In this episode of Going anti-Viral, Dr Michael Saag speaks with Dr Andy Pavia of the University of Utah for an update on COVID-19. Dr Pavia and Dr Saag review COVID-19 cases and deaths in 2024 including a discussion about the reasons why deaths have declined compared with earlier years in the pandemic. They also review Long COVID and challenges clinicians face with treatment. Dr Pavia provides a detailed review of COVID-19 vaccines and effectiveness including recommendations on who should be vaccinated. Dr Saag and Dr Pavia review COVID-19 testing, including home testing and antiviral (including monoclonal antibody) treatments. They also discuss how best to provide early treatment to persons at high risk of developing severe disease. Finally, they provide predictions for the future including possible improvements in next generation of COVID-19 vaccines.

0:00 – Introduction

1:21 – COVID-19 cases and deaths in 2024

3:21 – Discussion of reduction in deaths 

5:11 – Evolution of COVID-19 immunity and discussion of Long COVID

12:37 – Challenges in treating Long COVID

16:20 – Review of data on effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and current recommendations on who should receive a vaccine

19:10 – Recommendations on use of antiviral treatments and testing – including recommendations for persons at high risk for developing severe disease

23:16 – Discussion of use of remdesivir

24:44 – Recommendations for use of pemivibart in persons who are immune compromised 

26:30 – Predictions for future therapies and vaccines 

28:11 – Summary and closing remarks 

__________________________________________________

Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email [email protected] to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

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In this episode of Going anti-Viral, Dr Michael Saag speaks with Dr Melanie Thompson who is a clinical researcher and provider of HIV clinical care in Atlanta, Georgia. As Principal Investigator and Executive Director of the AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta (ARCA), she has led over 400 studies of HIV treatment and prevention and is recognized as an expert in the treatment of patients with HIV. In the episode, Dr Thompson and Dr Saag discuss the recently released 2024 update of primary care guidance for providers who care for persons with HIV by the HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (see links in resources below). They address topics such as telemedicine, outreach to underserved populations, and how to create a welcoming clinic to improve retention in care. They discuss how HIV providers have been leaders in primary care in areas like hepatitis and address how to bring future generations of providers into HIV medicine. Finally, they address the importance of providers being advocates to their elected representatives about HIV medicine and that providing care to individuals, no matter who they are and where they come from, improves overall public health.

0:00 – Introduction

1:30 – A discussion of Dr Thompson’s background in HIV medicine and transition from primary care to focus on HIV

4:54 – What’s new in the recently released primary care guidelines for persons with HIV 

8:40 – Discussion of new recommendations in how providers can manage outreach, including providing mobile care to individuals with substance use disorder and unstable housing

15:15 – Treatment of hepatitis as an example of how HIV medicine has led the way in providing primary care 

17:04 – Review of guidance on substance use disorder including the use of Narcan and Buprenorphine

19:14 – Reflections on the importance of providers being advocates to their elected representatives  

24:10 – A discussion of how to create a future generation of HIV providers whether from internal medicine or infectious diseases, or both

28:05 – Closing remarks  

Resources

HIV Medicine Association - https://www.hivma.org/
HIVMA/IDSA HIV Primary Care Guidance - https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-arti

__________________________________________________

Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email [email protected] to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

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This episode of Going anti-Viral features an IAS–USA Dialogue titled "Latest Update on Urgent Viral Outbreaks," a panel discussion held on January 15, 2025. This IAS-USA Dialogue is a must listen as our distinguished panel of infectious diseases experts dives deep into some of the most pressing public health challenges facing the world today. Moderated by Carlos del Rio, MD, a Distinguished Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory University School of Medicine, this Dialogue brings together world-class experts Yvonne Maldonado, MD, Peter Chin-Hong, MD, and Jason Zucker, MD, to discuss the latest news on urgent and emerging viral outbreaks, including mpox, avian flu (H5N1), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), measles, human metapneumovirus, and COVID-19/long COVID.

The panel also reflects on the alarming erosion of public trust in public health experts, which has been compounded by misinformation and the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

0:00 – Introduction 

2:27 – Update on mpox including treatment options

11:09 – Discussion of avian flu (H5N1), influenza, and vaccination in human and animals

27:36 – Impact of avian flu (H5N1) on dairy and other agriculture industries and the role of public health in supporting the economy

32:47 – Impact of recent study on Tamiflu in treatment recommendations and discussion of Biloxivir

37:37 – Update on COVID-19 – vaccination, treatment with Paxlovid, other treatment options, and long COVID

48:27 – Recent updates on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and vaccination 

52:03 – Discussion of human metapneumovirus

54:25 –Impact of misinformation on the reduction in measles vaccinations and the health risks of measles to the population at large 

59:54 – Concluding remarks

__________________________________________________

Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email [email protected] to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

Follow Going anti-Viral on:
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In this episode of Going anti-Viral, Dr Michael Saag speaks with Dr Laura Cheever who was, until recently, the Associate Administrator of the HIV/AIDS Bureau at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). She joined HRSA in 1999 when she served as the national director of the Ryan White AIDS Education and Training Center program. Dr Cheever is Board Certified in Infectious Diseases and continues to provide clinical care for patients with HIV. Dr Cheever describes her early work at HRSA and the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. Dr Cheever and Dr Saag then discuss quality measures adopted to demonstrate program effectiveness and the impact these efforts had on funding. They also discuss the staff in the program and their role in working with local providers. They address the role that private insurance, the Affordable Care Act, and different presidential administrations play in the services of the program as well as work left to be done and look ahead to the next ten years of HIV care.

0:00 – Introduction

1:40 – A discussion of Dr Cheever’s early years at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

7:51 – Implementation of national quality measures for HIV care using data collection through CAREWare

11:41 – How did new information impact decision making regarding Ryan White funding decisions

15:04 – Impact of changing guidelines on direction given to the Ryan White clinics

19:26 – The staff at HRSA and the impact of potential budget cuts on the program

24:05 – The role private insurance and the Affordable Care Act had in providing treatment through the Ryan White program 

25:10 – Do different presidential administrations influence the services of the Ryan White program

27:34 – Discussion of the work left to be done 

29:29 – Predictions for the next ten years of HIV care and closing remarks 

__________________________________________________

Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email [email protected] to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

Follow Going anti-Viral on:
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In this episode of Going anti-Viral, Dr Michael Saag speaks with Dr Kevin Carmichael of the Arizona Department of Health Services about the unique challenges caregivers faced in addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Dr Carmichael is a family physician who began work in HIV in 1983 while in medical school in Miami, Florida. During his residency at the University of Miami, Dr Carmichael co-authored one of the first written guidance for clinical HIV care “HIV/AIDS: A Primary Care Handbook.” Dr Saag and Dr Carmichael discuss their shared history in caring for people during the early years of HIV and AIDS in the 1980s and 1990s. They also discuss the challenges in managing families of people with AIDS. Dr Carmichael then reflects upon the transition in the care of HIV in 1995 when protease inhibitors became available, effectively the start of turning HIV into a manageable chronic disease. Finally, Dr Saag and Dr Carmichael provide thoughts for younger practitioners currently involved in HIV management.

0:00 – Introduction

1:22 – A discussion of the early years of HIV and AIDS care in the 1980s

7:43 – How Dr Carmichael came to focus on HIV and AIDS care

12:36 – Dr Carmichael’s transition to care in Arizona and differences from his time in Miami

16:08 –Discussion of advanced AIDS and working with families of people with HIV at the time

23:12 – The arrival of protease inhibitors in 1995 and the transition to management of a chronic disease

31:00 – Closing remarks and reflections for younger practitioners involved in HIV care 

__________________________________________________

Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email [email protected] to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

Follow Going anti-Viral on:
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Episode 33 - Overview of Travel Medicine: Vaccines, Outbreaks, and More - Dr David Freedman 

In this episode of Going anti-Viral, Dr Michael Saag speaks with Dr David Freedman of the University of Alabama at Birmingham to provide an overview of travel medicine: vaccines, outbreaks, and more. Dr Freedman is a professor of infectious diseases and his research is focused on clinical tropical medicine, including the development of surveillance networks to characterize infectious disease morbidity in travelers and migrants. Dr Saag and Dr Freedman provide an overview of worldwide outbreaks such as: mpox, H5N1, Marburg virus, Ebola, dengue fever, chikungunya, and Zika virus. Dr Freedman discusses the treatments and vaccines available for each of these outbreaks. They also address the clinical challenges of treating individuals with emerging infections of unknown origin. Finally, Dr Saag and Dr Freedman address the acute setting of treating rabies exposures from bats and other wild animals.

0:00 – Introduction

1:11 – Overview of surveillance networks and current areas of concern

4:01– Discussion of mpox outbreaks including a new clade in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

7:10 – Risk of H5N1 human transmission 

10:07 – Update on Marburg virus disease 

12:22 – Current status of Ebola disease and availability of monoclonal antibodies for treatment

15:53 – Overview of outbreaks in the Caribbean: dengue fever and chikungunya 

25:08 – Update on Zika virus

26:36 – Discussion of how to clinically address cases of emerging viruses like Oropouche virus

29:50 – How to prevent and treat rabies exposures from bats and other animals

__________________________________________________

Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email [email protected] to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

Follow Going anti-Viral on:
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In this episode of Going anti-Viral, Dr Michael Saag speaks with Dr Rajesh Gandhi of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital about the new IAS-USA recommendations for HIV treatment and prevention. Dr Gandhi is the Chair of the guidelines panel, which published its recommendations in the Journal of the American Medical Association on December 1, 2024. Dr Gandhi and Dr Saag discuss the process by which the updated guidelines were created and provide an update on what’s new in the current edition. They address other important topics like how to treat patients with opportunistic infections, guidance on when to change therapy, and strategies for preventing HIV acquisition. Finally, Dr Gandhi makes recommendations for those using the guidelines, especially those using them for the first time.

0:00 – Introduction

1:19 – Overview of the guidelines’ creation process

3:52– New recommendations on when to start antiretroviral therapy

6:37 – New guidance on what regimens to start

9:34 – Discussion of other agents like bictegravir and dolutegravir in pregnancy

10:45 – How to treat patients with an opportunistic infection 

14:09 – Concern about immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS)

16:33 – Guidance on when to change therapy and providing support

21:18 – How do the guidelines help people stay healthy – management of cancer, cardiovascular risk, and weight gain

24:41 – Discussion on prevention of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases

30:19 – What could not be addressed in the guidelines

33:17 – Final comments and how to use the guidelines

Resources: https://jamanetwork.com/ 

__________________________________________________

Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email [email protected] to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

Follow Going anti-Viral on:
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In this episode of Going anti-Viral, Dr Michael Saag speaks with Dr Kenneth Sherman of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School about the possibility of a cure for hepatitis B. The World Health Organization estimates that 254 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B globally in 2022. Dr Saag and Dr Sherman discuss the lifecycle of hepatitis B including the role that covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) plays in the hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication cycle. Dr Sherman defines functional cure and provides an overview of the most promising cure strategies. They also discuss whether antiretroviral drugs like tenofovir, used in the treatment of HIV, can contribute toward a functional cure of hepatitis B. Dr Sherman discusses other strategies like capsid assembly modulators (CAMs), monoclonal antibodies, and toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists. Finally, they discuss the effectiveness of the hepatitis B vaccine in prevention and look forward to the future by considering a timeline for a cure based on the status of ongoing clinical trials. 

0:00 – Introduction

1:23 – Overview of the lifecycle of hepatitis B 

5:29 – Discussion of the most promising cure strategies

7:11 – Defining functional cure

10:56 – The role of drugs like tenofovir in a functional cure 

13:39 – Targets that can affect viral production 

16:04 – Potential of capsid assembly modulators (CAMs)

18:03 – Other strategies like immune modulators and monoclonal antibodies

22:29 – Interest in toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists and therapeutic vaccines

24:32 – Outlook for the future and the effectiveness of a hepatitis B vaccine in prevention 

__________________________________________________

Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email [email protected] to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

Follow Going anti-Viral on:
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In this episode of Going anti-Viral, Dr Michael Saag speaks with Dr Jason Zucker of Columbia University and the New York City STD Prevention Training Center about mpox and the mpox outbreak. Dr Saag and Dr Zucker discuss the 2 clades of mpox, how it is transmitted, and which clade is associated with the most recent mpox outbreak. They also discuss how to test for mpox and how people with HIV present with mpox based on their HIV viral load. Dr Zucker gives a detailed update on the STOMP (Study of Tecovirimat for Human Mpox Virus) trial that evaluates the efficacy of the antiviral tecovirimat, also known as TPOXX, for the treatment of mpox. They also address the role of vaccination in mpox, its uptake and efficacy. Finally, Dr Zucker offers his perspective on how practitioners and public health officials can address ongoing mpox outbreaks in the US and globally, including a second public health emergency of international concern that was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and surrounding countries in August by the World Health Organization (WHO).

0:00 – Introduction

1:25 – Description of mpox and its 2 clades

2:07 – Overview of the current mpox outbreak

3:11 – Mpox transmission

4:29 – Mpox in people with HIV

6:35 – Testing for mpox

9:05 – The STOMP study, enrollment, and effectiveness of tecovirimat

15:58 – The role for vaccination for mpox and who should receive it

20:38 – Outlook for the future

__________________________________________________

Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email [email protected] to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

Follow Going anti-Viral on:
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In this episode of Going anti-Viral, Dr Michael Saag speaks with Dr Jennifer Kates of KFF to compare and contrast health care policies from different sides of the aisle. Dr Kates provides an update on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and efforts to repeal the healthcare program in the United States. Dr Saag and Dr Kates also discuss the status of Medicaid expansion in the US and the impact of access to care in states where Medicaid has been expanded. They also discuss the impact of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program on healthcare for people with HIV and the long-term outlook for funding for the program. In addition, there is a detailed overview and outlook of funding for the 340B Drug Pricing Program that allows eligible hospitals and other healthcare organizations to purchase outpatient drugs at a discount from pharmaceutical manufacturers. Finally, Dr Saag and Dr Kates discuss the erosion of trust in science and public health officials in the US and reasons to be optimistic for the future.

0:00 – Introduction

1:15 – Update on the ACA

3:19 – Discussion of efforts to repeal the ACA

5:32 – Status of Medicaid expansion in the US

8:56 – Overview of access to HIV care through Ryan White 

10:37 – Access to health insurance coverage through Ryan White 

12:31 – What is 340B funding?

15:45 – Possible pressures on 340B funding 

17:45 – Outlook for Ryan White funding and availability of PrEP in the program

21:34 – Discussion of the erosion of trust in science and public health 

26:42 – Outlook for the future

__________________________________________________

Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email [email protected] to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

Follow Going anti-Viral on:
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...