Paxlovid, which was considered a game changer when approved in December due to its powerful performance that reduces the risk of severe Covid-19, is at high risk of severe illness in combination with vaccines and boosters.
Paxlovid is Pfizer’s antiviral drug that uses two drugs, Nilmatrelvir and Ritonavir. It is provided in the form of tablets.
The standard regimen is 3 tablets twice daily for 5 days.
Biden’s risk for severe illness
Biden’s age (79) puts him at serious risk for Covid-19. However, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that fully vaccinated and boosted older people significantly reduce the risk of hospitalization and death.
Biden is double boosted. He obtained his first vaccination series before taking office in January 2021. He obtained his first boost in September and a second boost on March 30.
Biden’s symptoms are mild. He has a runny nose, occasional cough, and some fatigue.
How does Paxlovid work?
Paxlovid suppresses the coronavirus and blocks enzymes that help the virus propagate in the body.
As with all antivirals, treatment is considered to be most effective if you start taking it within 5 days of the first symptom.
How successful is it?
However, because the drug was tested in unvaccinated people during the surge in delta variants, the predominance of omicron variants may cause different results in people currently taking pills.
“Joe Biden has been vaccinated and boosted twice, reducing the risk of serious illness, hospitalization and death,” said Dr. Megan Ranney, an emergency physician at Brown University and director of public health. Stated. “In addition, Paxlovid further reduces the risk of hospitalization by another 80% to 90%, even for vaccinated people, and there is virtually no chance of anything wrong with him.”
What about side effects?
According to doctors, this drug is usually well tolerated.
How about the rebound?
“Some people have relapsed Paxrovid, which means that Paxrovid suppresses it. [symptoms] After 5 days, some people relapse some of their symptoms while you are taking it. So we would have to see it. ” Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said Thursday.
Cases of rebound have been reported between 2 and 8 days after initial recovery. Most people with new symptoms say they resolved in about three days without additional treatment.
Lanny and other doctors say they don’t want to think of it as a rebound infection. Rather, Paxlovid does a good job of suppressing the virus and preventing the damage it can cause, but the virus can reappear without being completely eliminated from the body.
Some scientists believe that some people metabolize paxlobide faster than others and may require longer courses of treatment. Research is still in progress.
“I don’t like the term’rebound’because it scares people from taking Paxrovid because no one ends up with symptoms that require hospitalization after taking Paxrovid,” says Lanny. I did.
Dr. Ashishger, White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator, downplayed concerns about the possibility of Biden rebounding while taking Paxrovid.
“The best clinical data we have suggests that it happens with a probability of about 5%, 7%,” Jha said on Friday. “It’s pretty rare, and the good news is that even if it happens, people will do well.”
Source: www.cnn.com
