This Week in Virology

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TWiV 713: COVID-19 clinical update #47 with Dr. Daniel Griffin Jan 30, 2021

Show notes

In COVID-19 clinical update #47, Daniel Griffin reviews phase 3 results for Novavax and J&J vaccines, transmission in K-12 settings in Wisconsin, data on Lilly and Regeneron monoclonal antibody therapy, and a study of colchicine for treatment of disease.

Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello

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Links for this episode

Novavax vaccine phase 3 results (Novavax)
J&J vaccine phase 3 results (J&J)
COVID-19 and transmission in K-12 schools (MMWR)
Lilly mAb therapy (NEJM)
Regeneron mAb prophylaxis (Regeneron)
Colchicine for COVID-19 (Cardiol Today)
Letters read on TWiV 713
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

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

TWiV 712: Deutscher Virus Wahnsinn Jan 28, 2021

Show notes

Gisa, Steffi, and César join TWiV to discuss their careers, their research, and the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler

Guests: Gisa Gerold, Stefanie Becker, and César Muñoz-Fontela

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Links for this episode

German Society for Virology
Ticks in Germany and TBEV (Sci Rep)
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

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

TWiV 711: The New Heal Jan 24, 2021

Show notes

The TWiVers review Biden's national strategy for the COVID-19 responses and pandemic preparedness, and an evaluation of the BinaxNOW rapid antigen test for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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

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Links for this episode

Biden's COVID-19 strategy (pdf)
CDC evaluation of BinaxNOW antigen test (MMWR)
FDA instructions for BinaxNOW test (pdf)
Adam Neely on Sea Shanties (YouTube)
Letters read on TWiV 711
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Dickson – Spelling Bee Brianne – He Made a Viral Bernie Meme Site. Now He Has to Keep it Going Alan – America's Cup AC75 capsize and aftermath in qualifying race Rich – Game Theory's UNCENSORED Interview With Dr. Fauci | The Truth About COVID-19 Vaccines Vincent – Top Science Podcasts

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

TWiV 710: COVID-19 clinical update #46 with Dr. Daniel Griffin Jan 23, 2021

Show notes

In COVID-19 clinical update #46, Daniel Griffin discusses the BinaxNow rapid antigen test, efficacy of Bamlanivimab in nursing homes, associations of serum vitamin D concentrations with in-hospital mortality and need for invasive mechanical ventilation, trials of IL-6 receptor antagonists, effects of anticoagulants on in-hospital mortality, and symptom persistence in outpatients.

Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello

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Links for this episode

Evaluation of Abbott BinaxNOW (MMWR)
Lilly mAb in nursing homes (WSJ)
Vitamin D and COVID-19 severity (Mayo Clin Proc)
Anticoagulation, aspirin, in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 (medRxiv)
Long COVID symptoms in outpatients (Ann Int Med)
Letters read on TWiV 710
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

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

TWiV 709: COVID cherry picking Jan 21, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, President Biden elevates his science advisor to his Cabinet, a review of the current flu season, the scientific goals of the WHO-convened Global Study of the Origins of SARS-CoV-2, and answers to listener questions.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler

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Links for this episode

President's science advisor to Cabinet (NY Times)
Letter from Biden to Lander (pdf)
Weekly flu (CDC)
Weekly NY flu (NYDOH)
WHO study on SARS-CoV-2 origins (WHO)
Letters read on TWiV 709
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Kathy – 15 YouTubers play Telestrations Vincent – Vince Beiser

Listener Picks

Bob, David, Janet – Sea Shanty by A Cappella Science (YouTube, TikTok, Bandcamp)

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

TWiV 708: Alpaca llama full of nanobodies Jan 17, 2021

Show notes

The TWiVy team deconstructs CoronaVac, the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine produced by Sinovac Biotech, and production of multivalent camelid nanobodies that block infection with the virus and suppress selection of neturalization-resistant variants.

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

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Links for this episode

David Kessler to head Operation Warp Speed (NY Times)
Phase 1/2 results of Sinovac inactivated vaccine (Lancet)
beta-propiolactone (Wikipedia)
Multivalent anti-SARS-CoV-2 nanobodies (Science)
Letters read on TWiV 708
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Dickson – Photos of mob attacking Capitol Brianne – Video of Neutrophil Phagocytosis Alan – Fishing Through the Apocalypse Rich – A Word on Statistics by Wislawa Szymborska Vincent – Letters from an American

Listener Pick

Mike – Have the new jab

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

TWiV 707: COVID-19 clinical update #45 with Dr. Daniel Griffin Jan 16, 2021

Show notes

In COVID-19 clinical update #45, Daniel Griffin discusses J&J Ad26 vaccine results, reactogenicity after the second dose of mRNA vaccines, expansion of vaccine eligibility, and the finding that encephalitis after SARS-CoV-2 infection is a cytokine release syndrome.

Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello

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Links for this episode

J&J Ad26 vaccine phase 1/2 results (NEJM)
SARS-CoV-2 encephalitis is a cytokine release syndrome (CID)
Letters read on TWiV 707
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

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

TWiV 706: Do as Dr. Fauci says Jan 14, 2021

Show notes

TWiV answers listener questions about pandemic response, excess deaths in 25-44 year olds, vaccines, vaccines, and vaccines.

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

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Links for this episode

Poems are at Twiverse
2020 US traffic deaths (Car & Driver)
National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (HRSA)
Jet injector (Wikipedia)
Letters read on TWiV 706
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Brianne – We Know Almost Nothing About Giant Viruses Rich – The Coccolithophores Project Kathy – v-safe and Vaccine Handbook Vincent – Gorillas at San Diego Zoo infected with SARS-CoV-2 (pdf)

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

TWiV 705: Rocky Mountain COVID with Emily Travanty Jan 10, 2021

Show notes

Emily Travanty from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment joins TWiV to discuss how her laboratory was the first in the US to detect the SARS-CoV-2 variant VOC 202012/01.

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

Guest: Emily Travanty

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Links for this episode

VOC detected in Colorado (WaPo)
US has sequenced only 50,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomes (CDC)
Human CoV evolves to escape immunity (bioRxiv)
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Dickson – Randal Despommier on saxophone Brianne – Giant Microbes SARS-CoV2 Alan – West of Loathing Rich – Draft landscape of COVID-19 candidate vaccines Vincent – SARS-CoV-2 spillover events

Listener Pick

Daniel – His Vaccine Story Inspired His Father To Write A Disn ey Classic

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

TWiV 704: COVID-19 clinical update #44 with Dr. Daniel Griffin Jan 09, 2021

Show notes

In this COVID-19 clinical update, Daniel Griffin summarizes current status of vaccination in the US, discusses a study on convalescent sera from Argentina, use of remdesivir in patients with kidney disease, and provides further considerations on the use of Ct values in patient management.

Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello

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Links for this episode