Health Conditions / Infectious Diseases / Cold and Flu

Unless you are one of the lucky few who has dodged COVID completely since the start of the pandemic, you’ve probably been infected with the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, at least once. The heightened contagiousness of XBB.1.5—the latest omicron subvariant that’s significantly fueling new infections—has made it clear that, even if you’ve had COVID or been fully vaccinated and boosted, there’s a chance you’re going to get sick with the virus over and over again. Depending on the variant you’ve been infected with in the past, a new variant could potentially evade established antibodies, or even hit you a bit harder. On top of that, the vast majority of people are no longer practicing the precautions once widely used to blunt the spread of COVID. The result: The virus is still everywhere, so it’s important to take the possibility of reinfection seriously.However, despite living in what feels like a never-ending, unforgiving pandemic, we’re (finally) getting better at dealing with COVID. By now, you’re probably aware that getting vaccinated and boosted, taking regular at-home tests, isolating post-exposure, starting treatments like Paxlovid if you have access to them, and wearing a high-quality mask can help keep you and your community safe—but there are simple steps that shouldn’t be forgotten, and that you should take to protect your health if you get sick (whether it’s for the first time or you’re headed for round two).Here are three things you don’t want to skimp out on if you’re sick with COVID. Don’t underestimate the importance of sleep. You hear it all the time, but getting enough high-quality sleep is critical when it comes to staying healthy. Research shows that a lack of quality sleep may increase your chances of getting infected by a harmful pathogen, and it could also prolong your recovery if and when you do get sick. Shanina Knighton, PhD, RN, CIC, associate research professor at Case Western Reserve University and executive director at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control, tells SELF that sleep is one key factor in keeping your immune system in tip-top shape. Sleep helps your body produce cytokines, which are protective proteins in your body that fight infections like a cold, the flu, or COVID, including the inflammation these illnesses can trigger. When you’re sleep-deprived, your body pumps out fewer anti-inflammatory cytokines that are needed to stave off infections and help your body heal, says Dr. Knighton. Most adults need around seven to nine hours of sleep a night to optimally support their overall health, including their immune systems. Of course, when you’re sick, sometimes your symptoms—a runny nose or cough, fever, and body aches—can make it impossible to sleep well, which is why it’s so important to take sick days, if you can, when you’re not feeling so hot. If you can’t take off—which, let’s be real, is out of reach for many—try to turn in early at night or squeeze in some deep rest (even if you can’t doze off, the relaxation will be regenerative). “The only way for you to recover is to really sleep when you can,” Dr. Knighton says. Stay hydrated—seriously.Your mucus membrane—a.k.a. the mucosa, or the goo that lines all of your organs and body canals—has a very important job in keeping you healthy. It acts as a barrier against pathogens, like SARS-CoV-2, trapping them in sticky fluid and flushing them out of your body via coughs, sneezes, and postnasal drip. “You want to flush those bad things out of your body. and you can’t do that if you’re not having enough water,” says Dr. Knighton. 

Dr. Van Groningen says that you can also alternate taking acetaminophen and ibuprofen to get better, round-the-clock control of a fever or pain that isn’t responding to one alone. “I will often recommend that my patients stagger them roughly four hours apart.” If you don’t want to juggle an alternating schedule, you can also buy tablets that combine the two.Any time you’re taking over-the-counter medications, make sure you’re following the dosage instructions on the package and keeping track of everything you take and what time you take it. Using a notes app on your phone, the Apple Health app, or a handwritten note can help you stay on top of this. Of course, while options like these can help you manage symptoms long enough to get through a shift, they’re only one piece of the puzzle. Get as much rest as possible.Dr. Van Groningen says that if there are ways to make your work day a bit lighter, now is the time to take those steps. If you normally go above and beyond, do what you can to stay below and near in an effort to give your body as much downtime as possible to recover. If you can, take extra breaks, trade shifts to accommodate more rest, and ask coworkers or a supportive manager to help with more taxing tasks.When your shift ends, do your best to make it an extra early night. Not getting enough sleep has been shown to increase your risk of acquiring a respiratory infection, and sleep is when your body performs necessary tune-ups to all your systems, including your immune system. “The consensus of experts is that too little sleep can prolong your illness,” says Dr. Varma. Feeling under the weather can sometimes make it harder to sleep, but you can try doing relaxing things before bed (like a quick meditation or putting your phone away earlier than usual).Drink plenty of fluids (soup counts!).As SELF has previously reported, it’s important to stay on top of your fluid intake when you’re ill. Sick people lose fluids more easily through excess sweating, vomiting, and diarrhea. Couple any of those symptoms with a job where you sweat due to physical labor, or a work setting where you can’t have food or drinks outside of designated times, and you could find yourself getting dehydrated. If your job offers little opportunity for repeatedly refilling a water bottle or taking hydration breaks, Dr. Van Groningen recommends drinking electrolyte-rich Pedialyte versus water alone. She also swears by an old standard: “Chicken noodle soup is the perfect blend of fluid and sodium, as well as protein and carbohydrates.” In the immortal words of Ina Garten, store-bought soup is fine—and there are lots of break-room-friendly microwavable options that’ll make it even easier to consume.If you’re having symptoms that make it hard to eat or keep food down, Dr. Varma says Gatorade, in addition to Pedialyte, can also be a good source of both sugar- and electrolyte-aided hydration. If it’s been 24 hours and you still can’t keep food or drink down, or you’re experiencing continual vomiting and diarrhea, he advises getting to a doctor to make sure you’re not dangerously dehydrated or sick with something that will need further treatment to improve.  Do your best to minimize the chances of getting others sick.Dr. Van Groningen, Dr. Blackstock, and Dr. Varma all agree that the precautions we all became familiar with early in the COVID-19 pandemic are good ways to prevent the spread of infectious illnesses in general. These include wearing a well-fitting, high-quality mask like a KN95 or N95; staying up-to-date on your recommended vaccinations; frequent and thorough hand washing; social distancing; and good ventilation.

Weekly influenza cases have fallen to their lowest point since October,  raising the question of whether or not flu season is “over”—but experts say we’re not in the clear yet. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that seasonal flu activity is declining nationally via Twitter; recent data show that the percentage of positive tests has dropped nearly 10% in the first two weeks of January 2023. This, of course, is welcome news. After a particularly rough start to flu season—and a “tripledemic” of flu, RSV, and COVID that overwhelmed many hospitals throughout the country—seeing these numbers go down is reassuring. That said, “it is possible to see spikes in flu activity throughout the season…until May or thereabouts,” Neha Vyas, MD, a family medicine physician at the Cleveland Clinic, tells SELF. The exact timing of each flu season varies from year to year, per the CDC, but flu activity generally starts to pick up in October and peaks between December and February. Flu cases are starting to fall now, but that doesn’t mean they won’t increase again between now and the beginning of spring, Waleed Javaid, MD, epidemiologist and director of Infection Prevention and Control at Mount Sinai Downtown in New York, tells SELF.A number of reasons could potentially cause a future spike in flu infections, Dr. Javaid says. He explains that a different strain of influenza could start to gain traction later, even as the dominant strain that’s currently circulating dies down. He points to the spring of 2009 as an example: That year, a strain of influenza A called H1N1 emerged in April and quickly spread across the globe, causing an estimated 60 million infections in the US alone in the year to follow, per the CDC. “Obviously that doesn’t happen often, but it can happen,” Dr. Javaid says.One thing that is certain about flu activity: It’s very tough to predict it. “We can’t put our guard down,” Dr. Javaid stresses. “We have to continue to look at all possibilities.”Then, there are the complicating factors of RSV and COVID to contend with. COVID cases have also fallen slightly this month, and the number of positive PCR tests for RSV has been steadily falling since mid-November. (That said, as we’ve seen over the past couple of years, both COVID and RSV can spike outside the bounds of cold and flu season.)Given that nothing’s set in stone and there’s still a chance flu cases could start rising again in the coming months, it’s still worth getting your flu vaccine now if you haven’t already, Dr. Vyas says. It’s never worth taking your chances with the flu, and this year is no exception: The CDC estimates it’s caused at least 25 million illnesses, 270,000 hospitalizations, and 17,000 deaths this season, and it’s only January. “Rather than getting the flu, get the flu shot,” Dr. Javaid recommends. “It’s much easier.”Related:

Moderna shared exciting news this week: The biotechnology company has an experimental respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine in the works, and its efficacy looks promising so far. According to a press release, Moderna’s RSV vaccine was 83.7% effective in preventing at least two symptoms associated with RSV in older adults (age 60 and up) in a phase-three clinical trial. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study included about 37,000 older adults in 22 countries, including the United States.The news comes months after Pfizer announced the promising results of its experimental RSV vaccine in a late-stage clinical trial, and on the cusp of a nasty cold and flu season that was dominated by a spike in RSV infections late last year; many pediatric units across the country reported feeling overwhelmed with sick children. RSV is common in childhood; the virus—which typically causes cold- or flu-like symptoms with mild illness—infects most kids by the age of two, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). You’ve probably heard a lot about RSV’s potential to make young kids and infants critically ill, but the virus can also lead to serious complications in older adults. Up to 120,000 older Americans are hospitalized with RSV each year, per the CDC, and up to 10,000 of them die from the infection. Amesh A. Adalja, MD, infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, tells SELF that RSV’s possible impact on older people is “comparable” to the flu (think: trouble breathing, pneumonia, or bronchiolitis), so a vaccine that could help reduce the risk of complications would be a “major benefit.”That’s why the preliminary results of Moderna’s phase-three trial are “really quite encouraging,” Thomas Russo, MD, chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York, tells SELF. There are several RSV vaccines in development, but the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t approved one for use yet. Here’s how Moderna’s option, among others, could change that in the near future.How does Moderna’s RSV vaccine work?Moderna’s RSV vaccine, called mRNA-1345, takes advantage of similar mRNA technology that the company uses in its COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. Russo says. The vaccine specifically targets F glycoprotein; this protein can be found on the surface of the virus, and it’s necessary for helping the pathogen enter cells. Research has shown that, if the protein can’t enter a person’s cells, then the virus has trouble triggering the associated illness. The company also noted that, so far, no safety concerns have been identified, save for potential side effects that are to be expected with nearly any vaccine; injection-site pain, fatigue, headache, and muscle/joint pain or stiffness are most commonly reported.Why is the development of an RSV vaccine needed right now?The United States was recently hit with a massive RSV wave, which peaked in early November. “We’ve had the big ‘tripledemic’—influenza and COVID, both of which we have vaccines for, and RSV, for which we do not,” William Schaffner, MD, infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, tells SELF. When three major viruses collide as they have in the last few months, everyone has a higher chance of getting sick—especially those who are most vulnerable, like young children, seniors, pregnant people, and people who are immunocompromised. High case counts can stress our health care systems and make it tougher for people to get the critical care they need to recover.While Dr. Russo says there’s a “high likelihood” that younger adults would also benefit from an RSV vaccine, pharmaceutical companies are currently focusing their efforts on older adults due to their high risk of developing complications. “Some seasons, the RSV impact is comparable to that of influenza in terms of requiring older adults to seek medical care,” Dr. Schaffner says. “Some are hospitalized and even end up dying.”Plus, once we have a safe, effective RSV vaccine for adults, we’ll get one step closer to having a safe, effective vaccine for kids (no doubt to the relief of parents and other caregivers).Moderna confirmed it plans to submit its data to the FDA in the first half of 2023, with the hopes of having its vaccine approved for use; Pfizer is also seeking regulatory approval for its RSV vaccine. But when will we actually see one reaching arms?  “If you’re very optimistic,” Dr. Schaffner says, “the first RSV vaccine for seniors may be coming this fall.”Related:

Since September, complications from strep A infections have led to the deaths of 21 children in the UK. Now, public health officials in the US are concerned after two strep A-related deaths were reported in Colorado, both of which affected young children. Strep A infections are caused by a bacteria called group A Streptococcus, and they’re actually really common: Strep A causes millions of non-invasive infections each year, like strep throat, scarlet fever, and a skin infection called impetigo, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). What’s not so common, however, is invasive group A strep (iGAS), which can lead to life-threatening complications.The CDC says it is investigating an increase in these rare iGAS cases; it has not confirmed how many cases have been reported in the US this year. “It’s too soon to say whether iGAS case numbers are just returning to pre-pandemic levels or if they are rising beyond what we would normally expect based on what we know about GAS seasonal patterns,” a spokesperson told CNN. The numbers from these recent outbreaks are somewhat puzzling and jarring; per the UK Health Security Agency, the 2017–2018 winter was the last “comparably high” season for group A strep infections in the UK. Notably, Colorado hasn’t reported any strep A deaths since 2018, per reporting from NBC News.Officials don’t fully understand why this uptick in deadly strep A complications is happening, Cory Fisher, DO, a family medicine physician at the Cleveland Clinic, tells SELF. However, there’s one predominant theory floating around the medical community, according to the experts SELF spoke with: “Some have postulated that high circulating viral infections like RSV [respiratory syncytial virus], influenza, or COVID may create enough baseline inflammation to make patients more vulnerable to complications,” Dr. Fisher says. Basically, if a young child is already sick, they’re pretty vulnerable if another infection hits, potentially increasing the risk of these rare but severe complications.Below, experts explain what parents, in particular, should know about strep A, including iGAS, and how to stay as safe as possible through the rest of cold and flu season.What should parents know about strep A—and should you be worried?First, it’s important to remember that strep A complications aren’t common, and the CDC is still investigating the reported deaths in Colorado. A spokesperson for UKHSA said in a December 22 statement that non-invasive infections, like strep throat, are often “easily treated with antibiotics and it is very rare that a child will go on to become more seriously ill.” Sara Siddiqui, MD, a pediatrician at NYU Langone, echoes this; she tells SELF that as long as a child is seen by a doctor once they start feeling unwell, the infection (if confirmed) can usually be treated successfully. It’s untreated cases that can become serious, she notes.Though strep throat is most common in children 5 to 15 years old (and rare for children under three), it can affect people of any age, per the CDC. Children who have chickenpox or the flu are at higher risk of developing iGAS, per the World Health Organization (WHO). Like children, older adults may be more vulnerable to serious infection as well, Dr. Fisher says.

Think back to the last time you had the flu, or just generally felt really unwell. You probably remember hunkering down in bed for a few days while you fought off a fever. But do you remember the symptoms that appeared right before you got blatantly sick? If you’re like me, perhaps you shrugged off those early flu symptoms as sleepiness or a tickle in your throat caused by the dry winter air. They’re easy to ignore but important to pay attention to. Why? Sometimes, before it’s obvious that you’re sick with the flu (or some other illness), you can be pretty contagious, Daniel Pastula, MD, MHS, a professor of infectious diseases, epidemiology, and neurology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, tells SELF. Those early warning signs are your body telling you it’s time to rest up so your immune system can work more efficiently. If you pick up on those clues quickly enough, you could potentially start treatment sooner and recover faster.It can take up to four days for flu symptoms to fully appear after the virus takes root in your respiratory tract, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the first few days after you’re exposed to influenza, the virus makes copies of itself in your body and begins to spread, primarily latching onto cells in your nose, throat, and lungs. This is when the first signs of infection tend to manifest. They can look and feel slightly different from person to person, Dr. Pastula says, but research suggests these early symptoms generally include:Feeling a little off, run down, sluggish, or achyAn uncomfortable, almost scratchy feeling in the throat when swallowingFeeling more sneezy than usualRunny nose or post-nasal drip (before the full-fledged congestion strikes)At this stage, the immune system is starting to respond to the viral replication by releasing a ton of chemicals to ramp up its defenses—and that can cause people to feel icky, Dr. Pastula says. From an evolutionary standpoint, your body does this to force you to rest, so it can spend less energy on, say, exercise classes and more effort on fending off the virus. A day or so later, and depending on how severe your infection becomes, classic flu symptoms may strike: a fever, persistent chills, a painfully sore throat, and/or a deep-in-the-lungs cough. Even if you don’t get a fever, that doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have the flu. “You might just have a mild case,” Dr. Pastula says. The timing and intensity of your symptoms depend on the strain and amount of virus you’ve been exposed to, Dr. Pastula says. Your overall health, genetics, and age can also play a role in how sick you end up getting. 

Flu season is in full swing, and many people are feeling the effects of the virus—which is hitting the US harder than usual. This season, influenza has caused more than 13 million illnesses, 120,000 hospitalizations, and 7,300 deaths so far, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The federal agency hasn’t reported this many people hospitalized with the flu this early in the season in more than 10 years. Even if you take precautions—like getting vaccinated, wearing a face mask, washing your hands frequently, and doing your best to avoid sick people—you may get the flu (or a flu-like illness). If you do get sick, it’s important to take action quickly, Thomas Russo, MD, an infectious disease professor at the University of Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, tells SELF. “Even if you have relatively trivial cold-like symptoms—like a runny nose, sore throat, headache, or low-grade fever—getting tested as soon as possible, even at that stage, is “critically important” in order to receive proper treatment for whatever’s ailing you, he says. While the flu can be riskier for young children and the elderly, otherwise healthy adults are not immune from a serious flu illness, Dr. Russo warns. “Every year, there are younger, healthy people who will have a bad outcome,” he says. Influenza can cause moderate complications like a sinus or ear infection (though these are often painful); on the more concerning end, it can lead to severe dehydration, bronchitis, or pneumonia.Antiviral flu treatment can help reduce the virus’s most significant effects, particularly if you already face a higher risk for severe flu illness, Dr. Russo says. If you receive an antiviral early enough, it can shorten the length of time that you experience symptoms, he adds. “The longer you wait to present to your physician, the more difficult it will be for them to help you,” Dr. Russo says.If you put off seeing a doctor when your symptoms feel “mild,” there are potentially concerning symptoms that should signal to you that it’s time to make the trip, Dr. Russo says. If you start experiencing any of the symptoms below, you should seek medical care as soon as you can to hopefully prevent your illness from getting worse, per the CDC:Fever and/or cough that improve and then return: One of the most serious flu complications is pneumonia, Dr. Russo says. It’s especially dangerous because, oftentimes, people start to feel better and think they’re on the mend, then get hit with a nasty cough and fever again. This could mean you developed a secondary infection of bacterial pneumonia, so the return of any flu-like symptoms—especially cough and/or fever—should send you to the doctor right away.Shortness of breath: This could be a sign that your body isn’t getting enough oxygen, the CDC notes. Shortness of breath can also be a sign of bronchitis or pneumonia. People who have shortness of breath aren’t able to breathe normally; they may experience wheezing, “air hunger” (the feeling of breathlessness or not getting enough air), or tightness in the chest, or feel as if they’re suffocating, per the American Lung Association. Chest pain: This, too, can be caused by a lack of oxygen; it can feel like anything from a dull ache to a sharp stab, per the Mayo Clinic.Confusion, dizziness, weakness, or lightheadedness: Not being able to think clearly, nor being able to stand or sit upright without becoming lightheaded, are also signs your oxygen could be too low.Not urinating: If you’re unable to pee (or peeing very infrequently), this could be a sign that you’re very dehydrated—which can be a symptom of influenza, as high fever, vomiting, or diarrhea can affect your ability to retain fluid in the body. As SELF previously reported, dehydration may be an emergency if you feel weak, dizzy, or confused, or if you’re seeing blood in vomit or mucus you’re coughing up. If you notice any of these signs, you need to get help quickly, because you may not be able to rehydrate yourself by simply drinking water. In severe cases, you’ll need to receive IV fluids at a medical facility. Severe muscle pain: Feeling achy can be a sign that your body is fighting off illness, according to experts at UCLA Health. This is because body aches can be triggered when the immune system reacts to the infection, causing inflammation (and, thus, pain). See a doctor if you experience severe, can’t-get-out-of-bed pain, or pain that lasts longer than five days.Worsening of chronic medical conditions: The flu can be more dangerous for people who have certain underlying medical conditions, including asthma, diabetes, or heart disease. If your illness is causing common symptoms or side effects of your condition to get worse, reach out to your health care provider for guidance. 

I’m as happy as the next person that the COVID-19 pandemic is in a much better place than it was this time last year, and certainly this time two years ago. Thanks to safe and effective vaccines, many folks are better protected from severe disease from the virus, which definitely helps me sleep easier. But one thing that has been keeping me up at night is the seemingly widespread idea that the pandemic has passed and that we don’t need to worry about protecting ourselves and our communities from COVID-19 this winter. I’ve seen this attitude reflected all over social media, as well as in the world around me—it’s almost as if nobody’s even heard of a mask, let alone thought of wearing one in a crowded store.This misconception has been fueled in part by misleading messaging from the federal government. In September, President Biden said the pandemic was “over” in a 60 Minutes interview. (He later tried to backtrack, explaining that the pandemic isn’t as bad as it once was.) On top of this, the CDC rolled back mask guidelines in health care settings right before the start of cold and flu season, as SELF previously reported, and local leaders have all but given up on emphasizing the importance of wearing masks this winter. This, combined with the fact that folks desperately want this to be over, has led to our current reality, in which very few people are taking the risks of COVID seriously anymore—despite the fact that every week about 1,800 Americans are still dying from the virus, more than 300,000 are getting infected, and cases are steadily rising in much of the country, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). How concerned you are with getting or spreading COVID probably depends on your individual health and circumstances, but we should all be doing what we can to keep our communities well this winter, especially since the steps we can take to do so—like wearing a mask when you’re traveling for the holidays—are super simple. These precautions matter because they have the potential to save lives—but I also know that many people will roll their eyes at even basic preventative tactics at this stage in the pandemic. The last three years have taken a toll on all of us, but that’s no excuse to give up now—even if masking up in supermarkets may earn you some strange looks. Though it feels superficial, I have to remind myself that it doesn’t matter what other people think, and that, in addition to keeping people safe, these practices have a minimal impact on my day-to-day life—the worst that could happen is that I could forget my mask and have to double back to my house or buy another.The potential consequences of not being careful, however, are dire. I’m anxious about my personal well-being as well as the general health of my community; specifically, I’m scared of getting reinfected with COVID-19, which I got this past summer, and which wore me out for a full week. COVID is most definitely not “just a cold,” and we need to quit referring to it as such, especially since research is starting to unveil the potential health implications of reinfection, including a heightened risk of developing long COVID. 

Flu season is in full swing, folks. Influenza, which ramped up early in the US this year, has already caused nearly 3 million illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The virus has also caused at least 23,000 hospitalizations and 1,300 deaths so far. So if you haven’t booked a flu shot appointment already, here’s your sign—especially because the vaccine’s protection doesn’t just magically appear overnight.In fact, it can take up to two weeks after your vaccination for your body to reap the optimal benefits, per the CDC. This is because it takes time for your immune system to respond to the vaccine, and so your body needs a minute to build up protective, flu-fighting antibodies.Because of this gap, the CDC usually recommends that people try to get vaccinated before the end of October—but that doesn’t mean it’s too late. According to the Mayo Clinic, even getting a flu shot as late as February can still help protect you from outbreaks that occur late in the season. Of course, the sooner you can get your shot, the better. (This is especially true for people who have a higher risk of flu complications, including people with certain health conditions, people older than 65, infants and toddlers, and those who are immunocompromised—as well as anyone who lives with a person in a high-risk group.)“The flu vaccine prevents millions of illnesses and flu-related doctors visits each year,” Diana Finkel, DO, an associate professor of infectious diseases at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, previously told SELF.Other common-sense precautions are also worth remembering this winter. As SELF previously reported, wearing a face mask and social distancing don’t just help slow the spread of COVID—these steps can also help protect you and those around you from the flu and other respiratory illnesses, like RSV or even the common cold.The bottom line: Since it takes up to two weeks for the flu shot to offer optimal protection, you should try to be extra vigilant until 14 days have passed since your appointment. And if you haven’t already gotten yours, make an appointment now to protect yourself—and your community—from an illness that’s already hospitalizing thousands.Related:

Thanks to the pandemic, you’re probably a lot more aware of infectious diseases than you ever thought you would be. We wouldn’t be surprised if you can recite the symptoms of COVID-19 in your sleep and know all about the importance of getting your annual flu shot (especially this year). But there’s another virus that’s making headlines right now that many people aren’t as well-versed in. It’s called respiratory syncytial virus, better known as RSV, and cases are currently soaring in the US, particularly in babies and young children.According to surveillance data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), RSV cases have been rising sharply since October. Public health experts are warning about the potential impact on kids, as the virus is overwhelming many hospitals and rapidly filling pediatric ICU beds. If you have kids—and an infant, in particular—here’s what you need to know about RSV symptoms in babies, plus when to seek medical care for a sick child.First, a little background on RSV.RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes coldlike symptoms, according to the CDC. In fact, doctors usually can’t tell just from your symptoms if you have RSV or another virus that causes the common cold, Danelle Fisher, MD, the chair of pediatrics at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, tells SELF.Most people recover just fine (in about a week or two) when they’re sick with RSV. However, the symptoms can potentially become serious for infants and other young children, as well as older adults and those with severely weakened immune systems. In fact, RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis, inflammation of the small airways in the lungs, and pneumonia, an infection of the lungs, in kids under the age of one in the US, per the CDC.“Because children less than two years of age have smaller lower airways, the inflammation, which results in mucus production, can occlude those small lower airways, leading to labored breathing and sometimes lower oxygen levels,” Rosemary Olivero, MD, a pediatric infectious disease physician at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, tells SELF. Kids two and older have larger lower airways, though, and “tend to have less respiratory difficulty with RSV infections,” even if their lower airways do get inflamed, Dr. Olivero says.Back to topHow does RSV spread to babies?It’s important to get this out of the way: Almost all children get RSV at least once before they’re two years old, per the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Infants usually get RSV from parents, other caregivers, or close family members, although they can also pick it up when they’re out in public too, John C. Brancato, MD, division head of emergency medicine at Connecticut Children’s, tells SELF.The virus spreads in a few ways, according to the CDC:When an infected person coughs or sneezes, which can circulate virus-laden droplets that then make contact with a child’s eyes, nose, or mouthWhen a person touches a surface that has the virus on it (like a doorknob or toy) and then touches a child’s face before washing their handsWhen a child has direct contact with the virus, like getting a hug or kiss from someone who is infected with RSV