Jun 14, 2022 - Health

Few get COVID "rebound" cases after taking Paxlovid, study finds

Tina Reed

Illustration of a magnify glass over a pill. — Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Despite many reports of "rebound" cases of COVID in people who've taken Pfizer's antiviral treatment, a Mayo Clinic study out today found the phenomenon appears to be relatively rare.

Details: The team looked at the outcomes of 483 patients treated with the five-day oral regimen of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, which are marketed together as Paxlovid to treat early-stage COVID.

Only four patients (less than 1%) experienced a return of symptoms after the regimen and symptoms were "generally mild" and resolved without additional therapy.
The majority of the patients in the Clinical Infectious Diseases study (93%) and all four patients who experience rebound symptoms were vaccinated.
A limitation of the study, the authors wrote, was an underrepresentation of immunocompromised individuals.

The bottom line: This data indicates the idea of extending the duration of Paxlovid treatment to reduce rebound cases may not be necessary.

Identifying factors for increased risk of rebound, and changing treatment accordingly, would make more sense, they said.

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Few get COVID "rebound" cases after taking Paxlovid, study finds

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