Paxlovid rebound: What is it exactly, and why does it happen?
After being diagnosed with Covid-19 last month, President Joe Biden recently tested negative for the coronavirus, only to test positive again a few days later. Biden had taken the antiviral medication Paxlovid, which has been associated with some patients testing positive again for the virus after completing treatment.
This phenomenon is known as Paxlovid rebound. What is it exactly, and why does it happen? How common is it, and does the possibility of a recurrence of symptoms mean that people shouldn't take it? Who should and shouldn't take the drug? And what should you do if you do have a recurrence?Biden officially cleared to emerge from isolation following rebound Covid-19 caseTo guide us through all these issues, I spoke with CNN Medical Analyst Dr.
Dr. Leana Wen: BA.5 variant is highly transmissible 02:31The initial studies found that rebound occurred in about 2% of cases. By the way, those who did not take Paxlovid also had a chance of recurrence. In that study, the placebo group had a recurrence of symptoms in 1.5% of cases.Those studies were done during a time when the Delta variant was the dominant variant. The rates of rebound may be higher during Omicron.