This Week in Virology

The entire TWiV team assembles to discuss resurgence of COVID-19 in Manaus, Brazil, discovery of SARS-CoV-2 related viruses in bats in Southeast Asia, and increased Ct values after administration of mRNA vaccine. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Resurgence of COVID-19 in Manaus (Lancet) SARS-CoV-2 related viruses in Southeast Asian bats (Nat Comm) Increased Ct following COVID-19 vaccination (medRxiv) Letters read on TWiV 722 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – What is the polar vortex? Brianne – Cloning of the black-footed ferret Alan – Explaining mRNA vaccines with Star Wars Rich – Brighton Collaboration (BRAVATO); Ad26 vector template Kathy – Target public health ads to zipcodes Vincent – And Then the Gorillas Started Coughing Listener Pick Kim – Virus getting the shot (jpg) Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In COVID-19 clinical update #50, Daniel Griffin discusses CDC guidance on school opening, decreased viral load after vaccination, randomized clinical trial of vitamin D treatment, a study of zinc plus vitamin C, anticoagulation therapy effect on mortality, and multi system inflammatory phase in children. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Guidance on school openings (CDC) Calcifediol Treatment and COVID-19 (Lancet preprints) Zinc and vitamin C for COVID-19 (JAMA) Early anticoagulant therapy (BMJ) Multisystem inflammatory phase in children (CDC) Letters read on TWiV 721 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

Paul Offit joins TWiV to discuss all things vaccine, including how COVID-19 vaccine development was accelerated, whether the vaccines are safe and efficacious, the difference between an EUA and a licensed vaccine, sterilizing immunity, herd immunity, and much more. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker Guest: Paul Offit Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Vaccine education center Letters read on TWiV 720 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Life in a Day 2020 Brianne – Microcosms in Glass Alan – NEJM article on promoting vaccination, interview with lead author Rich – The Microbescope Vincent – Autism's False Prophets by Paul Offit Listener Pick Earl – Science is Real Pins Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In COVID-19 clinical update #49, Daniel Griffin discusses CDC guidelines on mask use, drop in test frequency in the US, resurgence of COVID-19 in Brazil, possible impact of Pfizer vaccine on viral load, EUA for bamlanivimab and etesevimab administered together, and preliminary results of Tocilizumab in hospitalized patients. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Resurgence of COVID-19 in Brazil (Lancet) Pfizer vaccine reduces viral load (medRxiv) EUA for bamlanivimab plus etesevimab (pdf) Tocilizumab in hospitalized patients (medRxiv) Bacterial superinfections in COVID-19 (Open For Inf Dis) Letters read on TWiV 719 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV explores single dose administration and timing of second dose of AZD1222 COVID-19 vaccine, safety and efficacy of Sputnik V, and control of coronavirus recombination by a viral proofreading exonuclease. 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 AZD1222 single dose efficacy and booster timing (Lancet preprint) Safety and efficacy of Sputnik V vaccine (Lancet) Proofreading exonuclease regulates CoV recombination (PLoS Path) Letters read on TWiV 718 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – Do scientists read enough fiction? Rich – Insects in flight; Insect flight|Capturing takeoff Kathy – Badger seal Vincent – MicrobeTV merchandise Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

Theodora and Paul return to TWiV to explain how they quickly pivoted their retrovirus laboratories towards SARS-CoV-2, their work on the antibody response to infection and its durability, and the emergence of variants with increased resistance to neutralization. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, and Rich Condit Guests: Paul Bieniasz and Theodora Hatziioannou Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Evolution of antibody immunity to SARS-CoV-2 (bioRxiv) mRNA vaccine elicited antibody to variants (bioRxiv) Escape from neutralizing antibodies by SARS-CoV-2 variants (eLife) Musings of an anonymous, pissed off virologist (virology blog) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Mars Perseverance Rover Alan – The Outlaw Ocean Rich – Anand Varma Photography Vincent – Virology Lectures 2021 Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In COVID-19 clinical update #48, Daniel Griffin reviews effect of spike amino acid changes on neutralization with monoclonal antibodies, Sputnik V safety and efficacy results, increased reactogenicity after a single vaccine dose in seropositive individuals, single dose vaccination in seropositive health care workers, and results of three clinical trials on the use of anticoagulants. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Resistance of variants to mAb neutralization (bioRxiv) Safety and efficacy of Sputnik V (Lancet) Increased vaccine reactogenicity in seropositives (medRxiv) Single dose vaccination in seropositive health care workers (medRxiv) Update on vaccine intervals (CDC) Single dose AZD1222 results (Lancet preprints) Three RCT on anticoagulants (NIH) Letters read on TWiV 716 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV explains why hydroxychloroquine failed in humans despite showing antiviral effects in cells, and reviews the published data on the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine. 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 TMPRSS2 is why hydroxychloroquine failed (PLoS Path) Safety and efficacy of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine (NEJM) Letters read on TWiV 715 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – How the Body Reacts to Viruses Rich – How do wombats poop cubes? Kathy – The Verse by the Side of the Road Vincent – Janet Iwasa's SARS-CoV-2 entry animation Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

Jason McLellan joins TWiV to reveal all we know about the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, followed by Novavax and J&S phase 3 results and a discussion of variants of concern: neutralization by vaccine-induced antibodies, transmission, and virulence. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Amy Rosenfeld Guest: Jason McLellan Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Prefusion spike structure (Science) Neutralization of VOC by vaccine induced antibodies: Moderna and Pfizer Novavax COVID-19 vaccine phase 3 results (Novavax) J&J COVID-19 vaccine phase 3 results (J&J) B.1.1.7 has been in the US since November 2019 (virological.org) NERVTAG report on B.1.1.7 virulence (pdf) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Pandemic Pivot and Tuba Skinny Alan – Technological challenges in vaccine rollout Rich – I was lucky to find this vaccine anywhere Vincent – Lady Gaga's MIXED METER Star Spangled Banner?! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In COVID-19 clinical update #47, Daniel Griffin reviews phase 3 results for Novavax and J&J vaccines, transmission in K-12 settings in Wisconsin, data on Lilly and Regeneron monoclonal antibody therapy, and a study of colchicine for treatment of disease. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Novavax vaccine phase 3 results (Novavax) J&J vaccine phase 3 results (J&J) COVID-19 and transmission in K-12 schools (MMWR) Lilly mAb therapy (NEJM) Regeneron mAb prophylaxis (Regeneron) Colchicine for COVID-19 (Cardiol Today) Letters read on TWiV 713 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv