Quick answer: RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) usually causes cold-like symptoms, but it can cause serious breathing problems in babies, young children and adults 60 and older. Get urgent care for a cough with fever, wheezing, poor feeding or worsening symptoms. Go to the ER or call 911 for fast or labored breathing, pauses in breathing, blue or gray lips, dehydration, or a very sleepy baby. PACS offers walk-in RSV testing and treatment.

RSV season in Virginia usually runs from fall through spring, peaking in winter, often alongside flu and COVID-19.

New to PACS? Start with our complete guide to urgent care in Alexandria, VA.

Common RSV symptoms

  • Runny nose and congestion
  • Cough and sneezing
  • Fever
  • Wheezing
  • Decreased appetite
  • In young infants, sometimes only fussiness, tiredness or trouble feeding

Who is at higher risk

  • Babies under 6 months, and premature infants
  • Children with heart or lung conditions
  • Adults 60 and older
  • People with weak immune systems, asthma, COPD or heart failure

Go to the ER or call 911 for

  • Fast breathing, flaring nostrils, or skin pulling in between the ribs
  • Pauses in breathing
  • Blue or gray lips or face
  • Very few wet diapers
  • A baby who is very sleepy or hard to wake

How urgent care helps

At PACS, providers check breathing and oxygen levels, run rapid RSV, flu and COVID-19 tests, and may offer nebulizer treatments for wheezing. Learn more about RSV treatment. For fevers in young children, see fever in children.

Prevention

RSV vaccines are available for older adults and during pregnancy, and an antibody shot is available for infants. Ask your primary care provider or pediatrician what’s right for your family.

Frequently asked questions

Is there medicine for RSV?

Most care is supportive: fluids, fever control and help with breathing. Antibiotics don’t treat RSV.

How long is RSV contagious?

Usually 3 to 8 days, but infants and people with weak immune systems can spread it longer.

Get care today at PACS Urgent Care

PACS Urgent Care – Alexandria
3481 N Beauregard St, Alexandria, VA 22302
Open 7 days a week, 8 AM – 8 PM · Walk-ins welcome
Call (571) 656-8838 · Get directions · New patient guide

This article is for general information and isn’t a substitute for medical advice. If you think you’re having a medical emergency, call 911.