Paxlovid efficacy trial for Long COVID

A large-scale clinical trial conducted under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) RECOVER Initiative has found that extended courses of the antiviral drug Paxlovid do not significantly reduce Long COVID symptoms compared to a placebo.

The study, published in ‘Lancet Infectious Diseases’, involved 959 adult participants across 69 sites in the United States. Researchers investigated whether targeting potentially lingering virus could alleviate three primary symptom profiles: cognitive dysfunction (brain fog), autonomic dysfunction (such as dizziness or rapid heart rate), and exercise intolerance or severe fatigue.

Results indicated that improvement rates were similar across the treatment and placebo groups. For example, while 58% of the 25-day Paxlovid group reported improvement in cognitive symptoms, the placebo group reported a 55% improvement rate. In cases of autonomic dysfunction, the placebo group showed a 70% improvement rate, matching the 15-day Paxlovid group. The findings suggest that while many patients may improve over time, the extended use of Paxlovid does not appear to accelerate recovery or reduce the severity of symptoms.