Paxlovid is an anti-viral pill that is designed to treat COVID-19. Four million courses of it have been administered to sufferers throughout the United States including President Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci. Both, however, tested positive again after treatment, leaving many to question the treatment’s effectiveness.
According to a study conducted during the Omicron wave, 2 to 4% of patients rebounded within a week after Paxlovid treatment and 5 to 6% rebounded within a month.
Despite the numbers, experts consider Paxlovid to be a valid option for treating COVID-19. “At the end of the day none of the cases that have rebounded have ended up having more severe disease or have ended up in the hospital, so I still think Paxlovid is an incredibly useful drug,” says Dr. Carlos del Rio, executive associate dean at the Emory University School of Medicine.
Paxlovid manufacturer Pfizer claimed that it is also confident in the treatment’s effectiveness. The FDA has instructed Pfizer to conduct a clinical trial on COVID-19 rebound patients and to test different durations of treatment in immunocompromised patients.
