Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV): Not Just a Little Kids’ Virus, Explained in 60 Seconds

Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, is a respiratory virus that causes infection in the lungs and respiratory tract. Symptoms are usually mild and cold-like, but they can become severe and lead to complications like difficulty breathing, hospitalization, and death. RSV is common in kids under the age of two, which has led to a misconceived notion that it’s just a “little kids’ virus,” even though it’s quite common in older adults over the age of 65 and every year over 17,000 older Americans die from RSV.