According to a paper written by a team of researchers at the Veterans Affairs Boston healthcare system and Columbia University, Paxlovid can cause a rebound of Covid-19 infections in people even before they experience symptoms.

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There is a positive test result for Covid-19.

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People who have had a positive test after taking Paxlovid are at risk of spreading the disease to others.

The researchers studied 10 patients who had a relapse after taking Paxlovid and found that two of them spread the virus to others.

A 63-year-old male spread Covid to two family members, while a 67-year-old male transmitted the coronaviruses to a 6-month-old infant.

The CDC advised people who had a relapse in symptoms to isolated for at least five days, while noting that Paxlovid is still effective at preventing hospitalization and death as a result of Covid.

Pfizer didn't respond to a request from Forbes.

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About 1% to 2% of participants in Pfizer's Paxlovid clinical trials experienced a Covid rebound case. Dr. David Ho, a professor at Columbia University and author of the Research Square paper, told Time that rebound cases are not occurring at 1% or 2%. After analyzing the virus, he found it to be the same as the original one.

Big Number

More than 20 million. The Biden Administration has committed to purchasing Paxlovid treatment. The number of people filling Paxlovid prescriptions has increased over the past two months, according to the White House.

How often rebound cases occur. More work is needed to determine the causes of the cases, according to the researchers. Ho told Time that he shared his research with Pfizer scientists.

Key Background

The fight against Covid has been viewed by some experts as a game-changer because of Pfizer's antiviral drug. The FDA has approved the drug for people over the age of 12 who are at a higher risk of developing Covid. Pfizer reported a rare side effect of the drug. A growing number of people have taken to social media to say they tested positive for the coronaviruses after completing the Paxlovid course. According to the CDC, people can recover from the coronaviruses in two to eight days. There have been no severe cases of Covid rebound, and no additional treatment is needed for a relapse.

Researchers warn that coronaviruses can be spread even if people don't have symptoms.

What scientists know about Paxlovid rebound

The start of Paxlovid's Mysteries is called Rebound COVID.