This Week in Virology

TWiV 664: TWiV is for the dogs

September 17, 2020

On this mid-week edition, does it matter that SARS-CoV-2 is mutating, seasonal coronavirus immunity is short-lived, another bogus claim that the virus was produced in a laboratory (it came from Nature), and answers to listener questions.

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

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Links for this episode

Coronavirus is mutating (Nature) 9:29
Seasonal CoV immunity is short (Nat Med) 18:16
Sorry, no link to the fake science document! 40:44
Letters read on TWiV 664 1:08:02
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 663: The joy of vax

September 13, 2020

Daniel Griffin provides a clinical report on COVID-19, including vaccines, Alan summarizes a vaccine webinar on the most advanced US trials, a nidovirus from snapping turtles, longevity of memory B cells in recovered patients, and listener email.

The British people can face any misfortune with fortitude & buoyancy as long as they are convinced that those in charge of their affairs are not deceiving them, or are not dwelling in a fool’s paradise.
— Winston Churchill

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

Guest: Daniel Griffin

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Download TWiV 663 (94 MB .mp3, 157 min)
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Links for this episode

Young adults with COVID-19 (JAMA) 8:21
Letter from Stanford professors on Atlas (pdf) 53:54
National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit 1:00:21
Bugger, even the snapping turtles! (PLoS One) 1:44:41
Memory B cell longevity in COVID-19 (medRxiv) 2:00:28
Letters read on TWiV 663 41:58, 1:43:58, 2:06:22
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 662: Principals of Principles, Fifth Edition

September 11, 2020

The authors of the textbook Principles of Virology gather to reveal new additions to the fifth edition, including a new author, study questions, and a chapter on therapeutic viruses.

Host: Vincent Racaniello

Guests: Jane Flint, Anna Marie Skalka, Glenn F. Rall, and Theodora Hatziioannou

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Download TWiV 662 (31 MB .mp3, 52 min)
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Links for this episode

Purchase PoV 5e Volumes 1 + 2 (link)
Purchase PoV 5e Volume 1 (link)
Purchase PoV 5e Volume 2 (link)

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 661: SWAG with Ralph Baric

September 10, 2020

Ralph Baric returns to TWiV to provide an update on the COVID-19 resurgence in the US, monoclonal antibodies, antiviral drugs, vaccines, immunity and reinfection, reopening schools, and what will happen this fall.

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

Guest: Ralph Baric

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Download TWiV 661 (70 MB .mp3, 116 min)
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Broadly neutralizing sarbecovirus mAbs (bioRxiv) 15:33
Evaluation of mRNA-1273 in nonhuman primates (NEJM) 26:55
Bioavailable broad-spectrum antiviral inhibits SARS-CoV-2 (bioRxiv) 22:27
Mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 (bioRxiv) 50:12
READDI 56:15
Das Coronavirus summaries in English 1:04:57
ChAdOx1 vaccine trial halted (NY Times) 1:09:05
Impact of high frequency screening (medRxiv) 1:11:45
Letters read on TWiV 661 1:18:18
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 660: In case of emergency finish the trial

September 6, 2020

Daniel Griffin provides a clinical report on COVID-19, then we discuss decline of virus-specific bone marrow B cells within a year after influenza vaccination, the push to release SARS-CoV-2 vaccines before completion of phase 3 trials, and absence of evidence for infectious virus in aerosols.

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

Guest: Daniel Griffin

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Download TWiV 660 (95 MB .mp3, 159 min)
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Links for this episode

Convalescent plasma RCT (medRxiv) 18:15
Multicenter RCTs on corticosteroids for COVID-19 (JAMA) 19:24
Decline of influenza B cells a year after vaccine (Science) 54:55
Be ready to distribute vaccines 1 Nov (WPRI and NYTimes) 1:23:17
EUA during COVID-19: lessons (JAMA) 1:25:15
Not evidence for aerosol transmission (one and two) 1:43:16
Letters read on TWiV 660 35:43, 48:09, 1:50:13
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 659: Sloppy coronavirus immunity with Christian Drosten

September 3, 2020

Christian Drosten returns to TWiV to provide an update on the COVID-19 situation in Germany, and general thoughts on testing, immunity, vaccines, therapeutics, epidemiology, reopening schools, and what will happen this fall.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker

Guest: Christian Drosten

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Download TWiV 659 (72 MB .mp3, 120 min)
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Christian previously on TWiV 601
Plague percolation phenomenon (Nature) 24:20
TMPRSS2 inhibitor for SARS-CoV-2 (Cell) 50:35
Repeated infections with endemic CoV (J Inf Dis) 35:09
Koch Institute SARS-CoV-2 reports
Letters read on TWiV 659 56:14, 1:01:46
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 658: Everyone needs a H.E.A.R.T.

August 30, 2020

Daniel Griffin provides a clinical report on COVID-19, then we discuss CDC softening testing guidelines, Moderna vaccine phase I results in older people, Abbott’s $5 rapid antigen test, and reinfection with a distinct SARS-CoV-2 isolate, followed by listener email.

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

Guest: Daniel Griffin

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Download TWiV 658 (85 MB .mp3, 141 min)
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Links for this episode

CDC told to soften SARS-CoV-2 testing guidelines (NYTimes) 17:07, 38:44
Moderna investor presentation on mRNA-1273 vaccine (link) 47:13
SARS-CoV-2 reinfection (Clin Inf Dis) 55:42
Dr. Fauci talks with just about anyone (NYTimes) 1:06:40, 1:07:47
Letters read on TWiV 658 30:58, 1:14:03
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 657: Shane Crotty on SARS-CoV-2 immunity

August 27, 2020

Immunologist Shane Crotty joins TWiV to discuss the antibody and T cell responses to infection with SARS-CoV-2, followed by answers to listener questions.

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

Guest: Shane Crotty

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Download TWiV 657 (80 MB .mp3, 133 min)
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Ahead of the Curve by Shane Crotty 14:03
SARS-CoV-2 T cell epitopes (Cell) 39:32
Cross-reactive CoV T cell epitopes (Science) 45:32
Knowns and unknowns about SARS-CoV-2 immunity (Nat Rev Imm) 50:05
CoV 229E infections of volunteers (Epid Infect)
Letters read on TWiV 657 1:16:44
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 656: See, it can be done!

August 23, 2020

Daniel Griffin provides a clinical report on COVID-19, surgeons Lisa Smith and David Bruce detail how they have helped their Chattanooga community during the pandemic, then we discuss racial and ethnic disparities among COVID-19 cases, no more premarket review of laboratory developed tests by FDA; and emergency use authorization of convalescent plasma is on hold.

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

Guests: Daniel Griffin, Lisa A. Smith, and W. David Bruce

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Download TWiV 656 (85 MB .mp3, 141 min)
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Links for this episode

Racial and ethnic disparities in workplace COVID-19 (CDC) 2:00:44
Rescission of guidances on laboratory tests (FDA) 1:51:13
EUA on convalescent plasma on hold (NY Times) 1:52:54
Letters read on TWiV 656 2:03:29
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV 655: Minority health with Robert Fullilove

August 20, 2020

Sociomedical scientist Robert Fullilove joins TWiV to discuss disparities in minority health; FDA announces an EUA on Yale’s SalivaDirect, protection of the upper and respiratory tract of mice after intranasal inoculation with an adenovirus-vectored SARS-CoV-2 spike gene, and listener questions.

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

Guest: Robert Fullilove

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Download TWiV 655 (88 MB .mp3, 147 min)
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Links for this episode

Health of racial and ethnic minority groups (CDC) 24:39
COVID-19 death/hospitalization by race/ethnicity (CDC) 19:20
Racial and ethnic disparities in workplace COVID-19 (CDC) 21:30
College Behind Bars (PBS)
SalivaDirect EUA (FDA) 1:10:54
Adenovirus vectored SARS-CoV-2 experimental vaccine protects mice (Nat Comm) 1:18:27
Letters read on TWiV 655 1:01:12, 1:17:12, 1:28:52
Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!