Ace the Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN) Exam 2025 – Leap into Your Nursing Adventure!

The timing of RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) transmission is often linked to an understanding of the incubation period and viral shedding. Typically, RSV has an incubation period of about 4 to 6 days, meaning that if a child was exposed to an infectious individual, symptoms may onset within this timeframe. Given that it has been mentioned that it has likely been a certain number of days since the 3-month-old last saw the cousin who was infected, choosing a duration aligned with this incubation period is crucial.

Selecting the choice of 6 days reflects a recognition of the upper limit of the standard incubation period. This timeframe suggests that the child might have been exposed shortly before or around the onset of symptomatic RSV, making 6 days a plausible duration since the last exposure. This makes the chosen answer fitting within the context of typical RSV transmission dynamics and potential contagiousness around the time of interaction.