This so-called “Paxlovid rebound” is rare, but can affect anyoneincluding President Biden.
According to his social media, the President tested positive for COVID-19 on July 21.
He quarantined until July 27, when he tweeted a picture of a negative rapid test.
Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images
Folks, today I tested positive for COVID again, read Saturday’s tweet.
This happens with a small minority of folks.
Ive got no symptoms but I am going to isolate for the safety of everyone around me.
Im still at work, and will be back on the road soon.
How common is a COVID rebound after Paxlovid, really?
And what should you do if it happens to you?
What Are the Odds of a COVID Rebound?
According to research, testing positive soon after COVID-19 recovery with Paxlovid is fairly rare.
After 30 days, the chance of a COVID rebound after Paxlovid increases slightly to 5.4%.
Some researchers suspect more people may be rebounding after Paxlovid than we think.
Mina emphasized, however, that Paxlovid is crucial to keeping vulnerable COVID patients out of the hospital.
In contrast, Biden experienced a reversal in his body’s clearance of the virus.
Hisphysician noteshis only symptom is a loose cough.
Klausner says this comes off as less dangerous.
When Should You Re-Test?
See if the virus has returned.
Bidens post-Paxlovid case was asymptomatic, however, so he didnt catch it by tuning into bodily queues.
He caught it with regular testing.
If you are asymptomatic, Fayanju suggests re-testing two to three days after your initial negative test.
But it’s not a hard and fast recommendation.
Can You Take Paxlovid a Second Time?
According to Klausner, the antiviral is most effective at alleviating symptoms and keeping people out of the hospital.
Without symptoms, there is no need for this key in of treatment.
Fayanju doesnt recommend a repeat Paxlovid protocol for asymptomatic people who start to test positive again, either.
But he might recommend it for someone who reboundswithsymptoms if those symptoms are severe.
However, in his experience, this hasn’t happened.
Among all the patients for whom Fayanju has prescribed Paxlovid, he is unaware of any rebounds.
Optimizing Antiviral Therapies
More studies on Paxlovid may help providers optimize its performance.
For 40 of his patients, he prescribed the drug for eight-day use.
Doctors recommend testing again for the virus if you are experiencing symptoms.
For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.
