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San Francisco Chronicle LogoHearst Newspapers Logo Skip to main content Subscribe Bay Area * San Francisco * Transit * Crime * Drug Crisis * Golden Gate Park * COVID-19 * Health * Data Spotlight * PG&E * Season of Sharing * Housing Crisis Weather * Weather Forecast * Air Quality Tracker Climate * Drought * Fire Tracker * Quake Tracker * Wildfires Food * Top Restaurants * Restaurants * Restaurant Closures * Top Wineries * Wine, Beer & Spirits Sports * Giants * Warriors * 49ers * A's * High School * Women's Sports * College Politics Opinions * Chronicle Editorial Board * Letters to the Editor Real Estate * Find a Home * Commercial Real Estate California * Tahoe Tech Datebook Travel * Outdoors Vault: Our S.F. In-Depth Comics Reader Tools * Audio Tours * Obituaries * Place an obituary * Newsletters * Store * Download our App About Us * Newsroom News * Terms of Use * Privacy Notice * Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads) * Advertise With Us San Francisco Chronicle LogoSubscribe Bay Area//Health PAXLOVID DOESN’T REDUCE RISK OF LONG COVID, UCSF STUDY FINDS By Jessica FloresJan 4, 2024 The COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid does not reduce the risk of long COVID for vaccinated people who’ve tested positive for the virus for the first time, according to a new study by UCSF researchers. Brontë Wittpenn/The Chronicle The COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid does not reduce the risk of long COVID for vaccinated people who’ve tested positive for the virus for the first time, according to a new study by UCSF researchers. The study, published Thursday in the Journal of Medical Virology, also found that a higher share than previously reported experienced rebound symptoms and tested positive for COVID after taking the antiviral medication. The new study suggests that other COVID-19 prevention strategies, like vaccination, masking and social distancing, “are still relevant,” said one study author, Dr. Matthew Durstenfeld, a cardiologist and UCSF assistant professor of medicine. Advertisement Article continues below this ad “We were surprised” by the study findings, Durstenfeld said in a statement. “We expected that Paxlovid would be associated with a lower prevalence of long COVID … but it is consistent with two other rigorously conducted studies finding no difference in post-COVID conditions between 4 and 6 months after infection.” Researchers selected a group of vaccinated people from UCSF’s COVID-19 Citizen Science Study who reported their first infection between March and August 2022, according to a UCSF news release. Among the 1,611 participants, the study shows the median age was 55 years and 66% were female. Only some of the participants took oral Paxlovid treatment while they were infected. In December of that year, participants answered a survey about long COVID, rebound symptoms and test positivity, health officials said. From a group of individuals who reported feeling better while taking Paxlovid treatment, 21% reported rebound symptoms — 10.8% of whom reported one or more long COVID symptoms compared with 8.3% of individuals without rebound symptoms, the study found. For those who repeated testing after testing negative and completing treatment, 25.7% reported rebound test positivity again. In total, researchers said 26% said they rebounded or tested positive. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A similar study published in November found that viral rebound occurred in approximately 21% of Paxlovid recipients. “We found a higher proportion with clinical rebound than previously reported but did not identify an effect of post-treatment rebound on long COVID symptoms,” Durstenfeld said. Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UCSF who was not involved in the new study, said its findings are “not surprising at all” because the risk of long COVID among people who are vaccinated and in their 50s was low to begin with during the omicron spike. “This study helps us refine the population where you could have the biggest bang for the buck in Paxlovid,” Chin-Hong said. “It continues to be older or immunocompromised who are unvaccinated or whom there is not much of an immune response as in the severely immunocompromised.” Reach Jessica Flores: jessica.flores@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @jesssmflores Jan 4, 2024 By Jessica Flores Jessica Flores is a reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle. Before joining The Chronicle in 2021, she worked for USA Today, NPR affiliate KPCC and Curbed LA. 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