What explains why some people on the Covid drug Paxlovid seem to see their infection return? Elizabeth Tracey reports

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Paxlovid is an oral medication given to people at high risk for complications from Covid-19 infection, but now that it’s in more widespread use some are reporting a return of symptoms after they’ve finished their course of the medication. Stuart Ray, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins, comments.

Ray: Many of us were not too surprised that a drug like Paxlovid would have only a transient effect, and that for some people there could be a rebound. I think we’re still learning about whether that means that Paxlovid caused a problem or whether it simply incompletely treated a problem, because you never know whether that dip would have been a worse peak and where you landed was actually where you would have been if you never used it, and whether we should have used more or a combination we’ll learn more about in the future.  :28

Ray says what is happening with Paxlovid use is much like other new medications used in novel infections. We’re on a learning curve and modifications are likely as best practices are discerned. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.