Patients who rebound after Paxlovid may be highly contagious, study finds

Federal regulators released a warning Tuesday that COVID patients who take the antiviral treatment Paxlovid may experience a rebound and test positive again days later, my colleague Kay Lazar reported.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that patients who experience symptoms or test positive a second time should isolate again for at least five days and wear a mask. But the agency continues to recommend Paxlovid for high-risk patients that could experience serious complications from infection.

The treatment consists of a total of 30 pills — three pills taken twice a day for five days.

Tuesday’s warning comes more than a month after patients began swapping accounts on social media of COVID rebounds after taking Paxlovid.