"Frequent Recurrence Cases Even After Taking Pfizer COVID-19 Treatment"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Bu Aeri] Cases of symptom relapse after treatment with the oral COVID-19 antiviral Paxlovid are reportedly increasing.

On the 26th (local time), the US CNN reported that US President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), experienced symptom relapse after taking Paxlovid and underwent a second course of Paxlovid treatment.

According to research data released by a US research team through the US National Library of Medicine, during the period when the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was prevalent, 2-4% of Paxlovid users experienced symptom relapse within one week after treatment.

Cases where symptoms appeared within one month accounted for 5-6%. This research is currently undergoing peer review for formal academic publication. There are also claims that the actual reinfection rate could approach 10%.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated, "Regardless of Paxlovid use or vaccination status, the temporary recurrence of symptoms after recovery from COVID-19 is a natural characteristic of the COVID-19 virus."

However, although some relapse cases have occurred, CNN reported that there is little disagreement among experts about the effectiveness of the treatment itself. The majority of relapse cases involved mild symptoms.