Dr. Fauci Takes Second Course of Paxlovid After Experiencing COVID-19 Rebound

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Dr. Anthony Fauci, 81, says his “interesting course” with COVID-19 is becoming “more and more typical.”

Fauci, who regularly gets tested for COVID, continued to swab after completing his five-day course of the Pfizer antiviral, Paxlovid, earlier this month. He tested negative for three consecutive days. On the fourth day, he “reverted back to positive,” he toldForeign Policy’s Global Health Forum.

The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases says when he tested positive again, he progressively started to feel “much worse than the first go around,” referring to his mild symptoms when he contracted COVID-19 two weeks ago. Due to the worsening of symptoms, Fauci started another pack of Paxlovid.

On Tuesday, Fauci confirmed that he was on his fourth day of his “second course of Paxlovid.” He added that he is “not complete[ly] without symptoms” but does not “feel acutely ill.”

“It was sort of what people are referring to as a ‘Paxlovid rebound,'” Fauci said.

Fabian Sommer/picture alliance via Getty Images

The CDC recommends that “people with COVID-19 rebound should follow CDC recommendations regarding isolation of infected patients regardless of treatment with an antiviral agent and/or previous isolation after the initial infection.”

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According to the CDC, “Paxlovid continues to be recommended for early-stage treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 among persons at high risk for progression to severe diseases.”

source: people.com