In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses expanded use of the RSV vaccine by GSK, how the youngest member of the MicrobeTV family was hospitalized with RSV, why we are seeing more RSV infections than before the pandemic and how administration of monoclonal antibody therapy does not prevent infection but disease, before reviewing the weekly US COVID update, how SARS-CoV-2 affects neurodevelopment of the fetus and probability of preeclampsia, if giving Paxlovid prevents long COVID, and FDA recommends switching from the XBB.1.5 variant to JN.1 for fall COVID-19 vaccine formulations.

TWiV rebuts a recent opinion piece which falsely claims that the COVID-19 pandemic began in a lab (it began in Nature), followed by a discussion of Paride bacteriophage, which has the unsual property of being able to kill dormant, antibiotic-tolerant cells by direct lytic replication.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin reports the third case of influenza H5N1 infection in a human, this time with respiratory symptoms, an H5 avian influenza virus wastewater dashboard, FDA approves Moderna’s mRNA vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus, vaccine advisors to FDA recommend switching from the XBB.1.5 variant to JN.1 for fall COVID-19 vaccine formulations, weekly US COVID update, a controlled human exhaled breath aerosol experimental study on the relative efficacy of masks and respirators as source control for viral aerosol shedding from people infected with SARS-CoV-2, systematic review of early use of oral antiviral drugs and the risk of post COVID-19 syndrome, long-COVID autonomic syndrome in working age and work ability impairment, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 5.3% of Americans currently have long COVID, and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine presented a report with  a number of conclusions about long-COVID diagnosis, symptoms, and impact on daily function.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin delves into highly pathogenic H5N1 infection of hunting dogs, dairy cattle, humans and alpacas before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, risks factors associated with the development…

TWiV discusses presence of infectious avian H5N1 influenza virus in raw milk from infected dairy cows. dynamics of measles immunity from birth and following vaccination, and a mechanism for cis-preferential reverse transcription revealed by deep mutational scanning of hepatitis B virus.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin delves highly pathogenic H5N1 biology including its circulation in New York City, being able to infect cells within mammary glands and why testing is not supported before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, how vaccination reduced deaths and hospitalizations associated with COVID-19 and how to take off PPE to reduce virus transmission, discussing the guidelines for spring administration of COVID vaccines boosters, the emergency use application of a pre-exposure prophylactic, a drug interaction database and the global phase 3 trail of a novel antiviral, 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, reminisces about when available monoclonal antibody therapies were effective, and discusses muscle training/exercise for treatment of PASC/long COVID and the use of RNase for its treatment. For more information about long COVID-19 listen to TWiV 1088.

TWiV reviews results of a phase 3 trial of a self-amplifying mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, and the finding that baseline innate and T cell populations are correlates of protection against symptomatic influenza virus infection independent of serology.