This Week in Virology

Latest Episodes:

TWiV Special: One COVID vaccine for them all with Paul Offit Feb 03, 2023

Show notes

Paul Offit returns to TWiV to unpack the recent FDA Advisory Panel on COVID vaccines, with discussions on giving everyone the same bivalent vaccine, simplifying the immunization schedule, and how to know when the vaccine should be updated.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Rich Condit

Guest: Paul Offit

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Links for this episode

FDA briefing document (pdf)
Effectiveness of bivalent booster against severe infection (NEJM)
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 979: Flushing out the viroids Jan 29, 2023

Show notes

TWiV gives an update on poliovirus in wastewater, and reveals a vast world of viroids that infect a wide range of host species in diverse ecosystems.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler

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Links for this episode

•Research assistant position at FDA (pdf) •Register for ASV 2023 •MicrobeTV Discord Server •Nick Muzyczka passes •CDC planning wastewater testing for polio (CDC) •Wastewater testing for poliovirus (MMWR) •NY state poliovirus wastewater surveillance (NYSDOH) •CDC wastewater poliovirus surveillance in select communities (CDC) •Vast world of viroid-like RNAs (Cell) •Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Kathy – 3B new Milky Way objects, Green comet Rich – Virology under the Microscope—a Call for Rational Discourse Alan – Indie story-driven games series #3: Valiant Hearts: The Great War Vincent – Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee Meeting January 26, 2023 – pdf

Listener Picks

Florencia – An elegant way to stop deadly Hendra virus spillovers from bats to horses … to us (Nature article)

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 978: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin Jan 28, 2023

Show notes

In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses co-detections of other respiratory viruses among children hospitalized with COVID-19, preprint review should form part of PhD programs and postdoc training, early and increased Influenza activity among children, COVID-19 vaccines versus pediatric hospitalization, SARS-CoV-2 variant-related abnormalities detected by prenatal MRI, protective effectiveness of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and hybrid immunity against the Omicron variant and severe disease, protective effectiveness of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and hybrid immunity against the omicron variant and severe disease, persistent COVID-19 Symptoms at 6 months after onset and the role of vaccination before or after SARS-COV-2 infection, effect of Dexamethasone use on viral clearance among patients with COVID-19, and the impact of vaccination on post-acute sequelae of SARS CoV-2 infection in patients with rheumatic diseases.

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Links for this episode

Codetections of other respiratory viruses among children with COVID-19 (Pediatrics)
Preprint review should form part of PhD programmes and postdoc training (Nature)
Early and increased Influenza activity among children (CDC)
COVID-19 vaccines versus pediatric hospitalization (Cell)
SARS-CoV-2 variant abnormalities detected by prenatal MRI (The Lancet)
Protective effectiveness of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and hybrid immunity (The Lancet)
Persistent COVID-19 symptoms at 6 months and role of vaccination (JAMA)
Effects of Dexamethasone use among patients with COVID-19 (IJID)
Impact of vaccination on sequelae of SARS CoV-2 in patients with rheumatic diseases (BMJ)
Contribute to our MicrobeTV fundraiser at PWB
Dr. Griffin's treatment guide (pdf)
Letters read on TWiV 978
Don't crush Paxlovid (pdf)
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV 977: Ageing is infectious Jan 22, 2023

Show notes

TWiV covers a study of SARS-CoV-2 persistence at multiple sites in the human body, and the role of endogenous retroviruses in ageing and senescence.

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

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Links for this episode

•Research assistant position at FDA (pdf) •Register for ASV 2023 •MicrobeTV Discord Server •Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 (Nature) •Endogenous retroviruses and senescence (Cell) •Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Dickson – Baritone Saxophone: Gerry Mulligan. No one else comes close Signature song: Bernie's Tune Angela – World's Longest Animal Brianne – Green Comet to Pass By Earth for first time in 50,000 years Alan – Indie games series: Golf Club Wasteland Vincent – Bivalent Covid-19 Vaccines — A Cautionary Tale

Listener Picks

Lisa – The River and the Wall

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 976: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin Jan 21, 2023

Show notes

In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses China reporting almost 60,000 Covid-related deaths after abrupt shift in policy, detection of SARS-CoV-2 IgA and IgG in human milk and breastfeeding infant stool 6 months after maternal COVID-19 vaccination, effect of Fluvoxamine vs placebo on time to sustained recovery in outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19, hyperimmune globulin for severely immunocompromised patients hospitalized with COVID-19, long COVID outcomes at one year after mild SARS-CoV-2 infection, long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations, a systematic review of trials currently investigating therapeutic modalities for post-acute COVID-19 syndrome and registered on World Health Organization international clinical trials platform, and the effect of using a structured pacing protocol on post-exertional symptom exacerbation and health status in a longitudinal cohort with the post-COVID-19 syndrome.

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Links for this episode

China records almost 60,000 COVID-related deaths (SCMP)
Detection of SARS-CoV-2 IgA and IgG in human milk and breastfeeding infant stool (Nature)
Effect of Fluvoxamine vs placebo in outpatients with COVID-19 (JAMA)
Hyperimmune Globulin for immunocompromised patients with COVID-19 (JID)
Long COVID outcomes at one year after mild infection (BMJ)
Major findings, mechanisms and recommendations for Long COVID (Nature)
Review of trials investigating therapeutic modalities for post-acute COVID-19 (CMI)
Effect of using a structured pacing protocol (JMV)
Contribute to our MicrobeTV fundraiser at PWB
Dr. Griffin's treatment guide (pdf)
Letters read on TWiV 976
Don't crush Paxlovid (pdf)
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV 975: Crossing the Ts with Daniela Weiskopf Jan 15, 2023

Show notes

Daniela joins TWiV to discuss her career and her research on T cells, their role in infection with SARS-CoV-2, T cell epitopes and why a variant that evades T cell immunity is not likely to emerge.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Brianne Barker

Guest: Daniela Weiskopf

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Links for this episode

•Research assistant position at FDA (pdf) •Register for ASV 2023 •Cross reactive T cells to SARS-CoV-2 (Science) •SARS-CoV-2 exposure history and T cell response (Cell Rep Med) •Spike T cells cross- recognize Omicron (Nature) •Ancestral SARS-CoV-2 T cells recognize Omicron (Nature) •NVX-CoV2373 induces T cell responses (J Clin Inves) •Letters read on TWiV 975 •Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Brianne – Video of viral attachment (based on this article) Alan – Starting a series of innovative indie video games. First up: The Longing. Vincent – The Amy Papers and Calendar for live events

Listener Picks

Judy – Innate immune evasion strategies of SARS-CoV-2 Charles – Who's Talking to Chris Wallace? Season 1, epitope 30: Dr. Anthony Fauci on HBO Max

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 974: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin Jan 14, 2023

Show notes

In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses poliovirus returns to New York wastewater, COVID-19 is more widespread in animals than we thought, increasing ventilation reduces SARS-CoV-2 airborne transmission in schools, the use of carbon dioxide monitoring to assess ventilation at a national infectious diseases conference, effectiveness of the bivalent mRNA vaccine in preventing severe COVID-19 outcomes, 7-month duration of SARS-CoV-2 mucosal immunoglobulin-A responses and protection, and long COVID outcomes at one year after mild SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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Links for this episode

COVID-19 more widespread in animals than thought (Nat Geo)
Increasing ventilation reduces airborne transmission in schools (Frontiers)
Carbon dioxide monitoring to assess ventilation at a NID conference (CID)
Paxlovid patient eligbiliity screening checklist (FDA)
Effectiveness of bivalent mRNA vaccine in preventing severe COVID-19 (Lancet)
Duration of SARS-CoV-2 mucosal immunoglobulin-A responses and protection (Lancet)
Long COVID outcomes at one year after mild SARS-CoV-2 infection (BMJ)
Contribute to our MicrobeTV fundraiser at PWB
Dr. Griffin's treatment guide (pdf)
Letters read on TWiV 974
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV 973: Crouching virus, hidden triggers with Felicia Goodrum Jan 08, 2023

Show notes

Felicia joins TWiV to discuss her career and her research on human cytomegalovirus, which infects most of us for our entire lives yet mainly causes disease in the immunosuppressed.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Brianne Barker

Guest: Felicia Goodrum

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Links for this episode

•Research assistant position at FDA (pdf) •The loss of binary (Curr Clin Micro Rep) •Virology in Peril (mBio) •Letters read on TWiV 973 •Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Brianne – "Leukocyte" immunology video parody Alan – West Point Removing Confederate Monuments, and Ty Seidule's book on that subject Vincent – The works of Haruki Murakami – South of the Border, West of the Sun; also short stories (First Person Singular, particularly Confessions of a Shinagawa Monkey; and Men Without Women, particularly Drive My Car)

Listener Picks

Karen – On All Fours: Transient Laborers, the Threat of Movement, and the Aftermath of Disease Kevin – James Hoffmann and Bald and Bankrupt

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 972: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin Jan 07, 2023

Show notes

In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses the infectiousness of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections and reinfections during the Omicron wave, virological characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 XBB variant derived from recombination of two Omicron subvariants, antibody evasion properties of rising SARS-CoV-2 BQ and XBB subvariants, comparative effectiveness of third doses of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines in US veterans, time to negative PCR conversion among high-risk patients with mild-to-moderate Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 COVID-19 treated by Sotrovimab or Nirmatrelvir, COVID drug Paxlovid was hailed as a game-changer, what happened?, the Fc-effector function of COVID-19 convalescent plasma contributes to SARS-CoV-2 treatment efficacy in mice, SARS-CoV-2 infection and persistence in the human body and brain at autopsy, long-term cardiovascular outcomes of COVID-19, and how heart-disease risk soars after COVID — even with a mild case.

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Links for this episode

Infectiousness of breakthrough infections & reinfections during Omicron wave (Nature)
Virological characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 XBB variant (bioRxiv)
Antibody evasion properties of BQ and XBB subvariants (Cell)
Comparative effectiveness of third doses of mRNA vaccines in US veterans (Nature)
Time to negative PCR conversion among high-risk patients treated by Sotrovimab or Nirmatrelvir (CMI)
Paxlovid patient eligbiliity screening checklist (FDA)
COVID drug Paxlovid was hailed as a game-changer. What happened? (Nature)
Fc-effector function of COVID-19 convalescent plasma contributes to treatment efficacy (Cell)
SARS-CoV-2 infection and persistence in the human body and brain at autopsy (Nature)
Long-term cardiovascular outcomes of COVID-19 (Nature)
Heart-disease risk soars after COVID (Nature)
Contribute to our MicrobeTV fundraiser at PWB
Dr. Griffin's treatment guide (pdf)
Letters read on TWiV 972
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV 971: Another year is viral Jan 01, 2023

Show notes

In the first epitope of 2023, TWiV reviews our coverage of virology in 2022, including favorite story arcs, episodes, show titles, and much more.

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

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Links for this episode

Our favorite 2022 virology stories: •Vincent: Paul Offit on bivalent boosters (TWiV 917, 942, Special) •Dickson: Interviews with Paul Offit and Andy Slavitt •Rich: TWiV 948: Breathless with David Quammen •Kathy: TWiV 915: Mouse mouth to mouse mom •Brianne: Spillovers (TWiV 923 and 876) •Vincent: Giant viruses (TWiV 873, 906, 968) •Dickson: TWiV 960 – Getting Funky with Dan Wilson •Rich: TWiV 927: Merchlinsky vs monkeypox •Kathy: TWiV 958: Pass the RNA and have some venison pi •Brianne: TWiV 869: Epstein-Barr virus and MS, a perfect storm •Twiverse •Letters read on TWiV 968 •Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Dickson – Jazz Project: Tenor saxophone: John Coltrane/Dexter Gordon/Stan Getz: John Coltrane: Signature album: Giant Steps: Signature song: Blue Train; Dexter Gordon: Signature album: The Other Side Of Round Midnight. Signature song: Round Midnight; Stan Getz (with Charlie Byrd on guitar): Signature Album: Jazz Samba; Signature song: Desafinado Brianne – A Full Circle Rainbow over Norway Kathy – Frozen soap bubbles Rich – It's Turtles All the Way Down in the Fossil Record by Asher Elbein Vincent – Vincent's Top Ten Music

Listener Picks

Charles – Wayne Bergeron and Vince DiMartino MacArthur Park

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv