RSV in adults: Ella’s story – more than just a cold

My husband Matt and I came home after Christmas holidays in New Zealand, and he brought back what I thought was man flu. 

Within a week of coming back he was putting it on thick; to me they seemed like cold symptoms, and then he bounced back quickly. Then a couple of days later it was all good…until I got it. 

I thought I had my third dose of Covid – the Covid cough and the blocked nose and that whole Covid feeling, that loss of taste and smell… 

Because it didn’t go away straight away, I bought a multi-function test from the chemist, and it came back positive for RSV. 

RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) is a highly contagious viral infection that infects your upper airways and lungs. 

It can also cause severe respiratory illnesses, including bronchiolitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia. 

The cough was horrendous; it was so bad I threw up several times over the week and there were a few nights when it felt like my airways were closing and I was struggling to breathe.  I worked from home for a week because I didn’t want to spread anything to the office and, to be honest, I wouldn’t have been able to get myself out the door anyway. 

I would say it is worse than Covid for adults, so if you have these symptoms, get a test, get plenty of rest and go to your doctor or the emergency room if your breathing gets difficult. 

Signs and symptoms 

You’ll usually get symptoms 3 to 10 days after getting infected and may have: 

• a fever
• a cough
• a runny nose
• wheezing or noisy breathing. 

Coughing from RSV can last up to 4 weeks and make asthma symptoms worse. 

How it spreads 

RSV is very infectious and is easily spread from coughing or sneezing. You can also get it from touching contaminated objects or surfaces. Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces will kill the virus, which can live outside the body for several hours. It’s best to stay at home if you have RSV. If your baby or child has RSV, keep them home from school or childcare until their symptoms go to stop the virus spreading. 

Using good hygiene will also help stop the virus spreading. 

When to get help 

Get medical help if you or your child have trouble breathing. 

In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000)  and ask for an ambulance. 

If you’re not sure whether to go to an emergency department, call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) or see your GP.