TWiV dissects a study of COVID-19 vaccination which shows that the timing of initial rollout affects disease outcomes more substantially than final coverage or degree of socioeconomic disparity, and discovery of a novel cellular defense comprising a nuclease that is activated by poxvirus infection and cleaves a specific tRNA molecule to inhibit protein synthesis.
In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses the immunogenicity, safety, and preliminary efficacy evaluation of OVX836, a nucleoprotein-based universal influenza A vaccine candidate, association between nose picking and SARS-CoV-2 incidence, a cohort study in hospital health care workers; effect of COVID-19 vaccination and booster on maternal-fetal outcomes, dynamics of inflammatory responses after SARS-CoV-2 infection by vaccination status in the USA, does monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19 impact short and long- term outcomes in a large generalizable population, persistent endothelial dysfunction in post-COVID-19 syndrome and its associations with symptom severity and chronic inflammation, core mitochondrial genes are down-regulated during SARS-CoV-2 infection of rodent and human hosts.
Vincent speaks with Desirée Townsend about how she felt used and indoctrinated by the anti-vaxx movement, the science surrounding her autoimmune disorder, and why she is no longer the “flu shot cheerleader,” but a cheerleader for flu shots.
TWiV notes the passing of Harald zur Hausen, dengue breaking records in the Americas, inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 infection and inflammation by modulation of type I IFN, and an armed nanobody that protects mice against influenza A and B disease.
In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses predicting COVID-19 incidence using wastewater surveillance data, use of wastewater metrics to track COVID-19 in the US, wastewater-based epidemiology predicts COVID-19-induced weekly new hospital admissions in over 150 USA counties, association between duration of SARS-CoV-2 positivity and long COVID, rapid direct detection of SARS-CoV-2 aerosols in exhaled breath at the point of care, effectiveness of oral Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir vs. intravenous three-day Remdesivir in preventing progression to severe COVID-19, NIH launching of several phase 2 long-COVID treatment trials.
TWiV notes the passing of virologist Michael BA Oldstone, a study to assess the performance of rapid antigen tests to detect symptomatic and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the presence of antibodies to type I interferons in ~40% of patients with West Nile virus encephalitis.
In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses the use of RSV vaccines in older adults: recommendations of the advisory committee on immunization practices, case report of leprosy in Central Florida, blood group A enhances SARS-CoV-2 infection, predicting COVID-19 incidence using wastewater surveillance data, a common allele of HLA associated with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, prevalence of low-frequency, antiviral resistance variants in SARS-CoV-2 isolates in Ontario, Canada, viral resistance analyses from the Remdesivir phase 3 adaptive COVID-19 treatment trial-1, impact of Molnupiravir treatment on patient-reported COVID-19 symptoms in the phase 3 move-out trial, Molnupiravir for treatment of adults with mild or moderate COVID-19, delayed intubation associated with in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19 respiratory failure who fail heated and humified high flow nasal canula, relationship between azithromycin and cardiovascular outcomes in unvaccinated patients with COVID‐19 and preexisting cardiovascular disease, and the effects of COVID-19 on cognitive performance in a community-based cohort, clinical phenotypes and quality of life to define post-COVID-19 syndrome.
David Tuller returns to TWiV to provide an update on ME/CFS, the PACE trial, developments related to the NICE guidelines, and how similar practices and ideologies are being applied to long COVID.
TWiV reviews approvals of the first gene therapy for severe hemophilia A in adults and a monoclonal antibody to prevent RSV respiratory disease in babies and toddlers, and a common allele of HLA that mediates asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection through pre-existing T cell immunity due to previous exposure to common cold coronaviruses.
In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin discusses the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in free-ranging white-tailed deer in the United States, Omicron subvariant BA.5 efficiently infects lung cells, COVID-19 scent dog research highlights and synthesis during the pandemic of December 2019, T-Cell Immunity against SARS-CoV-2 measured by an interferon-γ release assay is strongly associated with patient outcomes in vaccinated persons hospitalized with Delta or Omicron variants, a common allele of HLA is associated with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the immunology of long COVID.
The Hosts of TWiV
Vincent Racaniello, Ph.D.
Dickson D.
Despommier, Ph.D.
Alan Dove, Ph.D.
Daniel Griffin, M.D.,
Ph.D., CTropMed CTH
Angela Mingarelli, DVM
Jolene Ramsey, Ph.D.