The new studies are showing that paxlovid is not effective for most people for the newer strains. I’ll try to post a link later.
I’d like to see that. That would be an unexpected finding. They’ve been thinking that the way Paxlovid works it would continue to be helpful with variants
Check the Inside Medicine substack by Jeremy Faust. I can’t share without it showing my full name but you can read his excellent synopses (with links to the actual studies). On April 4 he had a post on a Pfizer study published in the NEJM showing that paxlovid has no statistical effect on symptom duration or severity even in high risk patients if they are vaccinated or for those at standard risk who are unvaccinated (less clear on high risk unvaccinated). Note the study wasn’t designed to look at severity originally, only duration, so those were secondary findings. His June 6 post discusses a British study showing no difference in mortality among hospitalized patients given paxlovid or not. Finally, his June 13 post discusses a study in JAMA internal Medicine that showed that paxlovid was not effective in treating long COVID (I believe YLE also did a post on this study). Given the study in NEJM was conducted by Pfizer and yet found no benefit I’d say that’s pretty definitive.
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We all had covid in mid July. We all took Paxlovid as soon as we had symptoms and tested positive. S and I felt better instantly and were - in 5-7 days. D and H felt better but both rebounded and H ended up taking 9 days of Paxlovid. He didn’t fully recover for about 2+ weeks, but he was 81 years old, so that may contribute to his prolonged misery. Just 4 more anecdotes. I have the worst lungs of the 4 of us and my docs were pretty concerned.
My doc vetoed Paxlovid for me because of all my other meds and issues. Not that it would have made any difference; we couldn’t get it in Poland.
I guess I won’t spend $700 on Paxlovid if I get COVID again! That’s my co-pay - I verified with Anthem.
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I’ve had covid twice, and taken paxlovid twice. I would do so again (unless paxlovid is shown to be ineffective, of course!).
1st bout I was REALLY sick; I rebounded, and it took me a good 2 months until I felt normal. Second time, I was mildly sick, had no rebound, and felt 100% normal within 2 days.
My theory is that my viral load was higher in the 1st case, and in both cases the paxlovid ameliorated my covid; it’s just that the 1st time I was starting from a worse point.
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It’s really hard to know what the right answer is without solid information.
I’ve had Covid 3 times. None of the times were anything serious, if I had taken paxlovid I would have thought that it helped. My doctor isn’t a fan though.
But I’ve had friends who have taken it and swear that it’s better with it than without, but most cases of Covid are milder every time you get it. This has been my experience.
So who knows? We need good information.
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It’s a tough call. I have had Covid twice, as has my H. Neither of us was any sicker than with a mild flu, and neither of us took Paxlovid. We were both testing negative within a short time. That doesn’t mean that Paxlovid isn’t a good thing, though - it just means that we were okay without taking it.
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A New England Journal of Medicine published study conducted by the manufacturer? Bolstered by the smaller British study? What other proof could you possibly want that at the very least for those of us who are vaccinated, regardless of personal risk factors, paxlovid does no better than a placebo?
Here is a good summary of what is known to date:
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I had my long-awaited intake appointment at the major long Covid clinic in NYC. I had filled out a long questionnaire online a couple of months ago. It was a bunch of physical and cognitive tests, with well-informed techs. Awaiting follow-up–they promised that i will be assigned a physician soon.
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A woman I know online has had a very good experience with the Mt. Sinai program.
Good to read. NYC has several major hospital/healthcare networks, and the one where my doctors are has a long-covid clinic that is mostly for pulmonary issues–no longer my problem. I found out about the Mt Sinai program via the Sick Times newsletter and website, which I heard about via YLE.
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Anyone know when the next version of COVID-19 vaccines (targeting JN.1 or KP.2) will be available in the US?
Pfizer says that they can be available immediately after approval. Novavax says that they can be available July or August if approved by then. But what does the FDA approval timeline look like? If the FDA waits until September or October, the virus may have already mutated away by then.
I had a physical last week and my primary doctor said September. Not sure how accurate that is.
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Is anything new happening with Paxlovid?
Evidence shows that Paxlovid works for a small subgroup of people: medically vulnerable over 65 years and those who are not up-to-date on Covid-19 vaccines.
Unfortunately, Paxlovid is not as effective as we had hoped for everyone else. Evidence suggests that it doesn’t protect against long Covid, and it doesn’t decrease the number of days you’re sick (if you’re up-to-date on vaccines).
Of course, it would help if the new vaccines were available now. If the FDA waits until September to approve them, many people will get infected before then, and the virus will mutate away from the vaccine by then.
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Does anyone know what strain(s) this new vaccine is for? I had Covid in April, just wondering if we have new covid now.
This doesn’t answer your question if you don’t know the strain you had, but this was the FDA direction to the manufacturers.
Based on the most current available data, along with the recent rise in cases of COVID-19 in areas of the country, the agency has further determined that the preferred JN.1-lineage for the COVID-19 vaccines (2024-2025 Formula) is the KP.2 strain, if feasible.
The manufacturers have a lot of work to do. AFAIK none have submitted data and full approval package to the FDA for approval. So, ball in mfr’s court.