As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, Paxlovid is being prescribed to try to keep high-risk patients out of the hospital. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning of potential “COVID-19 rebound” after a five-day course of the treatment.
“If you take Paxlovid, you might get symptoms again,” CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told CBS News. “We haven’t yet seen anybody who has returned with symptoms needing to go to the hospital. So, generally, a milder course.”
After a patient recovers, rebound has been reported to occur two to eight days later. Still, the CDC says the benefits of taking Paxlovid far outweigh the risks. Among unvaccinated people at high risk for severe disease, it reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by nearly 90%, according to the CDC.