This Week in Virology

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. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Alan Dove, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server MicrobeTV store at Cafepress Research assistant position in Rosenfeld Lab CBER/FDA (pdf) Impact of COVID-19 vaccination trends (Sci Adv) Poxvirus-activated anticodon nuclease (Sci Adv) Letters read on TWiV 1035 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – Project Hail Mary Rich – Bird Buddy Alan – Blood, Sweat, and Pixels and Press Reset Vincent – Are microplastics spreading infectious disease? Listener Picks Tom – Henrietta Lacks family settles lawsuit Kathleen – Why Insect Memories May Not Survive Metamorphosis Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

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. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Immunogenicity, safety, and preliminary efficacy evaluation of OVX836, a influenza A vaccine candidate (The Lancet) Association between nose picking and SARS-CoV-2 incidence (PLOSONE) Effect of COVID-19 vaccination and booster on maternal-fetal outcomes (Lancet Digital Health) Dynamics of inflammatory responses after SARS-CoV-2 infection by vaccination status (The Lancet) Does monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19 impact short and long-term outcomes (BMJ) Persistent endothelial dysfunction in post-COVID-19 syndrome and its associations with symptom severity and inflammation (Angiogenesis) Core mitochondrial genes are down-regulated during SARS-CoV-2 infection of rodent and human hosts (STM) Contribute to our Floating Doctors fundraiser at PWB Letters read on TWiV 1034 Dr. Griffin's COVID treatment summary (pdf) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

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. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Desiree on Instagram and LinkedIn 'Flu-shot cheerleader' speaks out (NBC) 'Flu-shot cheerleader' back with a warning (NBC) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

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. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Kathy Spindler, and Angela Mingarelli Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server MicrobeTV store at Cafepress Position in Rosenfeld Laboratory (pdf) Paul and the Mosquitos (pdf, English) Other childrens books (SMVIROLOGIA) Dengue breaking records in Americas (Nature) Harald zur Hausen, 1936-2023 (Nature) Vincent interviews zur Hausen (ASM) COVID-19 and modulation of IFN (Sci Immunol) Burning down the mouse (TWiV 900) Armed nanobody protects against influenza (Sci Immunol) Click chemistry Nobel prizes (The Nobel Prize) Letters read on TWiV 1033 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Angela – The Deepest Breath Kathy – Pink snow Vincent – Scientist vs PowerPoint Listener Picks Fernando – The Enigma of Reason by Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber and Language vs. Reality by Nick Enfield Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

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. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Predicting COVID-19 incidence using wastewater surveillance data (CDC) Use of wastewater metrics to track COVID-19 in the US (JAMA) Wastewater-based epidemiology predicts COVID-19-induced new hospital admissions (Nature) Association between duration of SARS-CoV-2 positivity and long COVID (JID) Rapid direct detection of SARS-CoV-2 aerosols in exhaled breath at the point of care (ACS) Effectiveness of oral Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir vs. intravenous three-day Remdesivir in preventing COVID-19 progression (Viruses) NIH has launched several phase 2 long-COVID treatment trials (NIH) Fatigue can shatter a person (Atlantic) Contribute to our Floating Doctors fundraiser at PWB Letters read on TWiV 1032 Dr. Griffin's COVID treatment summary (pdf) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

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. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, and Alan Dove Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server MicrobeTV store at Cafepress Position in Rosenfeld Laboratory (pdf) XKCD on antivaxxers RFK Jr. CDC or FDA head? (Politico) Performance of rapid antigen tests (Ann Int Med) Guidance on rapid antigen tests (FDA) Autoantibodies to IFN in West Nile virus encephalitis (JEM) Letters read on TWiV 1031 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Rich – The Final Covid-19 Grand Rounds: What Have We Learned? Alan – Teaching biology to Tibetan Buddhist monks Vincent – I got it from Agnes by Tom Lehrer and Why Oppenheimer has important lessons for scientists today Listener Picks Ryan – Paul Offit on PBS Newshour to explain RFK Jr.'s Congressional Hearing Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

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. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Use of RSV vaccines in older adults (CDC) Case report of leprosy in Central Florida (EID) Blood group A enhances SARS-CoV-2 infection (Blood) Predicting COVID-19 incidence using wastewater surveillance data (EID) Common allele of HLA associated with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection (Nature) Prevalence of low-frequency antiviral resistance variants in SARS-CoV-2 isolates (JAMA) Viral resistance analyses from the Remdesivir phase 3 treatment trial (JID) Impact of Molnupiravir treatment on patient-reported COVID-19 symptoms (CID) Molnupiravir for treatment of adults with mild or moderate COVID-19 (CMI) Delayed intubation associated with in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19 (BMC) Relationship between Azithromycin and cardiovascular outcomes in unvaccinated patients with COVID‐19 (JAHA) The effects of COVID-19 on cognitive performance in a community-based cohort (eClinical) Clinical phenotypes and quality of life to define post-COVID-19 syndrome (eClinical) Contribute to our FIMRC fundraiser at PWB Letters read on TWiV 1030 Dr. Griffin's COVID treatment summary (pdf) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

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. Host: Vincent Racaniello Guest: David Tuller Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server David Tuller at virology blog CFS, a long tangled tale (virology blog) Request for Correction of Prevalence Rates Cited in FND Paper (virology blog) Estimates of long COVID prevalence (virology blog) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

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. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server First gene therapy for hemophilia A approved (FDA) Luxurna, gene therapy for vision loss (FDA) Anti-RSV monoclonal antibody approved (FDA) Trial of single-dose Nirsevimab (NEJM) Letters read on TWiV 1028 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Phoenix hits 110 degrees for the 19th day in a row, setting national record Brianne – James Webb Telescope One Year Anniversary Photo Kathy – Drone awards photos Alan – WHO Film Festival winners Vincent – Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman Listener Picks David – The Mass Extinction Debates: A Science Communication Odyssey Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

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. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer in the United States (Nature) Omicron subvariant BA.5 efficiently infects lung cells (Nature) COVID-19 scent dog research highlights during the pandemic of December 2019 (JOM) T-Cell Immunity against SARS-CoV-2 measured by an interferon-γ release assay is strongly associated with patient outcomes (JID) Common allele of HLA is associated with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection (Naure) Immunology of long COVID (Nature) Contribute to our FIMRC fundraiser at PWB Letters read on TWiV 1027 Dr. Griffin's COVID treatment summary (pdf) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv