Paxlovid's Double-Edged Sword: Treating COVID-19 and the Risk of Viral Load Rebound

Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is an infectious respiratory illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus that has caused more than 3 million deaths since its emergence as a public health emergency in January 2020 [1]. Through emergency efforts, pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson were able to create vaccinations to reduce hospitalizations and death related to COVID-19. Until 2021, social distancing combined with N-95 masks and the primary series of vaccination were some of the only recommendations provided by the CDC to limit the risk of contracting COVID-19. At that time there were no available options for treatment once infected, that is until the development of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid; Pfizer Labs) .