Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
RSV precautions
- How long
- Duration of illness; longer in immunocompromised patients
- Room
- Single room preferred; cohort patients with RSV
- PPE
- Gown and gloves on room entry; a mask as Standard Precautions require
- Immunocompromised
- Extend Contact Precautions because of prolonged shedding
- Testing
- CDC calls antigen testing to end precautions after long stays unreliable
Good to know
- CDC’s Appendix A lists bronchiolitis and acute respiratory infections in infants and young children under Contact + Standard Precautions for the duration of illness.
What CDC’s table says
Verbatim from CDC’s Appendix A, with bibliography numbers removed.
Respiratory syncytial virus infection, in infants, young children and immunocompromised adults
ContactStandardDurationDuration of illness
Wear mask according to Standard Precautions. In immunocompromised patients, extend the duration of Contact Precautions due to prolonged shedding. Reliability of antigen testing to determine when to remove patients with prolonged hospitalizations from Contact Precautions uncertain.
Bronchiolitis
ContactStandardDurationDuration of illness
Use mask according to Standard Precautions.
Test yourself: a CIC-style question
An infant is admitted with RSV bronchiolitis. Which precautions does CDC’s Appendix A recommend?
- Droplet + Standard
- Contact + Standard
- Airborne + Standard
- Standard only
Show answer
B. Contact + Standard
CDC lists RSV in infants, young children and immunocompromised adults under Contact + Standard Precautions for the duration of illness, with a mask worn as Standard Precautions require.
Questions like this come up in the Preventing and Controlling the Transmission of Infectious Agents domain of the CIC® exam. The 654 questions in the app each come with a written explanation.
FAQ
- What precautions are needed for RSV?
- Contact + Standard (infants, young children and immunocompromised adults). Room: Single room preferred; cohort patients with RSV. PPE: Gown and gloves on room entry; a mask as Standard Precautions require. Immunocompromised: Extend Contact Precautions because of prolonged shedding. Testing: CDC calls antigen testing to end precautions after long stays unreliable.
- How long do RSV precautions last?
- Duration of illness; longer in immunocompromised patients.
Sources
Checked against CDC on October 21, 2026. For education and CIC® exam preparation only — not a substitute for your facility’s infection prevention policies, your state or local health department, or clinical judgment. CBIC and CDC do not endorse this tool.