TWiV 1051: Like SARS-CoV-2 in the headlights

TWiV reviews the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their identification nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19, and accelerated mutation of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, and Angela Mingarelli

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Weekly Picks 1:32:42

Dickson – The New City. How to Build Our Sustainable Urban Future
Angela – 2023 Nobel Peace Prize
Alan – The Ruin of All Witches, by Malcolm Gaskill
Vincent – France kicks off bird flu vaccination despite trade backlash risk

Listener Pick

Charles – David Brooks and the $78 airport meal the internet is talking about
John – Periodic Table of the Elements: Origins of the Elements
AZ – Bronze statue of laboratory mouse knitting DNA in Russia

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 1050: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses the effectiveness of maternal mRNA COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy against COVID-19–associated hospitalizations in infants aged <6 months during SARS-CoV-2 Omicron predominance, COVID-19 vaccination recommendations and practices for women of reproductive age by health care providers, molnupiravir for intra-household prevention of COVID-19, delayed peak SARS-CoV-2 viral loads relative to symptom onset and implications for COVID-19 testing programs, viral kinetics of sequential SARS-CoV-2 infections, FDA authorizes updated Novavax COVID-19 vaccine formulated to better protect against currently circulating variants, antiviral efficacy of molnupiravir versus ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir in patients with early symptomatic COVID-19, long-term cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and other thrombotic complications in COVID-19 survivors, SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers pro-atherogenic inflammatory responses in human coronary vessels, and the efficacy of gabapentin For post-COVID-19 olfactory dysfunction.

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Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

TWiV 1049: Long COVID’s book of homeostatic cats

TWiV explains how immune profiling was used to identify distinguishing features of Long COVID, and how a co-opted feline endogenous retroviral envelope promotes cell survival by controlling copper transport and homeostasis in cats.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker

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Weekly Picks 1:35:17

Brianne – Webb spots a building block of life on Jupiter’s moon Europa
Rich – Are we really made of ‘star stuff?’ Learn about your body’s elements
Alan – Avian flu has reached the Galàpagos
Vincent – Why the US can’t have nice things

Listener Pick

Az – Free solo

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 1048: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses a molnupiravir-associated mutational signature in global SARS-CoV-2 genomes, inhaled fluticasone furoate for outpatient treatment of COVID-19, optimal duration of systemic corticosteroids in COVID-19 treatment, early antibody treatment, inflammation, and risk of post-COVID conditions, autonomic dysregulation in long-term patients suffering from post-COVID-19 syndrome assessed by heart rate variability, and multiorgan MRI findings after hospitalization with COVID-19 in the UK.

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Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

TWiV 1047: Long COVID and avian flu in ferrets

TWiV explains a study of postacute sequelae of COVID-19 at 2 years, and respiratory droplet transmission of human-isolated avian H3N8 influenza virus between ferrets.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker

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Weekly Picks 1:31:20

Dickson – UN Climate Action and California sues oil companies for exacerbating climate change
Brianne – COVID Drugs are a Miracle Cure for Cats
Rich – American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin
Vincent – Free Carl Zimmer writings

Listener Pick

Anne – She wrote to a scientist about her fatigue. It inspired a breakthrough.
Alan – This Tiny Parasitic Wasp Can Drill Through Plastic

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 1046: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses wastewater surveillance data as a complement to emergency department visit data for tracking the incidence of influenza A and RSV, chatbot-delivered online intervention to promote seasonal Influenza vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic, temporal assessment of disparities in California COVID-19 mortality by industry, modeling the impact of a high-uptake bivalent booster scenario on the COVID-19 burden and healthcare costs in New York City, can high COVID-19 vaccination rates in adults help protect unvaccinated children, Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir use and hospitalizations or death in previously uninfected non-hospitalized high-risk population with COVID-19, Optimal duration of systemic corticosteroids in COVID-19 treatment, and vaccination after developing long COVID.

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Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

TWiV 1045: Less Lassa, CRISPR RNA viruses

TWiV reviews a Lassa virus mRNA vaccine that confers protection against disease without inducing neutralizing antibodies, and a CRISPR-based method for engineering the genome of RNA viruses.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, Brianne Barker, and Angela Mingarelli

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Weekly Picks 1:25:59

Angela – More than 5,000 new species discovered in Pacific deep-sea mining hotspot (journal article)
Brianne – The story of our universe may be starting to unravel
Rich – Sunlight Changes Unequally All Year Long
Alan – Arm swing asymmetry in overground walking
Vincent – The Farm at the Javits Center

Listener Pick

Asal – Ig Nobel Prizes honor zombie spiders, rock-licking scientists, and a clever commode

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 1044: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of coadministration of COVID-19 and Influenza vaccines, interim effectiveness estimates of 2023 southern hemisphere influenza vaccines in preventing Influenza-associated hospitalizations, genome-wide association study of susceptibility to RSV hospitalization in young children <5 years of age, performance of rapid antigen tests to detect symptomatic and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, safety and immunogenicity of XBB.1.5-containing mRNA vaccines, optimal duration of systemic corticosteroids in COVID-19 treatment, timing and predictors of loss of infectivity among healthcare workers with mild primary and recurrent COVID-19, and effects of famotidine on cognitive and behavioral dysfunctions induced in post-COVID-19 infection.

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Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

TWiV 1043: Marion Koopmans on COVID-19, Mpox, H5N1, polio and One Health

From the European Society for Clinical Virology meeting in Milan, Vincent speaks with Marion Koopmans about COVID-19, Mpox, H5N1 and polio, and the promise of a One Health approach to prevent outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics.

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guest: Marion Koopmans

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Download TWiV 1043 (45 MB .mp3, 62 min)
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Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 1042: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses China’s health authorities fighting surge in cases of Mpox unknown origin, analysis of seasonal variation of antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract diagnoses in primary care practices, prevalence and associated outcomes of co-infection between SARS-CoV-2 and influenza, comparison of bivalent and monovalent mRNA vaccine boosters, optimal duration of systemic corticosteroids in COVID-19 treatment, acute blood biomarker profiles predict cognitive deficits 6 and 12 months after COVID-19 hospitalization, temporal changes in fecal microbiota of patients infected with COVID-19, and long-term survival after intensive care for COVID-19.

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Download TWiV 1042 (21 MB .mp3, 29 min)

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Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

The Hosts of TWiV

Vincent Racaniello, Ph.D.


Brianne Barker, Ph.D.


Rich Condit, Ph.D.


Alan Dove, Ph.D.


Daniel Griffin, M.D.,
Ph.D., CTropMed CTH


Angela Mingarelli, DVM


Jolene Ramsey, Ph.D.


Kathy Spindler, Ph.D.


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