president Joe Biden came down with COVID-19 during the summer Then he felt better and tested positive one week later but then came back within a couple of days with the same symptoms, and another positive test.
I knew exactly what Biden was experiencing. In the week preceding Biden’s COVID rebound had been through one.
What Is COVID Rebound? | Buy Ziverdo Kit
COVID rebound happens in those who have COVID-19 test results negative, then within two or eight days experience the same symptoms again or a test that has been positive for the first time. The definition is derived directly from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which published an advisory regarding this phenomenon in the spring of 2022.
Many blame to Paxlovid which is the antiviral regimen that both Biden and I began during the progression of our illness.
A new study has pointed this out. The study, published in October 2022 in JAMA Network Open found that recovery from COVID-19 is “variable and undulating” and that symptoms are often recurring even after the patient seems to have beat the virus.
The investigators tracked 158 patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19, none of whom received treatment with Paxlovid. Through the study’s 29 days, researchers discovered that about 1/3 of the patients who appeared to have fully recovered (meaning they had no symptoms over two days) experienced a return of one or more COVID-19-related symptoms which included cough fatigue, fatigue, or headaches.
Since the very beginning of the pandemic before the introduction of Paxlovid patients, they were suffering from COVID rebound according to Jill Weatherhead, MD, PhD as associate director of the department of infectious diseases in Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
My COVID-19 Luck Finally Ran Out
Due to precautions like wearing a mask even in crowded indoor areas or working remotely as well as a bit of luck — I was able to stay clear of COVID-19 over the course of more than two years. However, my position as a COVID-free non-smoker ended when I went to my sister’s wedding celebration in a different state.
The wedding ceremony took place outside, however, the reception was held in a small, intimate space. Nobody, not even me were wearing any kind of mask.
I attempted to maintain some distance from other guests by staying clear of the packed dance floor However, I knew that even if one of the 150 people in attendance and staff members had the virus, at the end of the night we’d all likely have shared the virus.
It turned out that it was discovered that someone (or several people) was indeed infected.
Testing Confirmed I Had COVID-19
I flew back home on a Sunday night, only to wake up on Monday morning with one of the omicron’s most recognizable symptoms: an irritable throat. (The duration of incubation that COVID-19 sufferers experience — which is the period between the time they become infected and experience symptoms can vary from 2 to 14 days following exposure to coronavirus. The CDC declares that the average incubation period for omicron is between three and four days.)
Before I was able to even conduct an at-home test one of my friends who was at the wedding, text me saying that her husband and she have been diagnosed with COVID-19. At the end of the day over 40 guests who attended the wedding were sick.
I pulled out one of my tests for home antigens in my stash, which contained the tests offered by the government and tests paid for by my insurance. I chose one of the general tests offered by the government and distributed by Roche however, despite the fact that my husband suggested that I make a decision based on one of Abbott’s BinaxNow kits which we’d been using during the entire epidemic. (“It wasn’t always positive,” the doctor said.)
Just five minutes into the test, my line became bright red. I had COVID.
Then, at the end of the first day, I was miserable. I was suffering from an uncontrollable cough as well as an irritable throat, running nose, and a growing sore throat. I slept on Monday afternoon and only was able to get out for the whole week.
I was shocked to be struck so severely since I was vaccinated, and twice increased. It was also because, from the second day of my stay, I’d started a five-day course of Paxlovid.
Studies Suggest Paxlovid Might Help Prevent Long COVID
Researchers have also speculated that antiviral drugs such as Paxlovid could decrease the chance of being diagnosed with COVID that lasts for a long time which is a series of symptoms that can last for months, or even years following an acute flare-up of COVID.
Recent research has confirmed this belief The following study conducted by researchers from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs discovered that those who used Paxlovid were a 26 percent lower chance of developing a variety of long-term COVID ailments including blood clotting problems, heart disease as well as muscle pain, fatigue, brain fog, and breath shortness. (the study was released online as a preprint which means it hasn’t been examined by other researchers.)
Nine Days After Testing Positive for COVID, I Felt Better — Until I Didn’t
I used Paxlovid over the course of five days. The treatment didn’t help my battle with COVID-19 any more easily but it did allow me an opportunity to be a victim of “Paxlovid mouth” — one of the most common and irritating side effects that is characterized by an occasional, odd taste that’s mostly metallic and part fresh breath.
After nine days of being positive (which according to COVID-19 terminology can be described to be the 8th day since test day is zero), I began feeling better. The next day I decided to take an immediate test. There was no line.
I was COVID-free at least I thought so. This glorious state could not last very long.
COVID Rebound Strikes
The following morning, I found myself at my office in my home when I began to feel fatigued again. As I knew it can take weeks or more to fully recover from any infection I decided to lay down for a brief nap.
I got up after four hours. Even more troubling, my stuffy nose and sore throat were back.
Being aware that a rebound could be possible, I did another quick COVID test that was one that was a BinaxNow one. And the line was visible as quickly and clear as it did at the time I was first struck by the virus. (So what’s with my husband’s idea of the certainty of a BinaxNow positive test!)
What To Do If You Are Rebounding From Covid-19
In a Health advisory that was issued in May, the CDC advise that patients suffering from rebound COVID isolat for at least 5 consecutive days “Per CDC guidance, they may stop their isolation within 5 days after the fever has subsided within at least 24 days (without using any fever-reducing medications) and the symptoms are improving. Patients should wear an air mask for a period of 10 days following the time that the symptoms began to return,” the advisory stated.
The next five days were an easy task for me because, during the first four days, I was try and spent lots of time lying in bed.