Variety of studies on whether Paxlovid reduces long COVID

Does Paxlovid prevent long COVID? Maybe, experts suggest Anthony Quintano/ Flickr cc CIDRAP

Last spring, some promising research out of the Veterans Affairs system showed that Paxlovid, the Pfizer-produced COVID antiviral drug approved for use in the United States to prevent serious complications from infection in at-risk populations, could moderately reduce the risk of long COVID if given during the acute infection.

But now, a group out of University of California–San Francisco (UCSF), has found the opposite: The antiviral not only does not prevent long COVID from developing, if used it leads to more rebounding infections.

"Clearly, the jury is still out," said Ziyad Al-Aly, MD, chief of research and development at the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System. "Discordant results are an opportunity to learn why something works here, but not there."