This Week in Virology

Alessandro Sette joins TWiV to discuss the role of T cells in COVID-19, the finding that amino acid changes in SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern have a negligible impact on T cell reactivity in convalescent patients and vaccinees, and whether a next generation vaccine should include more viral proteins than spike. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler Guest: Alessandro Sette Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Little impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants on T cell reactivity (bioRxiv) NIDO 2021 Symposium Postdoctoral position at Towson University ASV hosts free COVID-19 Vaccine Education Town Halls (register here) Letters read on TWiV 736 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Alan – The Disinformation Dozen report Rich – No needle, but the damage was done Kathy – Zinn art David Zinn Vincent – Clueless Wall Street Journal Op-Ed Endorses PACE as "Prevailing View" Among Docs Listener Picks Justin – Finnish astrophotographer spends 12 years creating a Milky Way mosaic Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In COVID-19 clinical update #55, Daniel Griffin reviews recommendations for keeping transmission low in school settings, optimal testing strategies for schools and businesses, impact of vaccines on asymptomatic infections, vaccine safety in PASC patients, and early use of aspirin associated with decreased mortality. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode COVID-19 in primary and secondary schools (MMWR) Low transmission in elementary schools (MMWR) COVID-19 testing guidance (CDC) COVID-19 vaccines and asymptomatic infections (Clin Inf Dis) Vaccine safety in long COVID (medRxiv) Phase 3 results of antibody cocktail (Regeneron) Aspirin associated with decreased mortality (Anesth Analg) Post-acute long COVID-19 syndrome (Nat Med) Timing, duration, health impact of PASC (medRxiv) Persistent neurologic and cognitive dysfunction in PASC (Ann Clin Trans Neurol) Letters read on TWiV 735 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

Susan Weiss returns to TWiV to discuss coronavirus entry into cells and the role of spike protein cleavage by proteases, why lab escaped hypotheses for SARS-CoV-2 are unlikely, and modulation of innate immune responses during infection. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Alan Dove, Brianne Barker, and Amy Rosenfeld Guest: Susan Weiss Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode CoV pathogenesis in CNS (J Neuro Pharm) SARS-CoV-2 induces dsRNA-mediated innate responses (bioRxiv) Screen of FDA-approved drugs (J Viral) Letters read on TWiV 735 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – Tiktok of How mRNA Vaccines Work Alan – Dark Rich – Unmixing Color Machine (Ultra Laminar Reversible Flow) – Smarter Every Day 217 Amy – MOMA Calder exhibit, reviewed in NYTimes Vincent – Ripple Training (free YouTube channel) Listener Picks Ruth – 100 million year old seafloor bacteria resuscitated Iradis – Linda Zall, CIA spy for science Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In COVID-19 clinical update #54, Daniel Griffin covers effectiveness of 3 vs 6 ft physical distancing, effectiveness of masks, physical distancing, and eye shields, second vaccine dose completion, alleviation of COVID-19 symptoms after vaccination, vaccine trials in children, and IDSA approval of a mAb cocktail. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Effectiveness of 3 ft vs 6 ft (CID) Effect of physical distancing, masks, eye protection (Lancet) Vaccine second dose completion (MMWR) IDSA mAb recommendations (IDSA) Letters read on TWiV 733 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

Forest and Maria-Isabel join TWiV to discuss their their project to engage thousands of citizens to swab inanimate surfaces in the San Diego area, then send the samples to the Rohwer Lab for nucleic acid analysis. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Forest on TWiV 391 Swabbing surfaces in San Diego (10News) Nido21 meeting Molnupiravir in phase 2a (Fierce Biotech) Letters read on TWiV 732 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – 10 amazing science tricks with liquids Brianne – How Do Blind Worms See the Color Blue? Rich – Statewide Study Shows Evidence Of Significant COVID-19 Antibodies In Children Kathy – Dark side of the moon as it crosses Earth Vincent – Wasdkeyboards and Novelkeys Listener Pick Bronwen – COVID Performance Index Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

On a TWiV tetramer, we review the ongoing outbreaks of Ebolavirus disease in DRC and Guinea, evidence that SARS-CoV-2 infections in children are far more prevalent than are being detected, and recent long COVID estimates from the UK. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Alan Dove, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Ebolavirus disease outbreak continues in Africa (ProMedMail) List of Ebolavirus outbreaks (Wikipedia) Ebolavirus genome sequences from Guinea (virological) Bias in reporting on childhood SARS-CoV-2 infections (Clinical Inf Dis) Estimated SARS-CoV-2 prevalence (MMWR) Estimated burden of SARS-CoV-2 by age group (CDC) UK long COVID estimates (pdf) Space Shuttle fly-by Vincent's office (YouTube) Letters read on TWiV 731 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – Who Would Kidnap a Space Telescope? Alan – Radio Garden Rich – Countries with more obesity have had more covid deaths on average Vincent – Concord Aerospace Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In COVID-19 clinical update #53, Daniel Griffin reviews underreporting of infections and long term disease in children, a blood test for T cells, results of phase 3 trials for monoclonal antibodies, preliminary findings on an oral antiviral, clinical trial of ivermectin, and recommendations for upcoming gatherings. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in EUA for T cell test (FDA) Lilly mAb phase 3 results (Lilly) VIR-7831 mAb phase 3 results (Globenewswire) Molnupiravir phase 2a results (Merck) Ivermectin not supported for mild COVID-19 (JAMA) Recommendations for fully vaccinated people (CDC) Letters read on TWiV 730 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

Matt Frieman returns to TWiV to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic from the point of view of a coronavirologist, including his work with Novavax on their spike protein-based vaccine. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker Guest: Matt Frieman Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Phase 1-2 trial of Novavax protein vaccine (NEJM) MERS-CoV spike nanoparticle vaccine in mice (Vaccine) Novavax phase 3 press release When you've been fully vaccinated (CDC) Letters read on TWiV 729 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Covid-19 deaths per million ranked by average income Brianne – KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor for Feb 2021 and KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor Dashboard Rich – The Woman Who Stood Between America and a Generation of 'Thalidomide Babies'(wiki) Kathy – Quadrantid meteor (Quadrantids) Vincent – Higher Superstition by Paul Gross and Norman Levitt Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV notes the passing of Mavis Agbandje-McKenna, and reviews data on maximizing fit for cloth and medical procedure masks, SARS-CoV-2 total and subgenomic viral load in hospitalized patients, and effect of changes in spike protein on efficacy in a mouse model of infection. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Mavis Agbandje-McKenna dies (UF) Mavis on TWiV 448 Maximizing mask fit (MMWR) Genomic and subgenomic RNA in COVID-19 patients (medRxiv) Effect of spike changes on protection of mice (mBio) Letters read on TWiV 728 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Wild animal photos Brianne – Greater than COVID Alan – WHO report on infodemic response Rich – Reference Guide to the International Space Station Vincent – 3D Molecular Designs Listener Picks Lisbeth – Have the new jab Karen – Cholera exhibit at Museum of Trades and Crafts Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In COVID-19 clinical update #52, Daniel Griffin reviews differences in attack rates between children and adults, J&J vaccine phase III data, G6PD deficiency and vaccines, NIH halts convalescent plasma trial, dexamethasone in hospitalized patients, data on tocilizumab, and long COVID in children. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode SARS-CoV-2 attack rates in children and adults (Clin Inf Dis) Documents for J&J COVID-19 vaccine review (FDA) Convalescent plasma and clinical outcomes (JAMA) NIH halts convalescent plasma trial (NIH) Dexamethasone in hospitalized COVID-19 patients (NEJM) Tocilizumab in hospitalized COVID-19 patients (NEJM) Update on long COVID prevalence (UK ONS) Letters read on TWiV 727 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv