This Week in Virology

TWiV explains that COVID-19 is not harmless for young adults, FAA approval for Pfizer mRNA vaccine, lack of justification for the claim of reverse transcription of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and integration into the human genome, and lack of evidence for increased transmission by new variants in the UK. 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 BSL-3 laboratory assistant manager position FDA authorizes EUA for Moderna mRNA vaccine (FDA) COVID-19 is not harmless for young adults (NY Times) Excess mortality 25-44 years (JAMA) Pfizer mRNA vaccine approved by FAA (AOPA) SARS-CoV-2 RNA reverse transcription (bioRxiv) Information on UK variant (GISAID, BMJ) US agency computers compromised (WaPo) DoD study on low risk of flying (WaPo) When can children be vaccinated? (Guardian) Letters read on TWiV 696 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Science Picks Dickson – 2020 Audubon Photography Winners Brianne – COVID-19 Changed Science Forever Alan – Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake Rich – Lie of the Year: Coronavirus downplay and denial; John 18:38 Vincent – How New York City Vaccinated 6 Million People in Less Than a Month (my article from 2009) Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

Daniel Griffin provides his weekly clinical report on COVID-19, including thoughts on the first immunizations with Pfizer mRNA vaccine, the anticipated EUA for the Moderna vaccine, whether the vaccine prevents infection, not just disease, monoclonal antibody therapy, and much more. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode FDA EUA for Pfizer mRNA vaccine (FDA) Ellume at-home SARS-CoV-2 antigen test (Ellume) Pre-K through grade 12 COVID-19 mitigation costs (MMWR) Letters read on TWiV 695 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

On this episode, TWiV makes Bloomberg Business News 2020 Jealousy List, crushing of CDC revealed by insiders, seasonal influenza during the COVID-19 pandemic, FDA briefing documents from Moderna, and three-quarters attack rate of SARS-CoV-2 during an unmitigated epidemic in Brazil. 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 BSL-3 Assistant Manager position TWiV makes Bloomberg Business News 2020 Jealousy List (BBN) Crushing of the CDC (NY Times) Seasonal influenza during COVID-19 pandemic (jpg) Moderna briefing documents (FDA) Three-quarters attack rate in Brazil (Science) Outdoor transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (J Inf Dis) Rich Condit reminisces (YouTube) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – Fears of a 'Twindemic' Recede as Flu Lies Low Kathy – Faculty Equity & COVID-19 UM ADVANCE Rich – 'Sistine Chapel of the ancients' rock art Vincent – Winners of ASM Agar Art Contest 2020 Listener Pick Johnye – 2020 Year of the Vax t-shirt (and more) Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

On this episode, FDA EUA for Pfizer mRNA vaccine, efficacy of AstraZeneca ChAdOx1 COVID-19 vaccine, and an orally administered drug that blocks SARS-CoV-2 transmission in ferrets. 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 BSL-3 laboratory assistant manager position FDA advisory committee votes in favor of EUA for Pfizer vaccine (NY Times) Sanofi/Glaxo subunit vaccine steps back (Stat) Efficacy of ChAdOx1 COVID-19 vaccine (Lancet) Oral antiviral blocks SARS-CoV-2 transmission in ferrets (Nat Micro) Letters read on TWiV 693 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Science Picks Dickson – 2020 In Photos: A Year Like No Other Brianne – Cooking for Geeks Alan – On Food and Cooking Rich – NASA Artemis (Wiki) Vincent – The virus, the bats, and us Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

Daniel Griffin provides his weekly clinical report on COVID-19, including the anticipated EUA for the Pfizer mRNA vaccine, mitigation strategies in early care and education settings, expressive aphasia, and much more. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Mitigation strategies in early care and education settings (MMWR) WHO solidarity trial results (NEJM) Letters read on TWiV 692 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

SciArtist Laura Splan joins TWiV to reveal her transdisciplinary work that intersects science, technology, design and culture, then we discuss an inverse correlation between mumps virus antibodies induced by MMR vaccine and COVID-19 severity, and whether ivermectin is indicated for treatment of COVID-19. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker Guest: Laura Splan Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Laura Splan website BSL-3 Assistant Manager position MMR titers in recovered COVID-19 patients (mBio) Ivermectin and SARS-CoV-2 (TWiV 599) Treatment of COVID-19 with ivermectin (Int J Inf Dis) Ivermectin approved dosing (Mayo Clinic) Briefing document for Pfizer vaccine (FDA) Vaccinated? Wear a mask (NY Times) Efficacy of ChAdOx1 vaccine (Lancet) Mix & Match Pfizer & Oxford jabs (Times Long) SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Seattle (medRxiv) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – Patterns for Virus snowflakes Kathy – 2020 Nobel Prize lectures (hepatitis C) (link to all and concert) Historical review by Harvey Alter Rich – New Data Confirm 2020 SO is Upper Centaur Rocket Booster from 1960's (Wiki) Vincent – The Right Stuff Listener Pick Miikael – Tiny tweak behind COVID-19 vaccines Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV reviews the difficulties in predicting species susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection by only examining the ACE2 protein, and the olfactory mucosa as a portal of entry into the central nervous system in COVID-19 patients. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, and Rich Condit Guest: Amy Rosenfeld Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode NYC will create pandemic response institute (NY Bus J) Comparison of ACE2 in vertebrates (PNAS) Olfactory transmucosal invasion of CNS by SARS-CoV-2 (Nat Neurosci) Letters read on TWiV 690 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Science Picks Dickson – National Geographic best animal photos of 2020 Amy – American Contagions: Epidemics and the law from Smallpox to COVID-19 by John Fabian Witt Alan – HamSCI citizen science organization Rich – DeepMind's AI makes gigantic leap in solving protein structures Vincent – Army Ants: Nature's Ultimate Social Hunters by Daniel Kronauer Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

Daniel Griffin provides his weekly clinical report on COVID-19, including analysis of vitamin D levels in patients, information on Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, distribution plans suggested by ACIP, and more. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Vitamin D levels in COVID-19 patients (Nature) ACIP recommendations for distribution of COVID-19 vaccine (MMWR) Updated CDC guidance on when to quarantine (CDC) Letters read on TWiV 689 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV 688: We put COVID-19 papers through a sieve December 2, 2020 On this episode, UK grants EUA for Pfizer vaccine, advice for CDC on who to immunize first, news from Das Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 protease regulates innate responses, and viral mRNAs are not an indication of viral replication. 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 UK grants EUA for Pfizer vaccine (NY Times) ACIP advice on who to vaccinate first (NY Times) Das coronavirus update SARS-CoV-2 protease regulates innate response (Nature) Viral mRNAs do not indicate viral replication (Nat Comm) Addendum to SARS-CoV-2 discovery paper (Nature) 16:15 SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine and GC formation (Immunity) 29:35 What scientists say about masks (NY Times) 1:29:03 Letters read on TWiV 688 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – Pedromics Kathy – Global map at Mars opposition Rich – Janeway's Immunobiology Vincent – Janet Iwasa's Animation Lab Listener Pick Cheryl – BioRender.com holiday card templates Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

Peter Hotez joins TWiV to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, including why it went out of control in the US, the hijacking of public health practices by anti-science extremist groups, prospects for control, and whether we will be prepared for the next one. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker Guest: Peter Hotez Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Peter Hotez on TWiP 29 and TWiV Special Wednesday, January 20, 2021 (Microbes Inf) SARS-CoV-2 RBD protein vaccine candidate (bioRxiv) Anti-science extremism in America (Microbes Inf) Low cost accessible COVID-19 vaccine (PLoS NTD) Letters read on TWiV 687 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Science Picks Dickson – The World's First Energy-Positive Hotel to Open in Norway Brianne – The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science Alan – ACIP's ethical principles for COVID-19 vaccine allocation Rich – The Mandolorian Vincent – T. rex and the Crater of Doom by Walter Alvarez Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv