Symptoms of RSV in adults are similar to those of a cold or the flu, including nasal congestion, a runny nose, sore throat, and cough. A barking or wheezing cough may indicate a more severe infection.

Fever symptoms may include more than just an increase in body temperature. In adults and children, a temperature of 100.4F (38C) or higher marks a fever. In babies, a temperature of 99.5F (37.5C ...