Paxlovid Promise?

After almost three years out from the first reports of long haul covid, now known as Post Covid Condition (PCC), research on prevention and treatment are finally starting to roll out.  One notable study was published just a few days ago by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In this study, researchers looked at more than 280,000 cases of SARS COV-2 infections to see if the use of nirmatrelvir, also known as Paxlovid, made a difference on the development of 13 PCC symptoms.

Paxlovid is an oral antiviral pill that can be taken at home to help keep high-risk patients who become infected with SARS COV-2 from getting so sick that they need to be hospitalized. People who test positive for COVID and are eligible to take the pills, take Paxlovid within five days of developing symptoms at home to lower their risk of going to the hospital.

Researchers of the study found that treatment with Paxlovid decreased the risk of 10 out of 13 PCC symptoms, including fatigue, brain fog, and dysautonomia. This improvement was found in both unvaccinated and vaccinated patients.

This is an exciting finding because the best way to deal with PCC is to prevent it from occurring in the first place. No study is perfect, and this research has its own limitations. For example, all the data comes from the Veteran Affairs hospital system and the findings may not be the same for the general population. In addition, the study used electronic medical record data, and this is not always accurate. For example, just because a patient is prescribed Paxlovid does not mean that a patient actually used the medication.

It is important to note this study looked only at patients that had at least 1 risk factor for severe acute covid. This makes sense, as Paxlovid should only be used for patients that have increased risk of severe illness.  In addition, only use of Paxlovid within five days of a positive test for COVID was studied. The findings don’t apply to Paxlovid later in the infection course or after PCC has started.

The most important take away is that you have a COVID infection, and you are at risk for a severe illness, don’t wait to discuss care options with your primary care provider.  It may make a difference in the long haul.