Health

Does Paxlovid really work for COVID? Dr. Mallika Marshall answers your questions

By Mallika Marshall, MD

February 19, 2024 / 5:28 PM EST / CBS Boston

Does Paxlovid work to treat COVID-19?

BOSTON - Dr. Mallika Marshall is answering your latest health questions. If you have a question, email her or message her on Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter).

Sharon on Facebook writes, "I had COVID and I took Paxlovid, but a day or so later I got rebound symptoms and felt just as bad. Why bother taking the medicine if it really doesn't work?"

Most people who take Paxlovid for the treatment of COVID do not get rebound COVID, but up to 20% of patients do.

That doesn't mean that the drug isn't doing its job. Paxlovid helps prevent serious complications from COVID.

So while you may have felt crummy during the rebound phase, Paxlovid helped you from getting severely ill or needing hospitalization.

Dr. Mallika is offering her best advice, but as always, consult your personal doctor before making any decisions about your personal health.

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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