Clinical rebound after treatment with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir in COVID-19

Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (NM/r) is a safe and effective oral antiviral therapeutic used for treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19. Case reports described a clinical rebound syndrome whereby individuals experience a relapse of symptoms shortly after completing successful treatment. There is a lack of information on frequency of COVID-19 rebound after NM/r in routine clinical care, contributing factors, and clinical outcomes.

We reviewed electronic medical records to verify COVID-19 diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment with NM/r from January-June 2022. We defined COVID-19 clinical rebound as clear improvement in symptoms followed by recurrence or worsening of symptoms within 30 days of a five-day course of NM/r.

We studied 268 adults with median age 57 (IQR 47, 68), 80% White race, 85% non-Hispanic ethnicity, 55% female, 80% vaccinated and boosted against SARS-CoV-2, and 68% with any co-morbidity. Sixteen (6.0%) of studied patients were determined to have COVID-19 clinical rebound. The median time from starting NM/r to rebound was 11 days (IQR 9, 13). Notable demographic and clinical factors with higher proportion (not statistically significant) among COVID-19 rebound patients were female sex (75% rebound vs. 54.5% no rebound), Black race (12.5% rebound vs. 4.9% no rebound), presence of at least one co-morbidity (81.3% rebound vs. 67.5% no rebound), and lack of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection (100% rebound vs. 92.9% no rebound). Only one patient (6.25%) was hospitalized after COVID-19 rebound.

COVID-19 clinical rebound after treatment with NM/r is mild with favorable outcomes and more common than previously reported from real-world clinical care studies.