Because RSV and the common cold are both respiratory viruses, the early symptoms look similar: stuffy nose, mild cough, low-grade fever. The clues that point to RSV are how hard your child works to breathe. Watch for:

• Rapid breathing (more than 60 breaths a minute)
• Belly or rib muscles pulling in and out with each breath
• Wheezing, grunting, or pauses in breathing
• Infants refusing to feed or making fewer than 3 wet diapers in 24 hours

Any baby younger than 3 months or any child with the above red flags should be evaluated the same day. At Prime Time Pediatrics—Athens-Oconee’s only pediatric urgent care and walk-in clinic—we can perform a rapid RSV test and (if necessary) an on-site nebulizer treatment in minutes, saving you a long ER wait. Our board-certified pediatricians also rule out ear infections, flu, COVID-19, and other issues during the same visit.

Call us if symptoms worsen or last beyond seven days.

We’re open Monday–Saturday with extended evening hours, and you can speed things up by registering online through Fast Pass before heading over.