This Week in Virology

Latest Episodes:

TWiV 1048: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin Sep 30, 2023

Show notes

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses a molnupiravir-associated mutational signature in global SARS-CoV-2 genomes, inhaled fluticasone furoate for outpatient treatment of COVID-19, optimal duration of systemic corticosteroids in COVID-19 treatment, early antibody treatment, inflammation, and risk of post-COVID conditions, autonomic dysregulation in long-term patients suffering from post-COVID-19 syndrome assessed by heart rate variability, and multiorgan MRI findings after hospitalization with COVID-19 in the UK.

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Links for this episode

Molnupiravir-associated mutational signature in global SARS-CoV-2 genomes (Nature)
Inhaled fluticasone furoate for outpatient treatment of COVID-19 (NEJM)
Optimal duration of systemic corticosteroids in COVID-19 treatment (OFID)
Distinguishing features of Long COVID identified through immune profiling (Nature)
Early antibody treatment, inflammation, and risk of post-COVID conditions (mBIO)
Autonomic dysregulation in long-term patients suffering from post COVID-19 syndrome (SR)
Multiorgan MRI findings after hospitalization with COVID-19 in the UK (The Lancet)
Contribute to our Floating Doctors fundraiser at PWB
Letters read on TWiV 1048
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 1047: Long COVID and avian flu in ferrets Sep 24, 2023

Show notes

TWiV explains a study of postacute sequelae of COVID-19 at 2 years, and respiratory droplet transmission of human-isolated avian H3N8 influenza virus between ferrets.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker

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Links for this episode

MicrobeTV Discord Server
MicrobeTV store at Cafepress
Research assistant position in Rosenfeld Lab CBER/FDA (pdf) 4:20
Postacute sequelae of COVID-19 at 2 years (Nat Med)
Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) (WHO)
Respiratory droplet transmission of H3N8 virus (Cell)
Letters read on TWiV 1047
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Dickson – UN Climate Action and California sues oil companies for exacerbating climate change Brianne – COVID Drugs are a Miracle Cure for Cats Rich – American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin Vincent – Free Carl Zimmer writings

Listener Pick

Anne – She wrote to a scientist about her fatigue. It inspired a breakthrough. Alan – This Tiny Parasitic Wasp Can Drill Through Plastic

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

TWiV 1046: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin Sep 23, 2023

Show notes

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses wastewater surveillance data as a complement to emergency department visit data for tracking the incidence of influenza A and RSV, chatbot-delivered online intervention to promote seasonal Influenza vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic, temporal assessment of disparities in California COVID-19 mortality by industry, modeling the impact of a high-uptake bivalent booster scenario on the COVID-19 burden and healthcare costs in New York City, can high COVID-19 vaccination rates in adults help protect unvaccinated children, Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir use and hospitalizations or death in previously uninfected non-hospitalized high-risk population with COVID-19, Optimal duration of systemic corticosteroids in COVID-19 treatment, and vaccination after developing long COVID.

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Links for this episode

Wastewater surveillance data as a complement to tracking incidence of influenza A and RSV (CDC)
Chatbot-delivered online intervention to promote seasonal influenza vaccination (JAMA)
Temporal assessment of disparities in California COVID-19 mortality by industry (AOE)
CDC/HICPAC's plan to weaken guidance for health care respiratory protection and infection control (NNU)
Modelling the impact of a high-uptake bivalent booster scenario on COVID-19 burden (The Lancet)
Can high COVID-19 vaccination rates in adults help protect unvaccinated children? (ES)
Paxlovid use and hospitalizations or death in previously uninfected high-risk population with COVID-19 (JID)
Optimal duration of systemic corticosteroids in COVID-19 treatment (OFID)
Vaccination after developing long COVID (IJID)
Contribute to our Floating Doctors fundraiser at PWB
Letters read on TWiV 1046
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 1045: Less Lassa, CRISPR RNA viruses Sep 17, 2023

Show notes

TWiV reviews a Lassa virus mRNA vaccine that confers protection against disease without inducing neutralizing antibodies, and a CRISPR-based method for engineering the genome of RNA viruses.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, Brianne Barker, and Angela Mingarelli

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Links for this episode

MicrobeTV Discord Server
MicrobeTV store at Cafepress
Research assistant position in Rosenfeld Lab CBER/FDA (pdf)
Virologist Bob Lamb dies (Northwestern Now)
Lassa virus mRNA vaccine (Nat Commun)
CRISPR engineering of RNA viruses (Sci Adv)
Letters read on TWiV 1045
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Angela – More than 5,000 new species discovered in Pacific deep-sea mining hotspot (journal article) Brianne – The story of our universe may be starting to unravel Rich – Sunlight Changes Unequally All Year Long Alan – Arm swing asymmetry in overground walking Vincent – The Farm at the Javits Center

Listener Pick

Asal – Ig Nobel Prizes honor zombie spiders, rock-licking scientists, and a clever commode

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

TWiV 1044: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin Sep 16, 2023

Show notes

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of coadministration of COVID-19 and Influenza vaccines, interim effectiveness estimates of 2023 southern hemisphere influenza vaccines in preventing Influenza-associated hospitalizations, genome-wide association study of susceptibility to RSV hospitalization in young children

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Links for this episode

Immunogenicity and reactogenicity of coadministration of COVID-19 and Influenza vaccines (JAMA)
Effectiveness estimates of Influenza vaccines in preventing associated hospitalizations (CDC)
Genome-wide association study of susceptibility to RSV hospitalization in children (JID)
Performance of rapid antigen tests to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection (AIN)
Safety and immunogenicity of XBB.1.5-containing mRNA vaccines (medRxiv)
C.D.C. director explains why you should get the latest Covid booster (Nytimes)
Optimal duration of systemic corticosteroids in COVID-19 treatment (OFID)
Timing and predictors of loss of infectivity among healthcare workers with COVID-19 (CID)
Effect of famotidine on cognitive and behavioral dysfunctions induced in post-COVID-19 infection (JPR)
Contribute to our Floating Doctors fundraiser at PWB
Letters read on TWiV 1044
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 1043: Marion Koopmans on COVID-19, Mpox, H5N1, polio and One Health Sep 10, 2023

Show notes

From the European Society for Clinical Virology meeting in Milan, Vincent speaks with Marion Koopmans about COVID-19, Mpox, H5N1 and polio, and the promise of a One Health approach to prevent outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics.

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guest: Marion Koopmans

Click arrow to play Download TWiV 1043 (45 MB .mp3, 62 min) Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email

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Links for this episode

MicrobeTV Discord Server
MicrobeTV store at Cafepress
Research assistant position in Rosenfeld Lab CBER/FDA (pdf)
SARS-CoV-2 variants in Rotterdam wastewater (Sci Tot Environ)
SARS-CoV-2 in mink and other animals (Transbound Emerg Dis)
Mpox in Netherlands (EuroSurveill)
Divergent SARS-CoV-2 in immunocompromised patient (Emerg Inf Dis)
Accelerated SARS-CoV-2 evolution in deer (Nat Commun)
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

TWiV 1042: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin Sep 09, 2023

Show notes

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses China's health authorities fighting surge in cases of Mpox unknown origin, analysis of seasonal variation of antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract diagnoses in primary care practices, prevalence and associated outcomes of co-infection between SARS-CoV-2 and influenza, comparison of bivalent and monovalent mRNA vaccine boosters, optimal duration of systemic corticosteroids in COVID-19 treatment, acute blood biomarker profiles predict cognitive deficits 6 and 12 months after COVID-19 hospitalization, temporal changes in fecal microbiota of patients infected with COVID-19, and long-term survival after intensive care for COVID-19.

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Links for this episode

China's health authorities fight surge in cases of unknown origin (BMJ)
Analysis of seasonal variation of antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract diagnoses (ASHE)
Prevalence and outcomes of co-infection between SARS-CoV-2 and influenza (IJID)
Comparison of bivalent and monovalent mRNA vaccine boosters (CID)
Optimal duration of systemic corticosteroids in COVID-19 treatment (OFID)
Acute blood biomarker profiles predict cognitive deficits after COVID-19 hospitalization (Nature)
Temporal changes in fecal microbiota of patients infected with COVID-19 (BMC)
Long-term survival after intensive care for COVID-19 (AIC)
Contribute to our Floating Doctors fundraiser at PWB
Letters read on TWiV 1042
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 1041: Novel oral polio vaccine? with Raul Andino and Kostya Chumakov Sep 03, 2023

Show notes

Vincent speaks with Raul and Kostya about the development of novel oral polio vaccine from the Sabin type 2 strain, its deployment in over 600 million children, and whether it can lead to eradication of poliomyelitis.

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guests: Raul Andino and Kostya Chumakov

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

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

MicrobeTV Discord Server
MicrobeTV store at Cafepress
Research assistant position in Rosenfeld Lab CBER/FDA (pdf)
Engineering OPV (Cell Host Microbe)
Poliopolis (Lancet)
nOPV2 (Polioeradication.org)
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

TWiV 1040: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin Sep 02, 2023

Show notes

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses the public health significance of finding autochthonous melioidosis cases in the continental United States, human neural larva migrans caused by Ophidascaris robertsi ascarid, Project nextgen awards over $1.4 billion to develop the future of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics, excess all-cause mortality in China after ending the zero COVID policy, international pediatric COVID-19 severity over the course of the pandemic, differences in SARS-CoV-2 specific humoral and cellular immune responses after contralateral and ipsilateral COVID-19 vaccination, Pfizer and BioNTech receive positive CHMP opinion for Omicron XBB.1.5-adapted COVID-19 vaccine in the European Union, clinical antiviral efficacy of Remdesivir in COVID-19, optimal duration of systemic corticosteroids in COVID-19 treatment, clinical outcomes associated with overestimation of oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, risk of autoimmune diseases following COVID-19 and the potential protective effect from vaccination.

Click arrow to play Download TWiV 1040 (19 MB .mp3, 27 min)

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Links for this episode

Public health significance of finding autochthonous melioidosis cases (PLOS)
Human neural larva migrans caused by Ophidascaris robertsi ascarid (EID)
Project nextgen awards over $1.4 billion to develop the future of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics (HHS)
Excess all-cause mortality in China after ending the zero COVID policy (JAMA)
International pediatric COVID-19 severity over the course of the pandemic (JAMA)
Differences in SARS-CoV-2 specific humoral and cellular immune responses after COVID-19 vaccination (eBioMedicine)
Pfizer/BioNTech receive positive CHMP opinion for COVID-19 vaccine in the EU (Pfizer)
Clinical antiviral efficacy of Remdesivir in COVID-19 (JID)
Optimal duration of systemic corticosteroids in COVID-19 treatment (OFID)
Clinical outcomes associated with overestimation of oxygen saturation in patients with COVID-19 (JAMA)
Risk of autoimmune diseases following COVID-19 and the potential protective effect from vaccination (eClinicalMedicine)
Contribute to our Floating Doctors fundraiser at PWB
Letters read on TWiV 1040
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 1039: Landmines for phages, a mouthful of redondoviruses Aug 27, 2023

Show notes

TWiV describes how a viral capsid protein activates a bacterial innate immune system that interferes with protein synthesis, and human-associated redondoviruses that infect the commensal protozoan Entamoeba gingivalis.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Jolene Ramsey

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

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Links for this episode