Mass. doctor on what ‘rebound’ COVID-19 cases are – WCVB Boston

Mass. doctor on what 'rebound' COVID-19 cases are

Updated: 6:15 PM EDT Aug 1, 2022

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ED: LET'S BE CLEAR, THE PRESIDENT IS NOT YOUR PATIENT RIGHT? I'M JUST CONFIRMING. HIS DOCTORS BELIEVE THAT THE PRESIDENT DOES NOT HAVE A NEW CASE OF COVID. IS THAT CORRECT? >> THAT'S RIGHT. KNOW THAT THE PRESIDENT TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID ON JULY 21st. HE STARTED PAXLOVID AND TESTED NEGATIVE SIX DAYS LATER ON THE 27th. BUT THEN TESTED POSITIVE AGAIN ON THE 30th. WE'VE SEEN THIS IN SOME PATIENTS WHO TAKES PAXLOVID. SYMPTOMS RESOLVE AND THEY START NESTING NEGATIVE AND REBOUND WITH A TEST. ERIKA: PRESIDENT BIDEN SAYS HE'S FEELING WELL, BUT A REBOUND CASE OF COVID MUST BE FRUSTRATING. HE'S ISOLATING AGAIN. WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? >> I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW FRUSTRATING A PATIENT IS. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ISOLATE. SINCE ANYONE SHEDDING ENOUGH VIRUS TO TEST POSITIVE ON A RAPID ANTIGEN. THEY DEVELOP ANY MORE SEVERE CASES. THEY GENERALLY DO FINE, THEY MIGHT HAVE SYMPTOMS AND NEED TO ISOLATE. ED: LET'S TALK ABOUT PAXLOVID. YOU'VE SAID MANY TIMES, THE DRUG IS VERY EFFECTIVE AT PREVENTING SEVERE ILLNESS AND DEATH, ESPECIALLY IN HIGH-RISK PATIENTS. PRESIDENT QUALIFIES IN ONE OF THOSE CATEGORIES. HE'S AN OLDER MAN. HAVE YOU SEEN ANY DATA YET THAT CHANGES YOUR MIND? >> I HAVEN'T. PAXLOVID STILL WORKS WELL FOR PATIENTS AT HIGH RISK OF DEVELOPING SEVERE COVID. THE PROBLEM IS, THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE YOUNG, VACCINATED AND TOTALLY HEALTHY WHO REALLY AREN'T AT RISK DEVELOPING SEVERE COVID WHO ARE TAKING PAXLOVID NOW. I WORRY ABOUT THAN REBOUND CASES IN THE POPULATION AND POTENTIAL RESIST TENSE ERIKA: YOU JUST SPOKE WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU. MASSACHUSETTS HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST VACCINATION RATES IN THE COUNTRY. SOME PATIENTS WITH A NEW INFECTION MAY QUESTION WHETHER THEY REALLY NEED TO TAKE PAXLOVID TOO. WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO KNOW? >> I REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE IF YOU MEET THE CRITERIA FOR TAKING PAXLOVID. LIKE AGE, ASTHMA AND CANCER, IF YOU MEET THIS CRITERIA, TALK TO YOUR PRIMARY PHYSICIAN. IF YOU SHOULD TAKE IT, YOU SHOULD TAKE IT. IF YOU DON'T MEET THOSE CRITERIA, YOU THINKING ABOUT JUST TAKING. BECAUSE YOU WANT TO BE CAUTIOUS, PLEASE DON'T. WE SHOULD BE TAKING OR PRESCRIBING MEDICATIONS WHEN THEY ARE ONLY REALLY INDICATED. ED: THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXPERTISE AN

Mass. doctor on what 'rebound' COVID-19 cases are

Updated: 6:15 PM EDT Aug 1, 2022

Dr. Ali Raja is the deputy chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Mass General Hospital.

Dr. Ali Raja is the deputy chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Mass General Hospital.

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Mass. doctor on what 'rebound' COVID-19 cases are - WCVB Boston