This Week in Virology

TWiV 733: COVID-19 clinical update #54 with Dr. Daniel Griffin

March 20, 2021

In COVID-19 clinical update #54, Daniel Griffin covers effectiveness of 3 vs 6 ft physical distancing, effectiveness of masks, physical distancing, and eye shields, second vaccine dose completion, alleviation of COVID-19 symptoms after vaccination, vaccine trials in children, and IDSA approval of a mAb cocktail.

Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello

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Download TWiV 733 (27 MB .mp3, 45 min)
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Effectiveness of 3 ft vs 6 ft (CID) 3:56
Effect of physical distancing, masks, eye protection (Lancet) 9:40
Vaccine second dose completion (MMWR) 14:59
IDSA mAb recommendations (IDSA) 19:58
Letters read on TWiV 733 24:04
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

TWiV 732: Citizen science with Forest Rohwer and Maria-Isabel Rojas

March 18, 2021

Forest and Maria-Isabel join TWiV to discuss their their project to engage thousands of citizens to swab inanimate surfaces in the San Diego area, then send the samples to the Rohwer Lab for nucleic acid analysis.

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

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Download TWiV 732 (67 MB .mp3, 112 min)
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Links for this episode

Forest on TWiV 391 3:03
CoVID-19 Citizen Scientists website 7:11
Swabbing surfaces in San Diego (10News) 10:55
Nido21 meeting 58:59
Molnupiravir in phase 2a (Fierce Biotech) 1:19:08
Letters read on TWiV 732 1:00:17, 1:44:50
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks 1:34:05

Dickson – 10 amazing science tricks with liquids
Brianne – How Do Blind Worms See the Color Blue?
Rich – Statewide Study Shows Evidence Of Significant COVID-19 Antibodies In Children
Kathy – Dark side of the moon as it crosses Earth
Vincent – Wasdkeyboards and Novelkeys

Listener Pick

Bronwen – COVID Performance Index

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 731: The kids aren’t alright

March 14, 2021

On a TWiV tetramer, we review the ongoing outbreaks of Ebolavirus disease in DRC and Guinea, evidence that SARS-CoV-2 infections in children are far more prevalent than are being detected, and recent long COVID estimates from the UK.

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

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Download TWiV 731 (69 MB .mp3, 115 min)
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Ebolavirus disease outbreak continues in Africa (ProMedMail) 6:20, 16:28
List of Ebolavirus outbreaks (Wikipedia) 9:28
Ebolavirus genome sequences from Guinea (virological) 13:53
Bias in reporting on childhood SARS-CoV-2 infections (Clinical Inf Dis) 23:46
Estimated SARS-CoV-2 prevalence <18 years (MMWR) 48:35
Estimated burden of SARS-CoV-2 by age group (CDC) 1:01:32
UK long COVID estimates (pdf) 56:00
Space Shuttle fly-by Vincent’s office (YouTube) 46:28
Letters read on TWiV 731 1:05:05
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks 1:35:36

Brianne – Who Would Kidnap a Space Telescope?
Alan – Radio Garden
Rich – Countries with more obesity have had more covid deaths on average
Vincent – Concord Aerospace

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 730: COVID-19 clinical update #53 with Dr. Daniel Griffin

March 13, 2021

In COVID-19 clinical update #53, Daniel Griffin reviews underreporting of infections and long term disease in children, a blood test for T cells, results of phase 3 trials for monoclonal antibodies, preliminary findings on an oral antiviral, clinical trial of ivermectin, and recommendations for upcoming gatherings.

Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello

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Download TWiV 730 (27 MB .mp3, 45 min)
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Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

TWiV 729: A floret of spikes with Matt Frieman

March 11, 2021

Matt Frieman returns to TWiV to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic from the point of view of a coronavirologist, including his work with Novavax on their spike protein-based vaccine.

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

Guest: Matt Frieman

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Download TWiV 729 (70 MB .mp3, 117 min)
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Links for this episode

Phase 1-2 trial of Novavax protein vaccine (NEJM) 33:12
MERS-CoV spike nanoparticle vaccine in mice (Vaccine) 12:52
Novavax phase 3 press release 31:38
When you’ve been fully vaccinated (CDC) 1:26:59
Letters read on TWiV 729 59:02
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks 1:43:29

Dickson – Covid-19 deaths per million ranked by average income
Brianne – KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor for Feb 2021 and KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor Dashboard
Rich – The Woman Who Stood Between America and a Generation of ‘Thalidomide Babies’ (wiki)
Kathy – Quadrantid meteor (Quadrantids)
Vincent – Higher Superstition by Paul Gross and Norman Levitt

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 728: Cover your nose and mouse

March 7, 2021

TWiV notes the passing of Mavis Agbandje-McKenna, and reviews data on maximizing fit for cloth and medical procedure masks, SARS-CoV-2 total and subgenomic viral load in hospitalized patients, and effect of changes in spike protein on efficacy in a mouse model of infection.

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

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Download TWiV 728 (79 MB .mp3, 132 min)
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Links for this episode

Mavis Agbandje-McKenna dies (UF) 1:15
Mavis on TWiV 448 1:30
Maximizing mask fit (MMWR) 6:37
Genomic and subgenomic RNA in COVID-19 patients (medRxiv) 22:43
Effect of spike changes on protection of mice (mBio) 47:11
Letters read on TWiV 728 1:07:40
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks 1:53:57

Dickson – Wild animal photos
Brianne – Greater than COVID
Alan – WHO report on infodemic response
Rich – Reference Guide to the International Space Station
Vincent – 3D Molecular Designs

Listener Picks

Lisbeth – Have the new jab
Karen – Cholera exhibit at Museum of Trades and Crafts

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 727: COVID-19 clinical update #52 with Dr. Daniel Griffin

March 6, 2021

In COVID-19 clinical update #52, Daniel Griffin reviews differences in attack rates between children and adults, J&J vaccine phase III data, G6PD deficiency and vaccines, NIH halts convalescent plasma trial, dexamethasone in hospitalized patients, data on tocilizumab, and long COVID in children.

Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello

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Download TWiV 727 (21 MB .mp3, 35 min)
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Links for this episode

SARS-CoV-2 attack rates in children and adults (Clin Inf Dis) 3:45
Documents for J&J COVID-19 vaccine review (FDA) 5:00
Convalescent plasma and clinical outcomes (JAMA) 13:43
NIH halts convalescent plasma trial (NIH) 14:40
Dexamethasone in hospitalized COVID-19 patients (NEJM) 16:58
Tocilizumab in hospitalized COVID-19 patients (NEJM) 18:57
Update on long COVID prevalence (UK ONS) 25:44
Letters read on TWiV 727 28:21
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

TWiV 726: Molecular animator Janet Iwasa

March 4, 2021

Janet Iwasa joins TWiV to recount how she became a molecular animator, including a pivot during her Ph.D. thesis research, the value of animations in science, and their latest animation of SARS-CoV-2 entry into cells.

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

Guest: Janet Iwasa

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Download TWiV 726 (68 MB .mp3, 113 min)
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Links for this episode

The Animation Lab 45:04, 1:16:38
SARS-CoV-2 animation 51:46
Documents for J&J COVID-19 vaccine review (FDA) 1:17:51
- Phase III data (pdf) 1:18:39
- Slide presentation of data (pdf) 1:22:08
- Addendum (pdf) 1:29:41
- Summary of v-Safe data (pdf) 1:34;50
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks 1:39:07

Brianne – How T cells see SARS-CoV2
Rich – Ice bubbles in Lago Bianco, Switzerland
Kathy – Music in COVID-19 control tents
Vincent – Perseverance runs on processors used in 1990s iMacs

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 725: Eva Harris and Janet Smith clip flavivirus wings

February 28, 2021

Eva Harris and Janet Smith join TWiV to discuss how an antibody against dengue virus NS1 protein blocks endothelial dysfunction and the potential of treating infections by multiple flaviviruses.

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

Guest: Eva Harris and Janet Smith

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Download TWiV 725 (72 MB .mp3, 119 min)
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Links for this episode

Eva Harris on TWiV 228 1:28
Zika virus in Nicaragua (virology blog) 2:26
How an antibody block NS1-mediated endothelial dysfunction (Science) 13:13
Protein Data Bank NS1 complex structures (one, two, three)
Broadly protective antibody against NS1 (Science) 59:32
Letters read on TWiV 725 1:18:42
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks 1:44:07

Alan – Science Photographer of the Year Awards
Rich – Bar Keeper’s Friend
Kathy – Perseverance secret message and other Easter eggs, 11 million Earthlings’ names, “Name the Rover” essay contest. Sign up to send your name on a future Mars mission.
Vincent – COVID-19 dataset

Listener Picks

Matthew – Remembering the colleagues we lost to COVID-19
Lori – Iceberger

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 724: COVID-19 clinical update #51 with Dr. Daniel Griffin

February 27, 2021

In COVID-19 clinical update #51, Daniel Griffin reviews use of two masks, effectiveness of testing in nursing homes, updates on vaccines, use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, little effect of vitamin D and remdesivir in clinical studies, and a long COVID research initiative from NIH.