RSV Treatment

There is currently no RSV treatment to kill the virus that causes the illness. Usually, no specific treatment is necessary other than the treatment of symptoms. Treatment for severe RSV may require oxygen therapy, and sometimes mechanical ventilation.

 

An Overview of RSV Treatment

There is no treatment that will kill RSV (respiratory syncytial virus); therefore, RSV treatment focuses on treating the symptoms as the body fights the RSV.
 

RSV Treatment for Mild Disease

For people with mild disease, no specific RSV treatment is necessary other than the treatment of symptoms.
 
For fever and body aches, you can take acetaminophen (marketed as Tylenol®, Datril®, and others) or ibuprofen (marketed as Advil®, Motrin®, Nuprin®, and others). If you're under 20, don't take aspirin unless your doctor approves it. In children and teens, aspirin taken for viral illnesses has been associated with a potentially fatal disease called Reye's syndrome.
 
People with RSV should also drink plenty of fluids.
 

RSV Treatment for Severe Disease

Children with severe disease may require oxygen therapy, and sometimes mechanical ventilation.
 
Ribavirin aerosol may be used in the treatment of some patients with severe RSV. Some investigators have used a combination of immune globulin intravenous (IGIV) with high titers (concentrations) of neutralizing RSV antibody (RSV-IGIV) and ribavirin to treat patients with compromised immune systems.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD