This Week in Virology

TWiV Special: Monkeypox clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

May 26, 2022

In this special episode, Dr. Griffin answers questions about the recent cases of monkeypox including their origin, clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and overall risk.

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Monkeypox multi-country outbreak risk assessment (pdf, ECDC) 1:08
Monkeypox update (ProMedMail) 1:11
Monkeypox virus genome sequences (Nextstrain) 15:28

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

TWiV 902: Autoantibodies drive severe COVID-19

May 22, 2022

TWiV reviews recent cases of monkeypox, presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA but not infectious virus in feces, and the association of autoantibodies to interferons with severe COVID-19.

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

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Monkeypox in MA (ProMed Mail) 6:43
Possible monkeypox in NYC (NY Times)
Occupational monkeypox, Wisconsin (Emerg Inf Dis) 13:45
SARS-CoV-2 in feces (Nature) 18:35
IFN autoantibodies and severe COVID-19 (PNAS) 30:11
Letters read on TWiV 902 1:08:44
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks 1:48:18

Dickson – How to grow food on the moon
Brianne – APod May 16: Milky Way over French Alp Hoodoos
Kathy – Covid Nationwide data visualization
Rich – NIH All of Us Research Program
Vincent – Physicians Spreading Misinformation on Social Media — Do Right and Wrong Answers Still Exist in Medicine?

Listener Pick

Lisa – E.H. Danner Museum of Telephony

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 901: COVID-19 clinical update #115 with Dr. Daniel Griffin

May 21, 2022

In COVID-19 clinical update #115, Dr. Griffin reviews cross-variant immunity without vaccination, EUA for boosters in 5-11 year olds, B.1.1.529 attack rate, scent dogs, Omicron and pets, Paxlovid, Veklury, Fluvoxamine, antigen positivity after isolation, inflammasome activation and severe disease, and GI persistence and fecal shedding.

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Download TWiV 901 (36 MB .mp3, 60 min)
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Links for this episode

Limited cross-variant immunity without vaccination (Nature) 7:01
EUA for boosters in 5-11 year olds (FDA) 8:02
Stages of COVID-19 (AIDS Rev) 8:40
B.1.1.529 attack rate in Australia (JID) 11:13
Scent dogs (BMJ) 16:11
Does Omicron affect pets? (CVMBS News) 18:59
Paxlovid eligibility checklist (FDA) 23:02
Supratherapeutic tacrolimus with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Op For Inf Dis) 24:33
Is longer Paxlovid needed? (Reuters) 26:01
How about Veklury? (Gilead) 28:02
Fluvoxamine declined (FDA) 31:14
Antigen positivity after isolation (MMWR) 36:26
Inflammasome activation drives COVID-19 pathology (TWiV 900, Nature) 50:40
PASC and viral antigen persistence in gut (Gastroenterol) 53:11
GI symptoms and fecal shedding (Med) 51:42
Contribute to ASTMH fundraiser at PW 56:48
Dr. Griffin’s treatment guide (pdf)
Letters read on TWiV 901 57:21
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

TWiV 900: Burning down the mouse

May 15, 2022

TWiV celebrates 900 episodes, Vincent gives the Richard R. Ernst lecture, and we discuss why inflammasome activation in infected macrophages drives severe COVID-19.

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

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Links for this episode

Richard R. Ernst Lecture 8:07
Infected macrophages drives severe COVID-19 (Nature) 17:50
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks 1:17:45

Brianne – The Milky Way’s Black Hole Comes to Light
Kathy – River dolphins playing with anaconda
Rich – Smallpox vaccination techniques; from knives and forks to needles and pins
Alan – Vacuum Tubes: a Modern Aladdin’s Lamp
Vincent – Books by Pamela Jane

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 899: COVID-19 clinical update #114 with Dr. Daniel Griffin

May 14, 2022

In COVID-19 clinical update #114, Dr. Griffin discusses early treatment with ivermectin, procalcitonin not a reliable biomarker, vaccine in 6-11 year olds, FDA limits use of Janssen vaccine, does site of vaccine booster matter, sniffer dogs, monoclonals for hospitalized patients, risk assessment for public events, Paxlovid eligibility, and persistence of pediatric anosmia.

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Download TWiV 899 (34 MB .mp3, 56 min)
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Links for this episode

Effects of early treatment with Ivermectin (NEJM) 36:01
Procalcitonin not a reliable biomarker (IDSA) 43:08
Evaluation of vaccine in children 6 to 11 years (NEJM) 2:40
FDA limits use of Janssen vaccine (FDA) 24:48
Recall of B cell memory on vaccination location (Science Immunology) 26:22
Persistence screening using sniffer dogs (Journal of Clinical Trials) 13:24
Tixagevimab/Cilgavimab for treatment of hospitalized patients (Lancet) 28:13
Infection detection by canine olfaction (OFID) 10:40
Diagnostic utility to differentiate patients (IDSA) 43:55
Prevalence of anosmia in pediatric cases (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal) 7:22
Risk assessment for public events (University of Texas COVID-19 Modeling Consortium) 17:03
PAXLOVID patient eligibility screening checklist (FDA) 33:01
PAXLOVID drug interactions (IDSA) 34:36
Contribute to ASTMH fundraiser at PWB 48:05
Dr. Griffin’s treatment guide (pdf)
Letters read on TWiV 899 48:41
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

TWiV 898: Immunity is skin deep

May 8, 2022

TWiV explains why the concept of herd immunity might not apply to COVID-19, and the observation that smallpox vaccination causes an increase in skin bacteria that promote pathology and influence the immune response.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker

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Links for this episode

Herd immunity may not apply to COVID-19 (J Inf Dis) 2:58
Smallpox vaccination increases skin bacteria (PLoS Path) 27:29
The invinceable TWiV (TWiV 145) 36:29
By the pricking of my thumbs… (TWiV 284) 36:43
Letters read on TWiV 898 1:10:06
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks 1:27:50

Brianne – Bacteria and Me Coloring Book
Kathy – Smarter 3D printing
Rich – Big Ben Restoring the Worlds Most Famous Clock 2021
Vincent – Scientific review articles as antivaccine disinformation

Listener Pick

Suellen – Your Fantastic Mind Season 3 Ep 2: Long COVID and Making of a Brain Surgeon (Full Episode)

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 897: COVID-19 clinical update #113 with Dr. Daniel Griffin

May 7, 2022

In COVID-19 clinical update #113, Dr. Griffin discusses tocilizumab use in hospitalized Patients, IL-6 inhibitors and mortality, Baricitinib in hospitalized patients, post-infection neurological sequelae, comparative effectiveness of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, phase 2/3 study of Paxlovid, infection relapse following Paxlovid, pre-hospital administration of Remdesivir, and hospitalization with different variants.

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Download TWiV 897 (29 MB .mp3, 48 min)
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Links for this episode

Timing of Tocilizumab Use in Hospitalized Patients (NIH) 34:28
Interleukin-6 inhibitors reduce mortality (European Journal of Internal Medicine) 35:58
Treatment Effect of Baricitinib on Hospitalized Patients (IDSA) 36:57
Post Infection Neurological Sequelae (Res Square) 38:09
Comparative Effectiveness of Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines (Nature Commun) 7:58
Results from Phase 2/3 Study of Paxlovid (Pfizer) 13:45
Infection Relapse Following Suppression by Paxlovid (Res Square) 19:55
Update on Paxlovid Usage (FDA) 25:02
Availability and Use of Treatments in Outpatients (CDC) 25:47
Pre-Hospital Administration of Remdesivir (IDSA) 26:56
Remdesivir and three other drugs for Hospitalized Patients (Lancet) 32:45
Guidelines on Usage of Anticoagulants (Am Soc Hematol) 30:22
Different Variants Hospitalization and Morality (Res Square) 3:30
Contribute to FIMRIC fundraiser at PWB 40:26
Dr. Griffin’s treatment guide (pdf)
Letters read on TWiV 897 41:25
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

TWiV 896: Memory B cells, the way we were

May 1, 2022

TWiV explains a study of how climate change is predicted to increase cross-species viral transmission risk, and increased memory B cell potency and breadth after a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine boost.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Amy Rosenfeld

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Download TWiV 896 (65 MB .mp3, 108 min)
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Links for this episode

Climate change and viral zoonosis risk (Nature) 4:14
COVID-19 mRNA boost effect on memory B cells (Nature) 38:08
Letters read on TWiV 896 1:19:04
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks 1:32:48

Dickson – Toots Thilelemans
Amy – Largest comet ever identified
Vincent – Scientific review articles as antivaccine disinformation

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 895: COVID-19 clinical update #112 with Dr. Daniel Griffin

April 30, 2022

In COVID-19 clinical update #112, Dr. Griffin reviews seroprevalence of infection-induced antibodies, Moderna filing for vaccine authorization in young children, public health impact of vaccines in US, FDA approval of first treatment for young children, phase 2 data for Sabizabulin, and post infection inflammation.

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Download TWiV 895 (33 MB .mp3, 54 min)
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Links for this episode

Seroprevalence of Infection-Induced Antibodies (CDC) 5:10
Authorization for Vaccine in Young Children Filed (Moderna) 9:04
Public Health Impact of Vaccines in US (BMJ) 13:47
FDA authorizes first approved treatment for children (FDA) 16:32
Phase 2 Data for Sabizabulin (Veru Pharma) 26:05
Clinical Characteristics of Post Infection Inflammation (The Lancet) 28:27
Fact Sheet for Providers on Evusheld (FDA) 1:32
Fact Sheet for Providers on Paxlovid (FDA) 1:32
Provider Referral for EvuSheld (Northwell Health) 16:00
Contribute to ASTMH fundraiser at PWB 30:44
Dr. Griffin’s treatment guide (pdf)
Letters read on TWiV 895 31:19
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

TWiV 894: Dinner with the TMPRSS family

April 28, 2022

TWiV explains what is known about cases of acute, severe hepatitis of unknown origin in children, and discovery of an inhibitor of TMPRSS2 protease that blocks SARS-CoV-2 infection.