This Week in Virology

Latest Episodes:

TWiV 1127: Giving prions the (zinc) finger Jun 30, 2024

Show notes

TWiV discusses secret anti-vax campaign run by Pentagon to undermine China during pandemic, NY governor's subways mask ban proposal, Colorado bat facility sparks outbreak fears, House budget billls suggest ban on gain of function research, evolution of STAT2 resistance to flavivirus NS5, and brainwide silencing of prion protein by AAV-mediated delivery of an epigenetic editor.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Alan Dove

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Links for this episode

MicrobeTV Discord Server
Pentagan anti-vac campaign to undermine China (Reuters)
NY governor subway mask ban (AP News)
Colorado bat facility sparks outbreak fears (Science)
House NIH budget bans gain of function research (Science)
Evolution of STAT2 resistance to flavivirus NS5 (Nat Commun)
Brainwide silencing of prion protein by AAV delivered epigenetic editor (Science)
Letters read on TWiV 1127
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Dickson – Mars Odyssey Orbiter is about to make its 100,000th orbit Alan – Local animal shelters and "kitten season." Vincent – Supreme Court allows cities to ban homeless people sleeping outside, even when shelter space is lacking

Listener Picks

Blog design – Trump vows to defund schools requiring vaccines for students Jon – Detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza in mammals

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

TWiV 1126: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin Jun 29, 2024

Show notes

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses RSV vaccination recommendations and revisions to guidelines before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, data suggesting that individuals with high HLA-DQA2 expression (MHC class II) are better at preventing the onset of a sustained viral infection, how moderate coffee intake can reduce risk of COVID-19 severity but cannabis use resulted in more severe disease but reduced risk of mortality, where to find PEMGARDA, if statin use prevented severe COVID-19, the benefit of administering nirmatrelvir and ritonavir after 5 days, convalescent plasma, what do when healthcare workers succumb to SARS-CoV-2 infection, if fecal microbiota transplants aid in recovery from COVID-19, and the definition of characteristics and clinical patterns for the diagnosis of long COVID.

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Links for this episode

CDC ACIP for RSV (CDC)
This respiratory virus season everyone age 75 and older receive the RSV vaccine (CDC Newsroom)
Revised RSV vaccine recommendations (CIDRAP)
COVID-19 national trend (CDC)
COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
Local and systemic response dynamics to SARS-CoV-2 infection (Nature)
Drink more coffee, reduces risk for SARS-C0V-2 infection (Cell & Bioscience)
Cannabis, tobacco…smoking in general NOT good for preventing COVID-19 (JAMA Network OPEN)
Do older versions of the COVID-19 vaccine still provide any protection (JAMA Internal Medicine)
Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
Early phase of SARs-CoV-2 infection (COVID.gov)
NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
Adjuvant statin therapy reduces SARS-CoV-2 mortality (American Journal of Medicine)
Nirmatrelvir and ritonavir beyond 5 days of symptom onset improved the multiple organ dysfunction in severe COVID-19 patient (BMC Infectious Disease)
Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
What do when your heathcare provider is infected with SARS-CoV-2 (CDC)
Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
Steroids, dexamethasone at the right time (OFID)
Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org)
Faecal microbtiota transplantation cures sleep disturbance in post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology)
Long COVID defined by patient phenotype (CIDRAP)
Three distinct symptom-based post-COVID condition phenotypes (JID)
Contribute to our Floating Doctors fundraiser
Letters read on TWiV 1126
Dr. Griffin's COVID treatment summary (pdf)
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV 1125: Can pig flu viruses go viral? Jun 23, 2024

Show notes

TWiV reviews criticism of NIAID monkeypox virus experiments by House Republicans, spread of wild poliovirus across Afghanistan and Pakistan, plan to overhaul NIH by House lawmakers, and the potential pandemic risk of circulating swine H1N2 influenza viruses.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Brianne Barker, and Angela Mingarelli

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Links for this episode

MicrobeTV Discord Server
2024 International HBV Meeting
House Republicans fault NIH for evasive answers on monkeypox virus study (Science)
Report on MPX experiments at NIAID (pdf)
Wild poliovirus spreads across Pakistan and Afghanistan (Science)
Plan to overhaul NIH (Science)
Reforming NIH (pdf)
Potential pandemic risk of circulating swine H1N2 influenza viruses (Nat Comm)
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Angela – Staring at the Sun — close-up images from space rewrite solar science Brianne – Water frost detected on Mars Volcanos Dickson – Best view yet of the Crab Nebula Vincent – Will Your Tattoo Give You Cancer: Probably Not…but Maybe?

Listener Picks

Jessica – Manchurian plague

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

TWiV 1124: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin Jun 22, 2024

Show notes

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin reviews the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, before discussing methods for sterilizing filtering facepieces, an update to the fall COVID boosters, the emergency use application of a pre-exposure prophylactic and where to find it and drug interaction database, convalescent plasma, the effectiveness of the monoclonal antibody sotrovimab against Omicron variants, what to do when healthcare workers succumb to SARS-CoV-2 infection, the need for better nursing resources, how survivors of COVID-19-associated ARDS exhibited sustained elevation in endothelial dysfunction biomarkers, correlating with the severity of impaired gas exchange, reactivation of latent CMV as a consequence of a SARS-CoV-2 infection, identification of variables that might impact or predict a person's time to recovery from an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and if COVID-19 patients really have olfactory dysfunction more often than normally smelling individuals.

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Links for this episode

COVID-19 national trend (CDC)
COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
Comparison of methods for sterilizing filtering facepiece respirators (American Journal of Infection Control)
Booster update already! KP.2 of JN.1-lineage (FDA)
EUA for pemgarda (FDA)
Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
Early phase of SARs-CoV-2 infection (COVID.gov)
NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
Revisiting monoclonal antibody therapy, sotrovimab for treatment during Omicron BA.2 and BA.5 (Infection)
What do when your healthcare provider is infected with SARS-CoV-2 (CDC)
Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
Steroids,dexamethasone at the right time (OFID)
Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org)
Hospital nurse staffing variation & COVID-19 (International Journal of Nursing Studies)
Endothelial dysfunction and persistent inflammation severe post-COVID-19 (BMC Medicine)
Prevalence and risk for CMV reaction due to COVID-19 pneumonia (PLoS One)
Variables that impact recovery from acute SARS-CoV-2 infetion (JAMA Network Open)
Reduced olfactory bulb volume with dysfunction after mild SARS-CoV-2 inction (Scientific Reports)
Contribute to our Floating Doctors fundraiser
Letters read on TWiV 1124
Dr. Griffin's COVID treatment summary (pdf)
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV 1123: Europic 2024 in Jyväskylä, Finland Jun 16, 2024

Show notes

Vincent travels to Europic 2024 in Jyväskylä, Finland to speak with Tapani Hovi and Caroline Tapparel about their careers and their research on enteroviruses and elimination of poliomyelitis.

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guests: Tapani Hovi and Caroline Tapparel

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Links for this episode

Survival of influenza virus on banknotes (Appl Environ Micro)
Variant EV-A71 in immunosuppressed patient (Cell Rep)
Rhinoviruses and respiratory enteroviruses (Viruses)
Isolation of poliovirus in mouse cells producing Pvr (J Clin Micro)
Outbreak of paralytic poliomyelitis in Finland (Lancet)
Role of environmental poliovirus surveillance in global polio eradication (Epi Infect)
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

TWiV 1122: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin Jun 15, 2024

Show notes

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses expanded use of the RSV vaccine by GSK, how the youngest member of the MicrobeTV family was hospitalized with RSV, why we are seeing more RSV infections than before the pandemic and how administration of monoclonal antibody therapy does not prevent infection but disease, before reviewing the weekly US COVID update, how SARS-CoV-2 affects neurodevelopment of the fetus and probability of preeclampsia, if giving Paxlovid prevents long COVID, and FDA recommends switching from the XBB.1.5 variant to JN.1 for fall COVID-19 vaccine formulations.

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Links for this episode

Young "Immune" co-host with RSV (YouTube)
RSV on Immune (MicrobeTV)
More children hospitalized with RSV after pandemic than before (Pediatrics)
France supports Nirsevimab for RSV (Influenza and other respiratory viruses)
Protects against disease not infection Nirsevimab (CIDRAP)
TWiV tells it likes it is: protects against disease NOT infection (TWiV 695)
RSV vaccine access expanded 50-59 (CIDRAP)
GSK RSV vaccine expanded use for high risk 50-year olds (GSK)
COVID-19 deaths
COVID-19 national trend
Neurodevelopmental delay in children whose mothers exposed to SARS-CoV-2 (Scientific Reports)
Preeclampsia associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection (Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine)
Effectiveness of nirmatelvir/ritonavir in children and adolescents (Nat Comm)
JN.1 for fall COVID-19 boosters (FDA)
COVID-19 vaccine booster switch (CIDRAP)
EUA for pemgarda (FDA)
Infusion centers near you! (pemgarda.com)
CDC quarantine guidelines (CDC)
Early phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID.gov)
NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (IDSociety)
Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
Molnupiravir safety and efficiacy (JMV)
Convalescent plasma recommendations for immunocompromised (ID Society)
Updated respiratory virus guidelines (CDC)
What to do when your healthcare provider is infected with SARS-CoV-2 (CDC)
Managing healthcare staff shortages (CDC)
Steroids, dexamethasone at the right time (OFID)
Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org)
Long COVID evidence based review TWiV shout out (TWiV 1088)
Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir prevents long COVID-19? (JAMA Medicine)
Contribute to our Floating Doctors fundraiser
Letters read on TWiV 1122
Dr. Griffin's COVID treatment summary (pdf)
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV Special: How the pandemic began in Nature, in 5 key points Jun 10, 2024

Show notes

TWiV rebuts a recent opinion piece which falsely claims that the COVID-19 pandemic began in a lab (it began in Nature). This material has been extracted from TWiV 1121.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, Brianne Barker, and Jolene Ramsey

Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

MicrobeTV Discord Server
SARS-CoV-2 origin discussions previously on TWiV:
Why the Pandemic Probably Started in a Lab, in 5 Key Points (NY Times)
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

TWiV 1121: SARS-CoV2 still didn't come from a lab Jun 09, 2024

Show notes

TWiV rebuts a recent opinion piece which falsely claims that the COVID-19 pandemic began in a lab (it began in Nature), followed by a discussion of Paride bacteriophage, which has the unsual property of being able to kill dormant, antibiotic-tolerant cells by direct lytic replication.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, Brianne Barker, and Jolene Ramsey

Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

MicrobeTV Discord Server
2024 International HBV Meeting
Register for ASV Annual Meeting
SARS-CoV-2 origin discussions previously on TWiV:
Why the Pandemic Probably Started in a Lab, in 5 Key Points (NY Times)
Phage Paride kills dormant, antibiotic-tolerant cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Nat Comm)
Interview with Enea Maffei (Spotify)
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Brianne – How to build a nuclear warning for 10,000 years' time Rich – Doctor My Eyes | Jackson Browne Alan – WHO Health for All Film Festival winners Jolene – El enemigo de mi enemigo es mi amigo Vincent – A Population Dotmap of New York City and Race and Ethnicity in New York City

Listener Picks

David – The greatest clock (and map) ever made Peter – The Mouse as a Microscope

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 1120: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin Jun 07, 2024

Show notes

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin reports the third case of influenza H5N1 infection in a human, this time with respiratory symptoms, an H5 avian influenza virus wastewater dashboard, FDA approves Moderna's mRNA vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus, vaccine advisors to FDA recommend switching from the XBB.1.5 variant to JN.1 for fall COVID-19 vaccine formulations, weekly US COVID update, a controlled human exhaled breath aerosol experimental study on the relative efficacy of masks and respirators as source control for viral aerosol shedding from people infected with SARS-CoV-2, systematic review of early use of oral antiviral drugs and the risk of post COVID-19 syndrome, long-COVID autonomic syndrome in working age and work ability impairment, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 5.3% of Americans currently have long COVID, and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine presented a report with a number of conclusions about long-COVID diagnosis, symptoms, and impact on daily function.

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Links for this episode

More cattle and dairy workers infected with highly pathogenic H5N1 in Michigan (CDC Newsroom)
Not eye but respiratory human H5N1 in Michigan (CIDRAP)
Emory and Stanford'sH5N1 dashboard (Emory and Stanford)
FDA approval for MRESVIA(FDA)
Moderna RSV vaccine for the elderly (CIDRAP)
Moderna announces approval of MRESVIA (moderna)
FDA VRBPAC meeting for fall COVID boosters (FDA)
JN.1 variant for fall booster (CIDRAP)
COVID-19 national trend (CDC)
COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
Masks and respirators for source control from viral aerosol shedding (Lancet)
Spring vaccine advice (CIDRAP)
Older adult spring booster available (CDC)
Advisory committee for immunization practices slides (CDC)
EUA for pemgarda (FDA)
Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
Early phase of SARs-CoV-2 infection (COVID.gov)
NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
Convalescent plasma recommendations for immunocompromised (IDSociety)
Updated respiratory virus guidances (CDC)
What to do when your healthcare provider is infected with SARS-CoV-2 (CDC)
Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
Steroids, dexamethasone at the right time (OFID)
Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org)
Early use of oral antiviral drugs and risk of long COVID (Journal of Infection)
Early antiviral use associates with low risk of long COVID (CIDRAP)
Long-COVID autonomic syndrome impairment (Scientific reports)
Autonomic nervous assessment tool (hATTR)
Do you know percentage of population with long COVID? (CDC National Center for Health Statistics)
How many symptoms are there to long COVID? (CIDRAP)
Long-term health effects of long COVID (National Academies of Sciences Engineering Medicine)
Long COVID evidence based review TWiV shout out
Contribute to our Floating Doctors fundraiser
Letters read on TWiV 1120
Dr. Griffin's COVID treatment summary (pdf)
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV 1119: Gene editing latent herpes Jun 01, 2024

Show notes

TWiV reviews viral shedding and antibody responses of men with acute monkeypox virus infection, and gene editing for latent herpes simplex virus infection reduces viral load and shedding.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Angela Mingarelli

Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode