This Week in Virology

TWiV reviews cases of measles in Brooklyn NY and Washington DC, stalling of global childhood vaccination, licenses H5N1 vaccines protect against circulating strains, viruses traveling without passports. OC43 SARS-CoV- 2 spike replacement virus as an improved BSL-2 proxy virus for SARS-CoV-2 neutralization assays, and deep mutational scanning reveals functional constraints and antibody-escape potential of Lassa virus glycoprotein complex.

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

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Links for this episode

• MicrobeTV Discord Server
• Measles in Brooklyn NY (ABC)
• Measles in Washington DC (DC Health)
• Global childhood immunization stalls (WHO)
• Licensed H5N1 vaccines protect against circulating strains (Nat Med)
• Viruses moving without passports (European CDC)
• OC42-SARS-CoV-2 replacement spike virus (PNAS)
• Deep mutational scanning of Lassa virus glycoprotein (Immunity)
• Letters read on TWiV 1133
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Dickson – Elemental sulfur found on Mars Kathy – Lennette Lectures at ASV, including Gail Wertz, ASV 2024 Rich – Electricity maps (Opinions: Nuclear Waste Is Misunderstood; Should We Be Worried About Nuclear Waste?) Alan – Nature sent an investigative reporter to a predatory conference Vincent – Coal-filled trains are likely sending people to the hospital

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr, Daniel Griffin reviews President Biden’s case of COVID, reviews recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, discusses post-acute sequelae after infection during pregnancy, the use of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir for post-exposure prophylaxis, where to find Pemgarda, effectiveness of combined nirmatrelvir-ritonavir-molnupiravir treatment, effectiveness of Ensitrelvir in reducing severe outcomes in outpatients at high risk for COVID-19, effectiveness of combined nirmatrelvir-ritonavir-molnupiravir treatment in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, CDC update of Long COVID Basics page, postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the pre-delta, delta, and omicron eras, Long COVID risk has dropped over time but remains substantial, efficacy of antivirals, corticosteroids, and mAbs as acute COVID treatments in reducing the incidence of long COVID, and the interplay between diet and the gut microbiome: implications for health and disease.

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Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• President Biden has COVID (CNN, USA Today)
• COVID-19 national trend (CDC)
• COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
• Post–acute sequelae of COVID after infection during pregnancy (OB & Gyn)
• Oral nirmatrelvir–ritonavir as postexposure prophylaxis for Covid-19 (NEJM)
• Pemgarda infusion center locator (Pemgarda)
• Unable to access pemgarda, gotta call Daniel (microbeTV)
• CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
• Early phase of SARs-CoV-2 infection (COVID.gov)
• NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
• Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
• Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
• Combined treatment of COVID reduces molnupiravir-induced mutagenicity (J Inf Dis)
• Effectiveness of ensitrelvir in reducing severe outcomes in outpatients at high risk for COVID-19 (Inf Dis Therapy)
• Comparative effectiveness of combination therapy with nirmatrelvir–ritonavir and remdesivir versus monotherapy (Lancet)
• Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
• Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
• Isolation guidance (CDC)
• Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
• Steroids, dexamethasone at the right time (OFID)
• Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org)
• Long COVID is defined (National Academies)
• Long COVID: the ANSWERS! (longcovidtheanswers.com)
• The FACTS: post COVID-19=long COVID? (WHO)
• The BASICS of long COVID-19 (CDC)
• Postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the pre-delta, delta, and omicron eras (NEJM)
• Long Covid risk has dropped over time but remains substantial (CNN)
• Efficacy of antivirals, corticosteroids, and mAbs as acute COVID treatments in reducing the incidence of long COVID (Clin Micro Inf)
• Diet and the gut microbiome: implications for health and disease (Nat Rev Micro)
• Contribute to our Floating Doctors fundraiser
• Letters read on TWiV 1132
• Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to [email protected]

TWiV reviews the potential impact on science of the Supreme Court ruling in the Chevron decision, measles in New Hampshire and Vermont, new who proposed terminology for respiratory pathogen transmission, and pathogenicity and transmission of bovine H5N1 influenza virus.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Rich Condit

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

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• MicrobeTV Discord Server
• Articles on Chevron decision (one, two, three)
• Measles in New Hampshire and Vermont (NH DHHS)
• Pathogenicity and transmission of bovine H5N1 virus (Nature)
• Letters read on TWiV 1131
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Dickson – Stockholm Wood City Rich – “The Wide Wide Sea” by Hampton Sides Vincent – Tour de France stage 12

Listener Picks

Amy – Earth Forced from the Protective Heliosphere: What Do We know?

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses H5N1 influenza in the bird and cow communities of Colorado and Michigan and dengue in New York and the US before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, the absence of association with proton pump inhibitors and COVID-19 severity in children, where to find PEMGARDA, the effectiveness of molnupiravir and dexamethasone, convalescent plasma, what to do when healthcare workers succumb to SARS-CoV-2 infection, a resource of long COVID answers, how the WHO and CDC define long COVID and how it compares to ME/CSF.

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

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• H5N1: birds and cows oh, my…..Michigan and Colorado (CIDRAP)
• Flu pandemic for the Colorado chicken (Colorado Sun)
• It’s a disaster: Avian flu in Weld county (Colorado.gov)
• More 9.7 million dengue cases in US this year: CDC issues warning (Patch.com)
• Long Island has DENGUE! (Long Island News12)
• COVID-19 national trend (CDC)
• COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
• Association between proton pump inhibitors and COVID-19 susceptibility or severity in children? (Journal of Pediatrics)
• Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
• Unable to access pemgarda, gottacall Daniel (microbeTV)
• CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
• Early phase of SARs-CoV-2 infection (COVID.gov)
• NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
• Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
• Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
• Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
• Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
• What do when your heathcare provider is infected with SARS-CoV-2 (CDC)
• Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
• Steroids,dexamethasone at the right time (OFID)
• Benefits of desamethasone, reversal of monocyte dysfunction for severe COVID-19 (Cell)
• Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org)
• Long COVID: the ANSWERS! (longcovidtheanswers.com)
• The FACTS: post COVID-19=long COVID? (WHO)
• The BASICS of long COVID-19 (CDC)
• Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Redefining an Illness (CDC)
• Contribute to our Floating Doctors fundraiser
• Letters read on TWiV 1130
• Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to [email protected]

TWiV reviews measles in Kenya, a trial for a intranasal COVID vaccine, dengue in the Florida Keys and in Central/South America, Spain connecting government with scientists, T cell activation and viral RNA fragments persist for up to 2 years after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and durable cross-reactive and protective antibodies against avian N2 neuraminidases elicited by A(H2N2) and A(H3N2) influenza pandemics.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Alan Dove

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

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• MicrobeTV Discord Server
• Measles in Kenya (WHO)
• Intranasal COVID vaccine trial (NIH)
• Dengue in Florida Keys (Florida Health)
• Dengue rising in Central/South America (NPR)
• Spain to connect scientists with government (Science)
• Persistence of T cells and viral RNA after SARS-CoV-2 infection (Sci Transl Med)
• Influenza pandemics induce cross-reactive antibodies against avian N2 (Nat Comm)
• Letters read on TWiV 1129
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Alan – The first few minutes of this video by Roger Barnes Vincent – Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story

Listener Picks

Fernando – A City on Mars

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses the fourth US case of H5N1 human infection and reminds the audience of the definition of “pasteurization” before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, where to find PEMGARDA, the effectiveness of molnupiravir and dexamethasone, convalescent plasma, what to do when healthcare workers succumb to SARS-CoV-2 infection, how an EEG can be used to look for signatures of cognitive decline after SARS-CoV-2 infection and what we observed 2 years following SARS-CoV-2 infection for tissue-resident T cell and viral RNA persistence.

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

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• Fourth case human infection associated with an ongoing multistate outbreak of A(H5N1) (CDC)
• Human H5N1 in Colorado and thedefinition of pasteurization (CIDRAP)
• Is “raw” milk more risky than pasteurized (Annenberg Public Policy Center)
• COVID-19 national trend (CDC)
• COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
• Winter, spring, summer and fall COVID-19 surges? (CDC)
• Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
• Unable to access Pemgarda, gotta call Daniel (microbeTV)
• CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
• Early phase of SARs-CoV-2 infection (COVID.gov)
• NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
• Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
• Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
• Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
• Molunpiravir works: reduces hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19 and all-cause mortality (CID)
• Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
• What do when your heathcare provider is infected with SARS-CoV-2 (CDC)
• Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
• Steroids,dexamethasone at the right time (OFID)
• Benefits of dexamethasone, reversal of monocyte dysfunction for severe COVID-19 (Cell)
• Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org)
• EEG signatures for cognitive decline after SARS-CoV-2 infection (BMC Medicine)
• Tissue resident T-cells and viral RNA 2 years after SARS-CoV-2 infection (Science Translational Medicine)
• Contribute to our Floating Doctors fundraiser
• Letters read on TWiV 1128
• Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to [email protected]

TWiV discusses secret anti-vax campaign run by Pentagon to undermine China during pandemic, NY governor’s subways mask ban proposal, Colorado bat facility sparks outbreak fears, House budget billls suggest ban on gain of function research, evolution of STAT2 resistance to flavivirus NS5, and brainwide silencing of prion protein by AAV-mediated delivery of an epigenetic editor.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Alan Dove

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

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• MicrobeTV Discord Server
• Pentagan anti-vac campaign to undermine China (Reuters)
• NY governor subway mask ban (AP News)
• Colorado bat facility sparks outbreak fears (Science)
• House NIH budget bans gain of function research (Science)
• Evolution of STAT2 resistance to flavivirus NS5 (Nat Commun)
• Brainwide silencing of prion protein by AAV delivered epigenetic editor (Science)
• Letters read on TWiV 1127
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Dickson – Mars Odyssey Orbiter is about to make its 100,000th orbit Alan – Local animal shelters and “kitten season.” Vincent – Supreme Court allows cities to ban homeless people sleeping outside, even when shelter space is lacking

Listener Picks

Blog design – Trump vows to defund schools requiring vaccines for students Jon – Detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza in mammals

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses RSV vaccination recommendations and revisions to guidelines before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, data suggesting that individuals with high HLA-DQA2 expression (MHC class II) are better at preventing the onset of a sustained viral infection, how moderate coffee intake can reduce risk of COVID-19 severity but cannabis use resulted in more severe disease but reduced risk of mortality, where to find PEMGARDA, if statin use prevented severe COVID-19, the benefit of administering nirmatrelvir and ritonavir after 5 days, convalescent plasma, what do when healthcare workers succumb to SARS-CoV-2 infection, if fecal microbiota transplants aid in recovery from COVID-19, and the definition of characteristics and clinical patterns for the diagnosis of long COVID.

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

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• CDC ACIP for RSV (CDC)
• This respiratory virus season everyone age 75 and older receive the RSV vaccine (CDC Newsroom)
• Revised RSV vaccine recommendations (CIDRAP)
• COVID-19 national trend (CDC)
• COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
• Local and systemic response dynamics to SARS-CoV-2 infection (Nature)
• Drink more coffee, reduces risk for SARS-C0V-2 infection (Cell & Bioscience)
• Cannabis, tobacco…smoking in general NOT good for preventing COVID-19 (JAMA Network OPEN)
• Do older versions of the COVID-19 vaccine still provide any protection (JAMA Internal Medicine)
• Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
• CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
• Early phase of SARs-CoV-2 infection (COVID.gov)
• NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
• Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
• Adjuvant statin therapy reduces SARS-CoV-2 mortality (American Journal of Medicine)
• Nirmatrelvir and ritonavir beyond 5 days of symptom onset improved the multiple organ dysfunction in severe COVID-19 patient (BMC Infectious Disease)
• Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
• Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
• What do when your heathcare provider is infected with SARS-CoV-2 (CDC)
• Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
• Steroids, dexamethasone at the right time (OFID)
• Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org)
• Faecal microbtiota transplantation cures sleep disturbance in post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology)
• Long COVID defined by patient phenotype (CIDRAP)
• Three distinct symptom-based post-COVID condition phenotypes (JID)
• Contribute to our Floating Doctors fundraiser
• Letters read on TWiV 1126
• Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to [email protected]

TWiV reviews criticism of NIAID monkeypox virus experiments by House Republicans, spread of wild poliovirus across Afghanistan and Pakistan, plan to overhaul NIH by House lawmakers, and the potential pandemic risk of circulating swine H1N2 influenza viruses.

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

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

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• MicrobeTV Discord Server
• 2024 International HBV Meeting
• House Republicans fault NIH for evasive answers on monkeypox virus study (Science)
• Report on MPX experiments at NIAID (pdf)
• Wild poliovirus spreads across Pakistan and Afghanistan (Science)
• Plan to overhaul NIH (Science)
• Reforming NIH (pdf)
• Potential pandemic risk of circulating swine H1N2 influenza viruses (Nat Comm)
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Angela – Staring at the Sun — close-up images from space rewrite solar science Brianne – Water frost detected on Mars Volcanos Dickson – Best view yet of the Crab Nebula Vincent – Will Your Tattoo Give You Cancer: Probably Not…but Maybe?

Listener Picks

Jessica – Manchurian plague

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin reviews the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, before discussing methods for sterilizing filtering facepieces, an update to the fall COVID boosters, the emergency use application of a pre-exposure prophylactic and where to find it and drug interaction database, convalescent plasma, the effectiveness of the monoclonal antibody sotrovimab against Omicron variants, what to do when healthcare workers succumb to SARS-CoV-2 infection, the need for better nursing resources, how survivors of COVID-19-associated ARDS exhibited sustained elevation in endothelial dysfunction biomarkers, correlating with the severity of impaired gas exchange, reactivation of latent CMV as a consequence of a SARS-CoV-2 infection, identification of variables that might impact or predict a person’s time to recovery from an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and if COVID-19 patients really have olfactory dysfunction more often than normally smelling individuals.

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

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• COVID-19 national trend (CDC)
• COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
• Comparison of methods for sterilizing filtering facepiece respirators (American Journal of Infection Control)
• Booster update already! KP.2 of JN.1-lineage (FDA)
• EUA for pemgarda (FDA)
• Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
• CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
• Early phase of SARs-CoV-2 infection (COVID.gov)
• NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
• Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
• Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
• Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
• Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
• Revisiting monoclonal antibody therapy, sotrovimab for treatment during Omicron BA.2 and BA.5 (Infection)
• What do when your healthcare provider is infected with SARS-CoV-2 (CDC)
• Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
• Steroids,dexamethasone at the right time (OFID)
• Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org)
• Hospital nurse staffing variation & COVID-19 (International Journal of Nursing Studies)
• Endothelial dysfunction and persistent inflammation severe post-COVID-19 (BMC Medicine)
• Prevalence and risk for CMV reaction due to COVID-19 pneumonia (PLoS One)
• Variables that impact recovery from acute SARS-CoV-2 infetion (JAMA Network Open)
• Reduced olfactory bulb volume with dysfunction after mild SARS-CoV-2 inction (Scientific Reports)
• Contribute to our Floating Doctors fundraiser
• Letters read on TWiV 1124
• Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to [email protected]