what is rebound covid

Rebound COVID-19 is a phenomenon where people with COVID-19 get better, then begin to experience symptoms again 2-8 days after they have recovered. It is characterized by a recurrence of COVID-19 symptoms and/or a new positive viral test after having tested negative. While it’s unclear how often it happens, rebound COVID-19 may affect as many as 10% of patients who have the disease. It is not always easy to tell the difference between a true rebound and simply a very slow recovery. The cause of rebound has been unclear, although the suggestion in most reports has been that rebound occurs more often in patients treated with Paxlovid. However, a study of eight patients published in Clinical Infectious Diseases suggest that COVID-19 rebound is likely not caused by impaired immune responses. More research is needed before doctors have answers about the causes of rebound COVID-19.