New research reveals the COVID-19 virus may be resisting antiviral treatments. Nirmatrelvir and remdesivir reduce severe symptoms in high-risk patients. However, long-term use of these drugs allows the virus to evolve and resist treatment.
Patients with compromised immune systems face the highest risk. They require longer treatment, which gives the virus more time to mutate. Two recent studies confirm this growing concern.
Researchers at Cornell University and the National Institutes of Health studied 15 immunocompromised patients. They discovered drug-resistant mutations in those treated with remdesivir and nirmatrelvir. These mutations made the virus less responsive to the drugs and capable of spreading between individuals, at least in lab tests.
Another study, led by Harvard and other universities, examined 165 COVID-19 patients. They found more drug-resistant mutations in patients treated with antivirals, particularly those who were immunocompromised. However, these mutations often appeared at low levels and reverted to their original form.
Although these resistant strains are unlikely to spread widely, researchers stress the importance of ongoing monitoring.
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