TWiV 1192: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

Feb 15, 2025

Dr. Daniel Griffin, an expert in infectious diseases, shares insights on pressing health challenges. He discusses confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy as HHS secretary and the rising concerns around mpox, Ebola, and measles outbreaks in Texas. The conversation delves into the importance of vaccines and the alarming increase of RSV and influenza cases. Dr. Griffin also touches on long COVID, its varying effects in children versus adults, and the need for ongoing support in research and treatment strategies.

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ANECDOTE

Remembering Dixon DesPommier

Vincent Racaniello and Daniel Griffin mourn the loss of their friend and colleague, Dixon DesPommier.
They share a poem by Robert Frost in tribute to him.

INSIGHT

RFK Jr.'s Confirmation

RFK Jr.'s confirmation as HHS Secretary raises concerns about the future of science, given his stance against vaccines and germ theory.
His appointment poses a challenge, especially regarding the bird flu pandemic.

INSIGHT

Public Opinion on Vaccines

Despite most voters supporting vaccine availability and development, a significant portion expresses opposing views.
Concerningly, a quarter of Americans don't prioritize vaccine availability and a third are unconcerned about declining childhood vaccination rates.

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In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin and Vincent Racaniello discuss confirmation of Robert F Kennedy as HHS sectary, mpox, Ebola, how the American people support vaccine development and administration, the measles outbreak in the US-Texas, Georgia and influenza: the number of human infections, high avian flu in mammals, house cats and dairy cows before Dr. Griffin reviews recent statistics on RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, where to find PEMGARDA, an update of Paxlovid administration provides information for Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center, where to go for answers to your long COVID questions, how long COVID varies between children and adults and if viral infection reduces telomere length in sperm.

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Links for this episode

Confirmation of RFK, Jr as HHS sect (NY Times)
Did you know mpox in NY?….(Reuters)
Mpox in sex workers in the Congo and in NY (CIDRAP)
9 confirmed, 265 suspected Ebola cases in Uganda (AP news)
WHAT!? Support vaccines: availability and development. WHAT? (Businesswire)
Measles rising in the unvaccinated. You mean the vaccines does something positive? (ABC News)
Measles in Texas….go big or go home (Texas Health and Human Services)
Vaccination Conscientious exemptions in Texas (Texas Health and Human Services)
2, 6, 14 measles hospitalizations in Texas (CNN)
Decreases in childhood vaccinations SchoolVaxView(CDC)
2 when 24 cases of measles in two weeks (Texas Health and Human Services)
Measles in small town Texas (NY Times)
Measles in the US Texas, Georgia, Rhode Island, New York, New Mexico:
Elimination of measles (JID)
Influenza taxonomy (NCBI)
H5N9 in commercial duck farm, California (American Animal Hospital Association)
Second type of bird flu circulating in ducks (Scientific Amercia)
Variant H1N2 flu in Iowa (CIDRAP)
All types of influenza (CDC Influenza)
Bird flu in the zoos: Bronx and Queens (Gothamist)
High path avian influenza in mammals (USDA: Animal and plant health inspection service)
Bird flu in house cats…..I tawt I taw a puddy tat (KFF Health News)
New strain of influenza in dairy cows (AP News)
Influenza: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
How the communications pause endangered us about influenza (AP News)
Most intense flu season in 15 years (AP News)US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
Weekly surveillance report: clift notes (CDC FluView)
RSV: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
Weekly US influenza surveillance report (CDC FluView)
RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection)
10 year surveillance of RSV hospitalization in adults(JID)
Seasonality of RSV: 2017-2023(CDC: MMWR)
What doctors wish patients know about RSV (AMA)
US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC)
COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC)
SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain)
Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
EUA for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD)
Fusion center near you….if in NY (Prime Fusions)
CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
Paxlovid update (Pfizer)
Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
What to do when sick with a respiratory virus (CDC)
When your healthcare provider is infected/exposed with SARS-CoV-2 (CDC)
Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
Steroids, dexamethasone at the right time (OFID)
Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org)
Daniel Griffin’s evidence based medical practices for long COVID (OFID)
Long COVID hotline (Columbia : Columbia University Irving Medical Center)
The answers: Long COVID
Proportion of Long COVID incidence in adults and children (CID)
SARS-CoV-2 infection effects sperm telomere length (Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics)
Pediatric gastrointestinal tract outcomes during the postacute phase of COVID-19c]\ (JAMA Network)
Letters read on TWiV 1192
Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv