Medically reviewed by Vidya Mony, DO, Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Every fall, many of the same viruses return to your child's school, daycare, and home. RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), influenza, entero/rhinovirus, and COVID-19 follow a fairly predictable seasonal arc. Understanding what each one is, when it peaks, and how it spreads can help you make smarter decisions about your home environment before the season hits.
RSV: the one that matters most for young children
RSV is a common respiratory virus that causes mild cold-like symptoms in most people. In infants and young children, it's a different story. RSV is the leading cause of infant hospitalization in the United States. Two to three percent of infants under 6 months of age are hospitalized with RSV every year, and severe disease most commonly occurs in very young infants, including healthy babies without underlying conditions.
Pre-COVID pandemic, RSV season typically began in the fall, peaked in December, and ended in the spring in most of the United States, with many states seeing earlier, longer seasons. Since the pandemic, RSV season has been starting earlier in the summer across the U.S. While recent years suggest RSV season may be returning to pre-pandemic patterns, “off-season” RSV is still important to consider when thinking about timing of vaccinations and other measures.
Vaccines, such as Abrysvo given to expectant mothers, and preventive antibodies (nirsevimab, marketed as Beyfortus) are now available for infants and young children at high risk. Talk to your pediatrician about eligibility and timing before RSV season begins.
Influenza: the one that drives school-year transmission
Children are the most likely to get sick from flu each season. According to the CDC, the median annual attack rate for children aged 0–17 is 9.3%, the highest of all age groups.
Influenza spreads primarily through the air through respiratory droplets and aerosols produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, as well as through contact with contaminated surfaces. A single infectious sneeze can result in 40,000 aerosolized droplets that can travel nearly 2 meters before falling to the nearest surface, or can evaporate into droplet nuclei that persist in the air for several hours depending on humidity and temperature.
Airborne transmission can account for approximately half of all household influenza A virus transmission events, and the virus exhibits 20-fold higher infectivity through inhalation than through direct surface contact. This is the mechanism that makes school return in September such a reliable flu amplifier: children in close quarters for hours a day, breathing the same recirculated air.
Annual flu vaccination remains the most effective preventive tool. The CDC recommends everyone six months and older get vaccinated, ideally before the end of October to maximize protection before peak season.
Rhinovirus: the primary cause of the common cold
Rhinovirus, the primary cause of the common cold, is responsible for at least 50% of all cold infections, with some estimates as high as 80%, and its seasonality is directly tied to the school calendar. The return from summer break consistently correlates with a peak in rhinovirus activity and a rise in emergency department admissions, and children experience up to four times more rhinovirus infections per year than adults.
There is no vaccine for rhinovirus. For most healthy children it causes a week of congestion and fatigue; but for children with asthma or reactive airway disease it is a significant trigger for exacerbations, and for infants and immunocompromised household members, the cold that starts at school can become something more serious by the time it comes home.
COVID-19: still circulating, still relevant for families
SARS-CoV-2 is no longer the acute crisis it was, but it continues to circulate and cause illness, including in children. As of June 2026, COVID-19 activity is low in most areas of the country, though the CDC notes it remains possible that larger increases could occur this summer or fall, particularly if a variant that the immune system no longer recognizes becomes more common.
COVID-19 spreads primarily through airborne transmission. Infected individuals breathe, talk, cough, or sneeze, releasing virus-laden particles that can remain suspended in indoor air. Updated vaccines are reformulated seasonally; check with your pediatrician about timing for your child's age group.
What reduces airborne pathogen load at home
Ventilation helps by diluting and removing indoor air. HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filtration captures particles carrying viruses — though it doesn't inactivate what it captures. Opening windows when weather allows is one of the simplest and most underused tools available.
Far-UVC 222nm light works by a different mechanism. Rather than capturing pathogens, it inactivates them in the air and on surfaces by damaging their DNA and RNA so they can no longer replicate. Germicidal UV has been used in hospitals for decades for exactly this purpose; the 222nm wavelength has been shown in peer-reviewed research to be safe for continuous use in occupied spaces, including around children.
Beacon uses this technology, tested to inactivate up to 99.99% of pathogens including RSV, influenza A and B, Rhinovirus, and SARS-CoV-2 — running continuously in the rooms where your family lives, without any action required.
A note on timing
Viral respiratory season doesn't wait until November. It is year-round. The time to think about your home environment is before the season starts, not after.
Beacon uses Far-UVC 222nm light technology, shown in testing to inactivate up to 99.99% of airborne pathogens including RSV, influenza A/B, and SARS-CoV-2. It mounts on the wall, runs continuously, and requires no maintenance, chemistry, or action from you.
