This Week in Virology

Vincent travels to Cornell University to speak with Gary Whittaker about regulation by proteolytic processing of the fusion activity of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, and feline coronavirus transmission, replication and disease. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello Guest: Gary Whittaker Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode SARS-CoV-2 spike and its furin cleavage site (Lancet Microbe) TMPRSS2 inhibitor blocks SARS-CoV-2 reproduction (Nature) Distinct spike proteins of feline coronaviruses (Viruses) Feline coronavirus and feline infectious peritonitis (J Zoo Wild Med) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

Paul Offit returns to TWiV to discuss why the bivalent booster dosing story should be a cautionary tale of how not to move forward in this pandemic. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Rich Condit Guest: Paul Offit Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Antibody responses to bivalent booster (bioRxiv) Immunogenicity of bivalent vaccine (bioRxiv) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

Astrophysicist Chiara Mingarelli joins TWiV to discuss her career and her work using pulse timing arrays to study the gravitational wave background, ripples in the fabric of spacetime that are caused by events such as the merging of black holes. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Angela Mingarelli Guest: Chirara Mingarelli Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Support MicrobeTV with a Spike t-shirt (Vaccinated.us) with promo code MicrobeTV International Scientific Coordinator Position (agajewski at icsnicaragua.org for more info) Seeing the gravitational wave universe (Science) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Angela – OpenAI Playground and Nature Milestones: T cells Chiara – The Biggest Ideas in the Universe by Sean Carroll Kathy – Recycling PVC and here and here Rich – Brome Bird Care Squirrel Buster Plus  (Bonus pick: 1971 Volvo 142 Commercial – With John Cameron Swayze) Vincent – Journey to the Microcosmos Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses Mpox (formerly monkeypox) in women: epidemiological features and clinical characteristics of mpox cases in Spain, April to November 2022, triage of patients with Ebola virus disease, SARS-CoV-2 serology and self-reported infection among adults, serological markers of SARS-CoV-2 infection; anti-nucleocapsid antibody positivity may not be the ideal marker of natural infection in vaccinated individuals, sensitivity of anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein antibody for breakthrough infections during the epidemic of the Omicron variants, effect of wearing glasses on risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 in the community, and data-driven identification of post-acute SARS-CoV-2 infection subphenotypes. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Mpox in women: Epidemiological features and clinical characteristics of cases (Eurosurveillance)  Triage of patients with Ebola virus disease (The Lancet)  SARS-CoV-2 serology and self-reported infection among adults (CDC) Serological markers of SARS-CoV-2 infection (JID)  Sensitivity of anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein antibody (Journal of infection) Effect of wearing glasses on risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 in the community (JAMA) Paxlovid patient eligbiliity screening checklist (FDA) Data-driven identification of post-acute SARS-CoV-2 infection subphenotypes (Nature) Contribute to our MicrobeTV fundraiser at PWB Dr. Griffin’s treatment guide (pdf) Letters read on TWiV 961 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

Dan Wilson of Debunk the Funk joins TWiV to explain why he decided to take on science misinformation and how he critiques people who promulgate incorrect information. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker Guest: Dan Wilson Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Support MicrobeTV with a Spike t-shirt (Vaccinated.us) with promo code MicrobeTV International Scientific Coordinator Position (agajewski at icsnicaragua.org for more info) Debunk the Funk (YouTube) Letters read on TWiV 960 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Jazz Project:  InstrumentalTrumpet: Clifford Brown/Miles Davis/Winton Marsalis. Clifford Brown: Signature album: Study In Brown, Signature song: Sandu; Miles Davis: Signature albums: Kind Of Blue; Sketches Of Spain; Porgy And Bess; Miles. Signature song: Time After Time. Wynton Marsalis: Signature album: Standard Time. Signature song: Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans Brianne – Physicists Create a Wormhole Rich – Dec 1 APOD: Artemis 1 Flight Day 13 Vincent – An Ancient Language, Once on the Brink, Is a British Isle’s Talk of the Town Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses effectiveness of influenza vaccination of pregnant women for prevention of maternal and early infant Influenza-associated hospitalizations in South Africa, a multivalent nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccine against all known influenza virus subtypes, single and 2-dose vaccinations with modified vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic induce durable B cell memory responses comparable to replicating smallpox vaccines, whether the risk of still and preterm birth is affected by the timing of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy, medical masks versus N95 respirators for preventing COVID-19 among health care workers, alarming antibody evasion properties of rising SARS-CoV-2 BQ and XBB subvariants, real-world evidence of novel treatments for COVID-19 on mortality: a nationwide comparative cohort study of hospitalized patients in the 1st, 2nd, 3rdand 4th wave in the Netherlands, and effectiveness and safety of extended thromboprophylaxis in post-discharge patients with COVID-19. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Effectiveness of Influenza vaccination in pregnant women (OFID) Multivalent nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccine against Influenza subtypes (Science) Single and 2-dose vaccinations with modified vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic (JID) Is the risk of still and preterm birth affected by the timing of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection? (AJOG) Medical masks versus N95 respirators for preventing COVID-19 among health care workers (ACP) Bebtelovimab fact sheet for providers (FDA) Alarming antibody evasion properties of rising SARS-CoV-2 BQ and XBB subvariants (bioRxiV) Paxlovid patient eligbiliity screening checklist (FDA) Real-world evidence of novel treatments for COVID-19 on mortality (OFID) Effectiveness and safety of extended thromboprophylaxis in post-discharge patients with COVID-19 (Thrombosis Research) Contribute to our MicrobeTV fundraiser at PWB Dr. Griffin’s treatment guide (pdf) Letters read on TWiV 959 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

The TWiV team reveals a variant SARS-CoV-2 that emerged in deer with deer-to-human transmission, and hybrid virus particles produced by co-infection with influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus particles. 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 Support MicrobeTV with a Spike t-shirt (Vaccinated.us) with promo code MicrobeTV Testing and evaluation specialist (Harris County Public Health) Oveta Fuller tribute (YouTube) Divergent SARS-CoV-2 in deer (Nat Micro) Hybrid influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus particles (Nat Micro) Letters read on TWiV 958 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Jazz Project: Vocals Best female vocalists: Ella Fitzgerald/Billie Holiday, Betty Carter Best Male Vocalists: Mel Tormé/Joe Williams/Tony Bennett Brianne – ASV Curriculum Guidelines for Virology Courses Kathy – The Snow Cruiser Alan – Rescuing bats in Ukraine Vincent – Woodpeckers: The Hole Story PBS Listener Picks Florencia – World of Viruses Miguel – Foldscope Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses human monkeypox virus infection in women and non-binary individuals during the 2022 outbreaks, changes in population immunity against infection and severe disease from SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants in the United States, updates on COVID-19–related mortality, impact of community masking on COVID-19, effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines against hospitalization with Omicron sub-lineages BA.4 and BA.5 in England, cardiovascular outcomes after Tixagevimab and Cilgavimab use for pre-exposure prophylaxis against COVID-19, how Paxlovid is associated with decreased hospitalization rate among adults with COVID-19, inside the mind of an anti-paxxer, and angiotensin receptor blockers for the treatment of COVID-19. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Human monkeypox virus infection in women and non-binary individuals (The Lancet) Changes in population immunity against infection and severe disease from variants (Medrxiv) Updates on COVID-19 related mortality (CDC) Impact of community masking on COVID-19 (Science) Effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines against hospitalization (The Lancet) Cardiovascular outcomes after tixagevimab and cilgavimab use for pre-exposure prophylaxis (CID) Bebtelovimab fact sheet for providers (FDA) Paxlovid associated with decreased hospitalization among adults (CDC) Inside the mind of an Anti-Paxxer (The Atlantic) Paxlovid patient eligbiliity screening checklist (FDA) Angiotensin receptor blockers for the treatment of COVID-19 (BMJ) Long COVID treatment research study (Stanford) HHS long COVID study (pdf) Biden administration requests long COVID fu Contribute to our MicrobeTV fundraiser at PWB Dr. Griffin’s treatment guide (pdf) Letters read on TWiV 957 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

Cedric and John join TWiV to discuss their research showing that a human protein derived from an ancient retrovirus infection can protect against infection by other retroviruses. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler Guest: Cedric Feschotte and John Anthony Frank Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Support MicrobeTV with a Spike t-shirt (Vaccinated.us) with promo code MicrobeTV Cedric on TWiV 935 Antiviral retroviral protein (Science) Stealing genes, facing consequences (Science) Letters read on TWiV 956 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Kathy – Wastewater Dashboard Rich – Artemis I Mission;  Artemis I launch; Artemis I Map Vincent – Pasta Grammar Listener Picks Rich – Watch a virus in the moments before it attacks Justin – Respiratory syncytial virus 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 four things to know about RSV, the burden of respiratory syncytial virus in healthy term-born infants in Europe, the diagnostic accuracy of rapid diagnostic tests for Ebola virus disease, evaluating the accuracy of self-collected swabs for the diagnosis of monkeypox, tecovirimat is effective against human monkeypox virus in vitro at nanomolar concentrations, acute and postacute sequelae associated with SARS-CoV-2 reinfection, clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 infection and recovery in lung transplant recipients, effectiveness of a third BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy, maternal antibody response and transplacental transfer following SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination in pregnancy, impact of community masking on COVID-19, Lifting Universal Masking in Schools – Covid-19 Incidence among Students and Staff, systematic review of the clinical effectiveness of Tixagevimab/Cilgavimab for prophylaxis of COVID-19 in immunocompromised patients, comparative effectiveness of sotrovimab and molnupiravir for prevention of severe COVID-19 outcomes in patients in the community, early adoption of anti–SARS-CoV-2 pharmacotherapies among us veterans with mild to moderate COVID-19, evaluation of viral and symptom rebound differences between Paxlovid and untreated COVID-19 participants, monoclonal antibodies for treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy, twice daily oral zinc in the treatment of patients with COVID-19, cognitive deficits in long Covid-19, severe Neuro-COVID is associated with peripheral immune signatures, autoimmunity and neurodegeneration, and long-lasting symptoms after an acute COVID-19 infection and factors associated with their resolution. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Four things to know about RSV (Gates Foundation) The burden of RSV in healthy term-born infants in Europe (The Lancet) Diagnostic accuracy of rapid tests for Ebola (CMI) Accuracy of self-collected swabs for diagnosis of Monkeypox (CID) Tecovirimat is effective against human monkeypox virus in vitro (Nature) Acute and postacute sequelae associated with SARS-CoV-2 reinfection (NatureMedicine) SARS-CoV-2 infection and recovery in lung transplant recipients (Transplant Infectious Diseases) Effectiveness of third COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy (Nature Communications) Maternal antibody response and transplacental transfer following infection or vaccination (CID) Impact of community masking on COVID-19 (Science) Lifting universal masking in schools (NEJM) Bebtelovimab fact sheet for providers (FDA) Effectiveness of Tixagevimab/Cilgavimab for prophylaxis of COVID-19 (medRxiv) Effectiveness of Sotrovimab and Molnupiravir for prevention of severe COVID-19 outcomes (BMJ) Early adoption of Anti–SARS-CoV-2 pharmacotherapies among US veterans (JAMA) PAXLOVID patient eligibility screening checklist (FDA) Viral and symptom rebound differences between Paxlovid and untreated COVID-19 participants (medRxiv) Monoclonal antibodies for treatment of SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy (Annals of Internal Medicine) Remdesivir fact sheet for providers (Veklury)  Twice daily oral zinc in the treatment of patients with COVID-19 (CID)  Cognitive deficits in long COVID-19 (NEJM) Severe Neuro-COVID associated with peripheral immune signatures, autoimmunity and neurodegeneration (Nature Communications) Long-lasting symptoms after an acute COVID-19 Infection (JAMA) Contribute to our MicrobeTV fundraiser at PWB Dr. Griffin’s treatment guide (pdf) Letters read on TWiV 955 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv