This Week in Virology

TWiV 1012: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

June 3, 2023

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses the potential for recurrent Mpox outbreaks among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, association between SARS-CoV-2 variants and frequency of acute symptoms, prospective study of key correlates for household transmission of SARS-CoV-2, Pfizer’s PAXLOVID™ receiving FDA approval for adult patients at high risk of progression to severe COVID-19, efficacy and safety of antimicrobial stewardship prospective audit and feedback in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, development of a definition of postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 and risk for mental disorders among adults in Denmark, risk of new post-COVID mental disorders higher only in older patients.

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Potential for recurrent Mpox outbreaks among men who have sex with men (CDC) 3:31
Association between SARS-CoV-2 variants and frequency of acute symptoms (OFID) 8:19
Key correlates for household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (OFID) 10:54
PAXLOVID receiving FDA approval for patients at high risk of severe COVID-19 (Pfizer) 12:35
Efficacy and safety of antimicrobial stewardship prospective audit and feedback in patients with COVID-19 (The Lancet) 14:44
Development of a definition of postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (JAMA) 17:46
COVID-19 and risk for mental disorders among adults in Denmark (JAMA) 25:40
Risk of new post-COVID mental disorders higher only in older patients (CIDRAP) 25:50
Contribute to our FIMRC fundraiser at PWB 29:21
Letters read on TWiV 1012 29:54
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 1011: Aquatic viruses

May 28, 2023

Vincent travels to Québec City, Canada and the 11th Aquatic Virus Workshop, where he speaks with Fred Aylward and Jed Furman about the research of their laboratories on the ecology and evolution of aquatic viruses and their microbial communities.

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guests: Frank Aylward and Jed Fuhrman

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Links for this episode

MicrobeTV Discord Server
11th Aquatic Virus Workshop 00:39
Endogenization of giant virus genomes in green algae (Nature) 30:30
Red Queen dynamics in marine viruses (Nature) 51:37
Biogeography of marine giant viruses (ISME Commun) 55:32
Marine prokaryotic community structure (Nat Commun)
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 1010: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

May 27, 2023

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses the CDC HIV surveillance report, FDA voted in favor of approving the Abrysvo vaccine, canine olfactory detection of SARS-CoV-2-infected humans, safety of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine in children aged 5 to 17 years, and statement on the antigen composition of COVID-19 vaccines.

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HIV surveillance report (CDC) 1:44
FDA voted in favor of approving Abrysvo vaccine (Pfizer) 11:05
Canine olfactory detection of SARS-CoV-2-infected humans (Annals of Epidemiology) 13:48
Safety of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine in children (JAMA) 16:05
Statement on the antigen composition of COVID-19 vaccines (WHO) 18:10
Contribute to our FIMRC fundraiser at PWB 26:32
Letters read on TWiV 1010 26:56
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV 1009: Nidovirus on the water

May 21, 2023

Vincent travels to Montreux, Switzerland and the 16th International Nidovirus Symposium, where he speaks with Maria von Kerkhove, the face of COVID-19 for the World Health Organization, and Kanta Subbarao, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre on Influenza in Melbourne.

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guests: Kanta Subbarao and Maria von Kerkhove

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Download TWiV 1009 (61 MB .mp3, 101 min)
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Links for this episode

MicrobeTV Discord Server
Nidovirus Symposium, Montreux 00:49
WHO Collaborating Centre for Influenza, Melbourne 12:19
Maria von Kerkhove (Wikipedia) 1:24
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 1008: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

May 20, 2023

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses variant specific clinical performance of a SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen test with focus on omicron VOC, ventilation in buildings, COVID-19 mortality among selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor users, risk of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with pre-coronavirus disease obstructive sleep apnea diagnoses, trajectories of the evolution of post COVID-19 condition, and efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy targeting severe fatigue following COVID-19.

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Virus variant clinical performance of a SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen test (CID) 2:18
Ventilation in buildings (CDC) 4:53
COVID-19 mortality among SSRI users (CMI) 8:21
Risk of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with sleep apnea (SLEEP) 12:20
Trajectories of the evolution of post COVID-19 condition (IJID) 14:30
Efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy targeting fatigue following COVID-19 (CAD) 17:18
Contribute to our FIMRC fundraiser at PWB 21:25
Letters read on TWiV 1008 22:34
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV 1007: Fragile DNA, viruses, cancer

May 14, 2023

TWiV explains genetic changes in nOPV2 strains that paralyzed children, outbreak of raccoon distemper in Toronto, EcoHealth Alliance gets its NIH grant back, and breakage at chromosomal fragile sites caused by the EBNA1 protein of Epstein-Barr virus as a mechanism for carcinogenesis.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Angela Mingarelli

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Weekly Picks 1:19:21

Angela – Night Science
Kathy – Kermit, Jim Henson, Rainbow Connection
Rich – Alexander Skarsgård Explains the Answer to Everything
Vincent – Beyond the Noise with Dr. Paul Offit

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 1006: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

May 13, 2023

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses immunogenicity and tolerability of a bivalent virus-like particle norovirus vaccine candidate in children from 6 months up to 4 years of age, influenza hemagglutinin stem nanoparticle vaccine induces cross-group 1 neutralizing antibodies in healthy adults, COVID-19 surveillance after expiration of the public health emergency declaration, provisional mortality data, targeted vaccine messaging to promote COVID-19 vaccines for children and youth, vaccines and related biological products advisory committee meeting June 15, 2023 announcement, how to overhaul the CDC, impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants on inpatient clinical outcome, prevalence of post-coronavirus disease condition 12 weeks after Omicron infection compared with negative controls and association with vaccination status, gut bacteria cocktail helps long COVID, and gut microbiota‐derived symbiotic formula (SIM01) as a novel adjuvant therapy for COVID‐19.

Click arrow to play Download TWiV 1006 (26 MB .mp3, 43 min)

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Links for this episode

Immunogenicity and tolerability of a bivalent norovirus vaccine in children (HVI) 1:27
Influenza hemagglutinin stem nanoparticle vaccine induces neutralizing antibodies in healthy adults (STM) 2:28
COVID-19 surveillance after expiration of the public health emergency declaration (CDC) 8:31
Provisional mortality data (CDC) 10:15
Targeted messaging to promote COVID-19 vaccines for children and youth (Pediatrics) 13:23
Vaccines and biological products advisory committee meeting announcement (FDA) 20:35
How to overhaul the C.D.C (NYTIMES) 21:44
Impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants on inpatient clinical outcome (CID) 25:00
Prevalence of post-COVID19 condition 12 weeks after Omicron infection and vaccination status (CID) 31:16
Gut bacteria cocktail helps long COVID (MedPage) 32:53
Gut microbiota‐derived synbiotic formula as a therapy for COVID‐19 (NIH) 34:10
Contribute to our FIMRC fundraiser at PWB 34:54
Letters read on TWiV 1006 35:23
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV 1005: COVID T vax and a virus from the blue

May 7, 2023

TWiV reveals plankton-infecting relatives of herpesviruses in the sunlit oceans, and a vaccine encoding non-spike T cell antigens that protects animals from severe SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker

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Links for this episode

Register for ASV 2023 3:20
Research assistant position at FDA (pdf) 6:49
MicrobeTV Discord Server
Mirusviruses link herpesvirus to giant viruses (Nature) 10:33
Tara Oceans expeditions 22:12
T cell vaccine protects against severe COVID (Cell) 38:18
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks 1:26:42

Brianne – Immune #67: Can T cells Live Forever?
Kathy – Hazel Scott, Trinidad Jazz star
Alan – The Last Navigator, Steve Thomas
Vincent – Nasal Spray Covid Vaccines: Hope or Hype?

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 1004: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

May 6, 2023

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approving Arexvy: the first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine approved for use in the United State, association between SARS-CoV-2 and metagenomic content of samples from the Huanan Seafood Market, researchers disagree over how bad it is to be reinfected and whether COVID-19 can cause lasting changes to the immune system, virtual care and emergency department use during the COVID-19 pandemic among patients of family physicians in Canada, vaccination with BCG-Denmark did not result in a lower risk of COVID-19 among health care workers than placebo, NVX-CoV2373 vaccine efficacy against hospitalization, comparative effectiveness of the SARS-COV-2 vaccines during Delta dominance, assessment of gender-specific COVID-19 case fatality risk per malignant neoplasm type, clinical outcomes following treatment for COVID-19 with Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir and Molnupiravir among patients living in nursing homes, timing of intubation and ICU mortality in COVID-19 patients, real-life experience with Remdesivir for treatment of COVID-19 among older adults, and how long COVID brain fog and muscle pain are associated with longer time to clearance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from the upper respiratory tract during acute infection.

Click arrow to play Download TWiV 1004 (32 MB .mp3, 53 min)

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Links for this episode

FDA approves Arexvy, the first RSV vaccine approved in the US (FDA) 2:05
Association between SARS-CoV-2 and content of samples from the Huanan Seafood Market (bioRxiv) 5:57
Researchers disagree over how bad it is to be reinfected with COVID-19 and lasting changes to the immune system (Nature) 10:39
Virtual care and emergency department use during the COVID-19 Pandemic among patients of family physicians (JAMA) 13:04
Vaccination with BCG-Denmark did not result in a lower risk of COVID-19 among health care workers (NEJM) 21:45
NVX-CoV2373 vaccine efficacy against hospitalization (Vaccine) 23:42
Comparative effectiveness of the SARS-COV-2 vaccines during Delta (Cell) 25:14
Assessment of gender-specific COVID-19 case fatality risk (JAMA) 28:49
Clinical outcomes following treatment for COVID-19 with Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir and Molnupiravir (JAMA) 31:27
Timing of intubation and ICU mortality in COVID-19 patients (BMC) 34:50
Real-life experience with Remdesivir for treatment of COVID-19 (JAC) 37:13
Long COVID brain fog and muscle pain are associated with longer time to clearance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA (Frontiers) 38:31
Contribute to our FIMRC fundraiser at PWB 42:03
Letters read on TWiV 1004 43:55
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV 1003: Going clinically viral

April 30, 2023

Vincent and Kathy travel to Atlanta for APHL ID Lab Con, a conference focused on the latest developments in detection and characterization of infectious diseases of public health concern, and speak with Megan, Ryan, and Kirsten about the workings of public health and clinical laboratories.