Video or phone GP consultations with IMC-registered doctors across Ireland. Sick notes and certificates when suitable. If you need follow-up care, your GP will advise you on next steps. From €35.99, 7 days a week.

RSV symptoms: when adults and children should see a GP in Ireland

The baby is snuffly and you can hear a small whistle on each breath. Here is what RSV symptoms look like in children and adults, and when to see a GP in Ireland.

The house is quiet except for the baby. Every few breaths you hear a small whistle, and the nose is running. That is often how RSV shows up at home in winter.

RSV means respiratory syncytial virus, a common cause of coughs and colds. The HSE says it is the main cause of bronchiolitis, swelling in the small airways, in very young children, and it can lead to pneumonia, an infection deeper in the lung. Almost all children have had RSV by the age of 2. It usually spreads in winter and early spring.

Most people improve in about 2 to 3 weeks without a GP visit. It can still be serious for a baby under 1, a young child, someone with heart or lung disease, a weak immune system, or an adult aged 65 or over.

A tickly cough with no wheeze still belongs on cough or cold in Ireland. Sudden high fever and whole-body aches fit influenza symptoms in Ireland. A wet cough in the chest is chest infection symptoms in Ireland. A hacking cough from the airways is bronchitis in Ireland.

Not for emergencies. Call 112 or 999.

Book an appointment if the person can talk, or the baby is feeding, and you want a GP. How it works, services, and pricing show the steps and the live fee.

RSV symptoms

RSV symptoms often start like a cold, and they tend to arrive in stages. The HSE lists a cough, wheezing, a runny nose, a sore throat, a fever of 38°C or higher, and poorer feeding or a smaller appetite.

In babies and young children it can turn into bronchiolitis after about 4 or 5 days. Breathing gets faster, feeds drop off, and nappies are less wet. Many babies take 10 to 14 days to recover.

Read HSE: RSV. There is no home test. Most people only hear the name RSV if they are assessed in hospital.

RSV in adults

RSV in adults is often a cold: runny nose, cough, sore throat, a mild fever, and a few tired days. At 65 or over, with a weak immune system, or with heart or lung disease, it can sit on the chest and leave you short of breath. That needs a GP the same day.

Wash your hands, bin tissues, and keep away from newborns and older relatives while you are coughing. The HSE offers RSV immunisation for babies under 6 months, from September to February. Ask your baby clinic what is on offer this season.

What you can do at home

If breathing is comfortable and feeds are close to normal, home care is the usual plan. Let them rest. Keep a baby a little upright, offer usual milk in smaller amounts more often, and give extra drinks if they already take them. Do not overheat the room, and do not let anyone smoke near them.

A painkiller can ease a fever or a sore throat if the packet says it suits that person. Check the age before you give one to a child. There is no treatment that clears the virus itself. If you need follow-up care, your GP will advise you on next steps. Paying for the visit does not buy treatment. Keep a child home from creche if they are not well enough to go.

When a phone or video visit can fit

Book a GP if you are worried and none of the emergency signs below are present. Contact a GP if a baby has fewer than 3 or 4 wet nappies in 24 hours, will not feed, or takes less than half a usual bottle. Also ask if a fever of 38°C or higher is not settling, or they seem short of breath or unusually irritable.

Ask the same day if the child was born before 37 weeks, is younger than 2 months, or has heart disease, lung disease, or a weak immune system. If they are still stable, a phone or video GP can help you decide the next hour. If they look seriously unwell, skip the booking.

Same-day slots appear when a GP is free. They are not promised every hour. A video call cannot listen to a chest. Planned care and hospital care are set out on GP or emergency department in Ireland.

Weekday online visits are from €35.99, during 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Ireland time. Evenings (6:00 PM to 8:00 PM) are from €40.00. Weekends (8:00 AM to 8:00 PM) are from €40.00. The exact price is shown before you book. Check pricing before you pay.

When to call 112 or 999

Do not wait on a video link for these. Call 112 or 999, or go to the nearest emergency department. For a child, go if they are working hard to breathe, nostrils flare, or ribs suck in. Also go if the lips or tongue are blue, they will not wake, breathing pauses last more than 10 seconds, or short gaps of 5 to 10 seconds keep coming. More than 60 breaths a minute, pale sweaty skin, or a dry nappy for 12 hours belongs in that same group.

For an adult, use that list too. The HSE also says to use emergency care if you have heart or lung disease, or a weak immune system, and RSV symptoms are making you struggle. A baby under 2 months who looks unwell should not be watched overnight at home.

If RSV is not an emergency

Worried about RSV, and breathing is steady? Book a phone or video appointment with an IMC-registered GP. The visit types are on services.

A certificate is issued only when the GP decides it is clinically appropriate. See sick cert online in Ireland. WhatsApp +353 899805438, email [bookmydoc.ie@gmail.com](mailto:bookmydoc.ie@gmail.com), or contact. Facebook is bookmydoc.ireland.

Frequently asked questions

What are RSV symptoms?

They usually start as a cough, a wheeze, a runny nose, a sore throat, a fever of 38°C or higher, and poorer feeding. Babies can worsen after 4 or 5 days. Many people are better in 2 to 3 weeks.

What does RSV in adults feel like?

In a healthy adult it often feels like a cold. If you are 65 or over, or you have heart disease, lung disease, or a weak immune system, shortness of breath needs a GP sooner.

When should a baby go to the emergency department?

Call 112 or 999 if a baby is working hard to breathe, has blue lips or a blue tongue, will not wake, pauses in breathing, breathes more than 60 times a minute, looks pale and sweaty, or has a dry nappy for 12 hours. Do not leave a baby under 2 months who looks unwell until morning.

Can I book an online GP for RSV?

Yes, when there is no emergency and the person is stable. The GP can talk through home care and say if you need a face-to-face check. The exact fee is shown before you book. Weekday visits are from €35.99.

This article is general information for patients in Ireland. It isn't personal medical advice. For urgent or life-threatening symptoms, contact emergency services or the nearest emergency department. Keep your registered GP for ongoing care.