This Week in Virology

In COVID-19 clinical update #80, Daniel Griffin reviews infections in children, masking, testing to limit transmission, high barrier for monoclonal antibody escape, are boosters needed, use of steroids, grants for long COVID, and how the pandemic unfolds in Africa. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Hospitalization pre- and post-vaccines (Res Sq) Infection in children (medRxiv) Updated mask guidance (CDC) Transmission to masked and unmasked (MMWR) Daily testing in schools (Lancet) High barrier to mAb escape (bioRxiv) Boosters not needed (Lancet) Distribution system for mAbs (HHS) Steroids in non-oxygen requiring patients (Int J Med) Grants for long COVID (NIH) Genomic surveillance in Africa (Science) Letters read on TWiV 806 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

The TWiVotopes review current evidence which does not show the need for widespread COVID-19 booster vaccination, and results of experiments to examine the replication and immune evasion of the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode ASV Vaccine Town Halls Vaccine boosters not needed (Lancet) Delta variant replication and immune evasion (Nature) Epidemiologically linked COVID-19 outbreaks (MMWR) Letters read on TWiV 805 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – Sloan Foundation Theater Kathy – COVID vaccines work, even if you don’t have side effects lay article  primary article Rich – Science Alone Can’t Heal a Sick Society by Jay S. Kaufman Vincent – Sandra Black SciArt Listener Pick Ruth – Radio Lento podcast Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

Virus hunter Mya Breitbart joins TWiV to describe her laboratory’s work on viruses in spiders, insects, millipedes, freshwater springs, seawater, plants, human feces and much more. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Dickson Despommier Guest: Mya Breitbart Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Viruses of spinybacked orbweavers (J Gen Virol) Viruses of terrestrial arthropods (PeerJ) Pepper mild mottle virus in sewage (PLoS Path) Environmental DNA in marine community (Nat Comm) Viral community of freshwater springs (mBio) Phage puppet masters in the oceans (Nat Micro) Letters read on TWiV 804 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Official-Droodles-Home Alan – The 31st First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony video (and the text version) Vincent – Biden’s federal and business vaccine mandates Listener Pick Anonymous – The Ivermectin Episode – Behind the Bastards Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In COVID-19 clinical update #79, Daniel Griffin discusses clinical management guidelines, ER visits and hospitalization among children, infection and vaccine induced seroprevalence in the US, antibodies in Kenyan blood donors, infections after vaccination, anticoagulation for thromboprophylaxis, baracitinib efficacy, long-term symptoms in adults, and sustained symptoms after severe disease. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello   Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Overlooked shortcomings of observational studies (Op For Inf Dis) Guidelines for clinical management (Op For Inf Dis) ER visits and hospitalization among children (MMWR) Hospitalization of adolescents (MMWR) Seroprevalence in the US (JAMA) Seroprevalence in Kenya (JAMA) Infections after vaccine (medRxiv) Israel data dashboard Guidelines on anticoagulation for thromboprophylaxis (Blood Adv) Baricitinib efficacy (Lancet) Long term symptoms, US adults (MMWR) Severe disease associated with long term symptoms (medRxiv) Letters read on TWiV 803 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

Shane Crotty returns to TWiV to review the immunology of COVID-19, including differences between infection and vaccination, increased breadth of antibodies after infection followed by vaccination, the roles of T cells, and whether booster vaccinations are needed. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker Guest: Shane Crotty Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode ASV Vaccine Town Halls SARS-CoV-2 immune memory 8 months post-infection (Science) SARS-CoV-2 T cell epitopes (Cell Host Microbe) Letters read on TWiV 802 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – How the cat gets its stripes Kathy – Kurzgesagt on Giruses (giant viruses) and beautiful APOD Rich – The 1911 Triangle Factory Fire; Triangle: The Fire That Changed America by David Von Drehle Vincent – Two Top F.D.A. Vaccine Regulators Are Set to Depart During a Crucial Period Listener Picks Debby – River Runner Lin – Your Vaccinated Immune System Is Ready for Breakthroughs Intro music is by Ronald Je Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

The meteorologicomaniacs discuss the COVID-19 pandemic global death toll, effectiveness of vaccines against the delta variant, and how analysis of ancient viral DNA reveals that two pathogenic human viruses were brought into Mexico during the transatlantic slave trade. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Dickson Despommier, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode ASV Vaccine Town Halls COVID-19 excess mortality (eLife) Tracking pandemic death toll (eLife) COVID-19 vaccines and delta variant (NEJM) Slave trade carries viruses into Mexico (eLife) Letters read on TWiV 801 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Victor Borge, Phonetic Punctuation Brianne – Cat TV Rich – Cochrane review: Ivermectin for preventing and treating COVID‐19 Alan – Cockpit video of flying into Oshkosh Vincent – Medical News Network Morning Medical Update Listener Pick Jody – Human Body Theatre and Plagues: The Microscopic Battlefield Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In COVID-19 clinical update #78, Daniel Griffin covers ivermectin, convalescent plasma, disease in pregnant women, children and COVID, delta outbreak in an elementary school, validation of at-home antigen test, shedding in infected vaccinated people, mRNA vaccine antibody responses compared, AZD7442, fluvoxamine, one year outcomes in hospitalized patients, and post-vaccination disease. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Do not take veterinary ivermectin (FDA) Ivermectin side effects (CDC) Do not use convalescent plasma (IDSA) COVID-19 in pregnant women (JAMA) Children and COVID-19 data (AAP) Long COVID in 11-17 year olds (Res Square) Delta outbreak elementary school (MMWR) Validation of at-home antigen test (JAMA) Shedding in infected vaccinated people (medRxiv) Compared antibody responses after mRNA vaccination (JAMA) AZD7442 PROVENT phase III (AZ) Fluvoxamine trial (medRxiv) One-year outcomes hospital survivors (Lancet) Post-vaccination illness (Lancet) Letters read on TWiV 800 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV reviews models for determining correlates of neutralizing antibody protection against COVID-19, and for identifying key vector and host species that drive transmission of zoonotic pathogens. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Correlate of protection needed for COVID-19 vaccines (Nat Med) Neutralizing antibodies predict protection against symptomatic COVID-19 (Nat Med) Host and vector importance for Ross River virus (eLife) Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count (NY Times) Letters read on TWiV 799 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – A microscopic video shows the coronavirus on the rampage Kathy – Sabin Oral Sundays in Cuyahoga County, 1962 Rich – The Continuing COVID-19 Pandemic: Current Issues and Glimpse Into the Future Vincent – Demand Surges for Deworming Drug for Covid, Despite Scant Evidence It Works Listener Picks Ronald – Immunity to COVID-19 could last longer than you’d think Agnes – Space Shuttle Prints Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

The TWiV team explains what the Biden report on SARS-CoV-2 origins did not: evidence that the virus came from Nature, not a lab; and reveals new coronaviruses in rodents that inhabit populated areas in southern China. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Dickson Despommier, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Biden preliminary report on virus origins (NY Times) Window on SARS-CoV-2 origins closing (Nature) WHO Committee members on TWiV 760 Origins of SARS-CoV-2 review (Cell) Comirnaty? Really Pfizer? (FDA) Why the weird name for Pfizer vaccine (Quartz) US vaccine names (CDC) More coronaviruses from rodents in China (J Viral) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – The Brilliant Abyss by Helen Scales Kathy – Solar System ball drop Rich – Dr. Fox effect Alan – Patty Wagstaff virtual airshow cockpit video Vincent – Office Hours Listener Picks Karen – The Dog Will See You Now Alicia – Bio-Rad GTCA Song Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In COVID-19 clinical update #77, Daniel Griffin discusses children becoming increasingly infected, virological characteristics of infections in vaccinated health care workers, transmission dynamics among close contacts, licensing of Pfizer mRNA vaccine, cost of hospitalization of unvaccinated patients, 29 times higher hospitalization rates in unvaccinated patients, boost in neutralizing antibody potency and breadth by third vaccine dose, and use of J&J vaccine as second dose. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode COVID-19 false dichotomies (BMC Inf Dis) Virological characteristics of infections (medRxiv) Transmission among close contacts (JAMA) Comirnaty licensed (FDA) Cost of hospitalization of unvaccinated (Health Sys Tracker) 29 times higher hospitalization among unvaccinated (MMWR) Third dose boosts antibody potency and breadth (medRxiv) J&J second dose (J&J) Letters read on TWiV 797 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv