6 year old has been developing cold past 3 days. stuffy nose but now progressing to cough as well. i hear all this rsv talk. is it life threatening, should i take extra precautions, or treat this potential rsv as a regular cold? otherwise healthy?

RSV is primarily a risk to young infants under 6 months of age, or asthma sufferers under 3 years of age. For the rest of us it is simply a cold. Many of us will get RSV at least once per season. It is good to be aware of contagious illness and some of the type of precautions used in the pandemic have value year-round.

A Flu and COVID-19 vaccination is recommended as indicated. An upper respiratory infection is usually self limited at this age. If the cough lingers more than 3 weeks or worsens, please follow up. Watch for signs of shortness of breath. Encourage fluids, monitor temperature and breathing.