The head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tested positive again for Covid-19.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky had mild symptoms Sunday and is isolating at her home in Massachusetts, the CDC said Monday.
Walensky, 53, first tested positive on Oct. 21. She took a course of the antiviral pill Paxlovid, and later tested negative. But the symptoms returned and Walensky is again in isolation, working and holding virtual meetings, the CDC said.
Paxlovid has proven effective at preventing serious disease and death among those at highest risk, including older people and those who are immune compromised. But the pill appears to provide little or no benefit for younger adults. Some who take the drug have experienced a return of symptoms after completing Paxlovid’s five-day regimen of pills.
CDC officials said Walensky is up to date on her vaccines.
Walensky took over the CDC in January 2021. She is one of several U.S. health officials who have gotten Covid-19.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the face of America’s pandemic response, and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra both tested positive in June.