Epidemiologist Adam Kucharski joins TWiV to discuss SARS-CoV-2, including R0, incubation period, herd immunity, asymptomatic infection, superspreaders, children as drivers of pandemics, and how this one will end.

TWiV 652: The rules of contagion with Adam Kucharski

This Week in Virology is a netcast about viruses - the kind that make you sick.

Science & Medicine

Natural Sciences

Social Sciences

Medicine

TWiV reviews viruses in the news: Chinese scientist who released the SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence sleeps in the street, a case of measles in Haifa, spread of waterborne infectious diseases in Gaza, interstate spread of avian influenza A(H5N1) in dairy cattle, and an orangutan heals himself with medicinal plants, followed by identification of a cell receptor for parechoviruses, and blockade of necroptosis prevents lung injury in severe influenza. 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 MicrobeTV store at Cafepress Become a member of ASV (asv.org) The New City by Dickson Despommier (blog post) International Conference on Pandemic Preparedness Chinese virologist sleeps on street (Nature) Measles in Haifa (Jerusalem Post) Waterborne illness spreads in Gaza (Reuters) Interstate spread of H5N1 virus in dairy cattle (bioRxiv) Orangutan uses medicinal plants (Science) Parechovirus cell receptor identified (Nat Comm) Necroptosis blockade prevents lung injury in influenza (Nature) Necroptosis, pyroptosis and apoptosis (Cell Mol Immunol) Letters read on TWiV 1111 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – NASA’s Webb Finds Ethanol, Other Icy Ingredients for Worlds Alan – MyClimate.org calculators Vincent – Twenty-Five Lectures in Virology 2024 Listener Picks Alan – NPR story and interactive quiz on pandemic respiratory disease transmission Az – H5N1 Avian Flu in Mammals Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 1111: Taming of the flu

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin begins with discussing if the antibiotic neomycin is really a pan-antiviral countermeasure, then reviews the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection before deep diving into if shedding and the rapid antigen test results correlate, the guidelines for spring administration of COVID vaccines boosters, whether COVID booster associates with the long COVID prevalence, discusses the emergency use application of a pre-exposure prophylactic, revised guidelines for how to treat respiratory viral infection guidelines by the CDC, the caveats for improper use of antibiotics to treat SARS-CoV-2 (a viral infection), continues to dispel the myth of viral rebound, when to use steroids and the benefits of convalescent plasma, what do when healthcare workers succumb to SARS-CoV-2 infection, if administration of an anti-immunoglobulin E monoclonal antibody can be used for COVID-19 treatment, if inhibiting T-cell activation will reduce secretion and production of inflammatory cytokines including IL-6, if changes in the gut microbiome associate with post -acute COVID-19 syndrome, and the pulmonary and neurologic determinants of long COVID-19 such as the presence of neurofilament light chain in plasma. For more information about this body of work, listen to TWiV 1088. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Intranasal antibiotic evokes antiviral response (PNAS) COVID-19 national trend (CDC) COVID-19 deaths (CDC) SARS-CoV-2 shedding vs rapid antigen test performance (MMWR) Spring vaccineadvice (CIDRAP) Older adult spring booster available (CDC) Advisory committee for immunization practices slides (CDC) Advisory committee for immunization practices spring 2024 COVID-19 boosters (CDC) COVID-19 booster take: cross-sectional study (Vaccine) EUA for pemgarda (FDA) CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC) NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH) Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (IDSociety) Overuse ofantibiotics for COVID-19: a viral disease (European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases) Can you believe that antibiotics are ineffective against a viral illness (NKT Institute) Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV) Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (IDSociety) Outpatient treatment with concomitant vaccine-boosted convalescent plasma (mBio) Updated respiratory virus guidances (CDC) 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) Immunologic antiviral therapy with omalizumab (OFID) Abatacept pharmacokinetics and exposure response (JAMA Network Open) Long COVID evidence based review TWiV shout out (TWiV 1088) Gut microbiome and post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, ugh? (Cell Host and Microbe) Pulmonary long COVID (JCI Insight) Neurofilament light chain in long COVID019 neurocognitive symptoms (Molecular Psychiatry) Contribute to our Floating Doctors fundraiser Letters read on TWiV 1110 Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV 1110: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

TWiV reviews avian H5N1 influenza virus in the US, measles at highest levels in England, positive selection underlies repeated knockout of ORF8 in SARS-CoV-2 evolution, and cross-species spill-over potential of the H9N2 bat influenza A virus. 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 MicrobeTV store at Cafepress Become a member of ASV (asv.org) The New City by Dickson Despommier (blog post) International Conference on Pandemic Preparedness Bird flu in humans (NY Times) H5N1 genome sequences (USDA) Measles cases and outbreaks (CDC) Latest measles statistics (UK) Positive selection underlies ORF8 loss (Nat Comm) Spillover potential of bat H9N2 influenza virus (Nat Comm) Letters read on TWiV 1109 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Journey to the Andromeda Galaxy, Highest jump in human history Alan – What Does a Scientist Look Like? photo gallery by Nature, and public display in London Vincent – The Campus-Left Occupation That Broke Higher Education, I’m a Columbia Professor. The Protests on my Campus are not Justice Listener Picks David – Blue Angels unbelievable footage Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 1109: A protein flew out and a bat flu in

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin reviews recent statistics on the circulation of measles, and H51 influenza infection of birds, poultry and cows before and SARS-CoV-2 circulation, before discussing if the original monovalent SARS-CoV-2 vaccine was effective in children and adolescents, how to use words to properly describe respiratory pathogens the guidelines for spring administration of COVID vaccines boosters, discusses the emergency use application of a pre-exposure prophylactic, revised guidelines for how to treat respiratory viral infection guidelines by the CDC, continues to dispel the myth of viral rebound, revised guidelines SARS-CoV-2 treatment and how to treat respiratory viral infections, when to use steroids and the benefits of convalescent plasma, what do when healthcare workers succumb to SARS-CoV-2 infection, if administration of remdesivir reduces mortality, long COVID, persistence of virus infection during long COVID and it prevalence. For more information about this body of work, listen to TWiV 1088. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Measles tracking (CDC) Cows, chickens and birds H5N1….oh, my (USDA) Evolution of circulating H5N1 (CIDRAP) COVID-19 national trend (CDC) COVID-19 deaths (CDC) Original monovalent mRNA vaccine effectiveness in children and adolescents (MMWR) Updated terminology for pathogens transmitted through the air (WHO) Are these really better definitions for pathogens transmitted through the air (NY Times) Pharmaceuticals for diseases spread through the air (Reuters) Older adult spring booster available (CDC) Advisory committee for immunization practices slides (CDC) Advisory committee for immunization practices spring 2024 COVID-19 boosters (CDC) EUA for pemgarda (FDA) CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC) NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH) Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (IDSociety) WHO vs national guidelines for COVID-19 therapeutics (BMJ) COVID-19 and the bay of pigs (UNC) Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV) Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (IDSociety) Outpatient treatment with concomitant vaccine-boosted convalescent plasma (mBio) Updated respiratory virus guidances (CDC) 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) Remdesivir associated with reduced mortality of hospitalized oxygenated patients (OFID) Long COVID evidence based review TWiV shout out (TWiV 1088) Long COVID prevalence among adults (MMWR) Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 infection (Lancet Infectious Diseases) More questions, new answers long COVID (Lancet Infectious Diseases) Contribute to our ASTMH fundraiser at PWB Letters read on TWiV 1108 Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV 1108: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

It has been a long time since TWiV has released an all listener email episode, and if you have been waiting for one, then this episode is for you! (and everyone else of course). Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server MicrobeTV store at Cafepress Become a member of ASV (asv.org) The New City by Dickson Despommier (blog post) International Conference on Pandemic Preparedness Letters read on TWiV 1107 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – Cats Are Perfect. An Evolutionary Biologist Explains Why Alan – Bardcore music by Hildegard von Blingin’ Vincent – A quote from Georgia O’Keefe: “I think it’s so foolish for people to want to be happy. Happy is so momentary – you’re happy for an instant and then you start thinking again. Interest is the most important thing in life; happiness is temporary, but interest is continuous”. From the dailyphilosopher Listener Picks Julia – Recent success in troubleshooting autoclave challenges Charmaine – Viruses, myelin, the evolution of complex life, and the Fermi paradox Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 652: The rules of contagion with Adam Kucharski

Download our free app to listen on your phone