This Week in Virology

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TWiV 922: TWiV clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin Jul 30, 2022

Show notes

In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses monkeypox infection in humans across 16 countries, pregnancy outcomes after SARS-CoV-2 infection by trimester, vaccination intent and belief, antiviral drug treatment for non-severe disease, the association of smoking with infected hospitalized patients, the association of Paxlovid on negative conversion rates among high-risk patients with COVID-19, safety and efficacy of Molnupiravir, usage of enoxaparin for primary thromboprophylaxis, statin and aspirin as therapy in infected patients, post-COVID-19 conditions among children 90 days after SARS-CoV-2 Infection, and symptoms and risk factors for long COVID in non-hospitalized adults.

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Links for this episode

Monkeypox infection in humans (NEJM)
Pregnancy outcomes after infection (PLOS ONE)
Vaccination intent and belief (Emerging Infectious Diseases)
Antiviral drug treatment for non-severe disease (CMAJ)
Smoking association with infected hospitalized patients (PLOS ONE)
Impact of Paxlovid on negative conversion rates (CID)
PAXLOVID patient eligibility screening checklist (FDA)
Remdesivir fact sheet for providers (Veklury)
Bebtelovimab fact sheet for providers (FDA)
Safety and efficacy of Molnupiravir (Journal of Medical Virology)
Enoxaparin for primary thromboprophylaxis (OVID)
Statin and aspirin as therapy in infected patients (BMC)
Post-infection conditions among children (JAMA)
Symptoms and risk factors for long-term effects (Nature Medicine)
Contribute to FIMRC fundraiser at PWB
Dr. Griffin's treatment guide (pdf)
Letters read on TWiV 922
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

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

TWiV 920: Science will break your heart Jul 24, 2022

Show notes

From ASV 2022 in Madison, Wisconsin, TWiV speaks with Pamela Bjorkman and Andy Mehle about their careers and their research on influenza virus, HIV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and influenza virus.

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

Guests: Pamela Bjorkman and Andy Mehle

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Links for this episode

Bjorkman laboratory
Mehle laboratory
Finding the groove (Nat Immunol)
Structure of HLA-A2 (Nat Immunol)
Mosaic RBD nanoparticles (Science)
Influenza virus PB2 627 (J Virol)
ANP32B or not to be (eLife)
Influenza virus compartmentalization (Nat Commun)
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

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

TWiV 921: COVID-19 clinical update #124 with Dr. Daniel Griffin Jul 23, 2022

Show notes

In COVID-19 clinical update #124, Dr. Griffin discusses the results of a variant vaccine booster trial, the neutralization of variant sub-lineages by Novavax, the CDC's recommendation of Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine in adults, Paxlovid in patients who are immunocompromised and hospitalized, and inhaled fluticasone for outpatient treatment.

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Links for this episode

Variant vaccine boosters trial (medRxiv)
Novavax triggers neutralization of variant sub-lineages (bioRxiv)
CDC recommends Novavax (CDC)
Paxlovid in patients who are immunocompromised and hospitalized (The Lancet)
Inhaled Fluticasone for outpatient treatment (medRxiv)
PAXLOVID patient eligibility screening checklist (FDA)
Remdesivir fact sheet for providers (Veklury)
Bebtelovimab fact sheet for providers (FDA)
Contribute to FIMRC fundraiser at PWB
Dr. Griffin's treatment guide (pdf)
Letters read on TWiV 921
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

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

TWiV 919: Motivated by volatiles Jul 17, 2022

Show notes

TWiV reviews the FDA decision to update COVID-19 vaccine boosters in the fall, the meaning of fatigue with respect to long COVID, and a skin volatile induced by flavivirus reproduction that attracts mosquitoes to the infected host.

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

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Links for this episode

COVID-19 vaccine booster composition (FDA)
Settling in for the long haul (Crooked Timber)
Flavivirus-induced skin volatile attracts mosquitoes (Cell)
Letters read on TWiV 919
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Brianne – Redactle Kathy – Kirigami paper replacing plastic bubble wrap Rich – First Images from the James Webb Space Telescope (Gravitational lens; Einstein ring) Vincent – Spotted lanternfly

Listener Picks

Ann – NASA Engineer Who Made the James Webb Space Telescope Work Sonrisa – Aloft – the pleasures and risks of flying

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

TWiV 918: COVID-19 clinical update #123 with Dr. Daniel Griffin Jul 16, 2022

Show notes

In COVID-19 clinical update #123, Dr. Griffin discusses rapid diagnostic testing in response to the monkeypox outbreak, leading causes of death in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic, antibody evasion by subvariants, broadly-neutralizing antibodies against emerging variants, factors associated with severe outcomes among hospitalized immunocompromised adults, measurement of the burden of hospitalizations during the pandemic, parental vaccine hesitancy in diverse communities, evaluating saliva sampling to improve access to diagnosis in low-resource settings, oral sabizabulin for high-risk hospitalized adults, lower-risk of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, and neurovascular injury with complement activation and inflammation during infection.

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Links for this episode

Monkeypox outbreak rapid testing response (CDC)
Leading causes of death during pandemic (JAMA)
FDA recommends vaccine update (FDA)
Antibody evasion by subvariants (Nature)
Broadly-Neutralizing antibodies against variants (Frontiers in Immunology)
Severe outcomes factors in immunocompromised adults (CDC)
Measurement of the burden of hospitalizations (OFID)
Vaccine hesitancy among parents (Academic Pediatrics)
PAXLOVID patient eligibility screening checklist (FDA)
Remdesivir fact sheet for providers (Veklury)
Bebtelovimab fact sheet for providers (FDA)
Saliva evaluation to improve diagnostics (ASTMH)
Oral Sabizabulin for high-risk adults (NEJM)
Lower risk of MIS-C in children (CID)
Neurovascular injury during infection (Brain)
Paul Offit on TWiV 917
Contribute to FIMRC fundraiser at PWB
Dr. Griffin's treatment guide (pdf)
Letters read on TWiV 918
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

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

TWiV 917: Boosters on, Paul Offit Jul 10, 2022

Show notes

Paul Offit returns to TWiV to discuss why, during the recent FDA advisory committee meeting, he voted against releasing revised COVID-19 vaccines containing an Omicron component, and the reasons why children must be vaccinated against the disease.

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

Guest: Paul Offit

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Links for this episode

28 June 2022 VRBPAC meeting materials (FDA)
Don't rush to change COVID vaccines (STAT)
Monkeypox situation report #1 (WHO)
Letters read on TWiV 917
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Dickson – Woody Herman and his orchestra. 1955-1965. Signature song: The Preacher. Signature album: Woody Herman and His Orchestra (1956) Kathy – Solargraphic analemmas Rich – Windy (desktop; app) Vincent – Why monkeypox is mostly hitting men who have sex with men

Listener Picks

Mark – Hand Wash Dance – NHK WORLD-JAPAN

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

TWiV 916: COVID-19 clinical update #122 with Dr. Daniel Griffin Jul 09, 2022

Show notes

In COVID-19 clinical update #122, Dr. Griffin discusses vaccine availability and coverage among children, post-infection health impairments in children and adolescents, infection detection using salvia and nasopharyngeal samples, effectiveness of vaccines during delta dominance, durability of vaccine against severe outcomes, concern in the postvaccination era, infection rebound after Paxlovid & Molnupiravir, lack of improvement after adding ivermectin to standard care, duration of shedding of virus, how thromboprophylaxis reduces thromboembolism but increases major bleeding, multi-lineage neural and myelin dysregulation caused by infection, and the association between vaccination and post-acute infection.

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Links for this episode

The next epidemic may be here (STAT)
Vaccine availability and coverage among children (CDC)
Post-infection health impairments in children & adolescents (Pediatrics)
Infection detection using saliva & nasopharyngeal samples (Journal of Medical Virology)
Effectiveness of vaccines during Delta dominance (The Lancet)
Durability of vaccine against severe outcomes (The Lancet)
Don't rush to change COVID vaccines (STAT)
Concern in the postvaccination era (Immunity, Inflammation and Disease)
Infection rebound after Paxlovid & Molnupiravir (medRxiv)
No improvement after Ivermectin usage (ACP)
Duration of shedding of virus (New England Journal of Medicine)
Infectious viral load vaccinated vs unvaccinated (Nat Med)
Thromboprophylaxis reduces thromboembolism (NIH)
Multi-lineage neural cell and myelin dysregulation caused by infection (Cell)
Association between vaccination and post-acute infection (JAMA)
Contribute to FIMRC fundraiser at PWB
Dr. Griffin's treatment guide (pdf)
Letters read on TWiV 916
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

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

TWiV 915: Mouse mouth to mouse mom Jul 03, 2022

Show notes

TWiV discusses the recent decision by an FDA advisory committee to update COVID vaccines for the fall, the monkeypox virus outbreak, and the finding that enteric viruses infect the salivary glands and are transmitted through saliva.

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

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Links for this episode

Postdoctoral position in the Kielian Laboratory (pdf)
COVID vaccine update for fall (WaPo)
Don't rush to change COVID vaccines (STAT)
Materials from 28 June FDA advisory meeting (FDA)
Monkeypox cases US and Global (CDC)
Enteric viruses transmit via saliva (Nature)
Letters read on TWiV 915
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Dickson – Jazz big bands #2: Maynard Ferguson: Signature song: Theme From Rocky: Signature album: Color Him Wild Brianne – Origami antibody and virus Kathy – Turbines resistant to high winds Rich – Obi-Wan Kenobi (TV Series) Vincent – The next epidemic may be here. The US isn't ready for it.

Listener Picks

David: DALL E 2 Douglas – Jazz Online

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

TWiV 914: COVID-19 clinical update #121 with Dr. Daniel Griffin Jul 02, 2022

Show notes

In COVID-19 clinical update #121, Dr. Griffin discusses age as a risk factor for severe disease, updated vaccine boosters for the fall, pediatric infection and antibody seroprevalence in Arkansas over the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, all-cause maternal mortality in the United States before and during the pandemic, and the effect of 2-week interruption in methotrexate treatment and how it impacts vaccine immunity.

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Links for this episode

Age as a risk factor for severe disease (NY Times)
Omicron boosters for the fall (NPR)
Pediatric infection and antibody seroprevalence in Arkansas (PIDS)
All-cause US maternal mortality during pandemic (JAMA)
Effect of 2-week interruption in methotrexate treatment (The Lancet)
PAXLOVID patient eligibility screening checklist (FDA)
Remdesivir fact sheet for providers (Veklury)
Bebtelovimab fact sheet for providers (FDA)
PAXLOVID drug interaction checker (IDSA)
Contribute to FIMRC fundraiser at PWB 35:42
Dr. Griffin's treatment guide (pdf)
Letters read on TWiV 914
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

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

TWiV 913: Twinkle twinkle little SARS Jun 26, 2022

Show notes

TWiV explains the meaning of vaccine-derived poliovirus found in London sewage, risk of long COVID after infections with Delta or Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2, and enhancers of innate immune signaling as broad-spectrum antivirals.

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

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Links for this episode