TWiV 1218: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

May 17, 2025

Join infectious disease specialist Dr. Daniel Griffin as he dives into pressing public health challenges. He discusses the disturbing cancellation of CDC committees and rising mpox cases in Sierra Leone. Dr. Griffin also sheds light on the ongoing measles outbreaks and the importance of vaccination amid these crises. Unpacking insights from wastewater analysis, he emphasizes its role in tracking COVID-19. He also explores the connection between long COVID, obesity, and emerging treatment options like remdesivir, pushing for advocacy in health policy.

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INSIGHT

Severe Pediatric Flu Impact

The 2024-25 flu season was severe with over 226 pediatric deaths, mostly unvaccinated children.
Many children died quickly from influenza despite appearing otherwise healthy prior to infection.

ADVICE

Biloxiivir Use in Infants

Biloxiivir antiviral treatment is safe and effective for children under one year with influenza.
Early administration reduces fever duration and viral shedding, crucial for infant flu management.

INSIGHT

RSV Prevention Success

Introduction of maternal RSV vaccines and long-acting monoclonal antibodies has significantly reduced infant RSV hospitalizations.
The largest benefits were observed in newborns between zero and two months of age.

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In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin with Vincent Racaniello wail about the attack on science within the US, cancellation of CDC’s committee on infectious diseases, mpox in Sierra Leone, “bird flu” in cats, the ongoing measles outbreak globally, before Dr. Griffin reviews recent statistics on RSV, benefits of vaccination for infants, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections the WasterwaterScan dashboard, the high number of childhood deaths during this “flu” season, the May 22 VRBPAC COVID-19 vaccine meeting, where to find PEMGARDA, benefit of remedesivir, provides information for Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center, where to go for answers to your long COVID questions, weight and distinct symptoms of long COVID and contacting your federal government representative to stop the assault on science and biomedical research.

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Links for this episode

Shut down federal advisory committee on infection prevention…..Make America Healthy Again! (CIDRAP)
Mpox in Sierra Leone (CIDRAP)
H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation (CDC: Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) )
Spike in avian flu cases in cats : spillover into humans? (CIDRAP)
Measles cases and outbreaks (CDC Rubeola)
Measles 800 in Texas…. (Texas Health and Human Services)
Measles outbreak in North Dakota prompts local health officials to quarantine unvaccinated schoolchildren (CNN)
2025 Measles outbreak guidance (New Mexico Health)
Measles and rubella weekly monitoring report: (Government of Canada)
The Mennonites in a Texas community where measles is spreading (AP News)
Trust the government? Seriously! West Texans, Mennonites at center of measles outbreak choose medical freedom over vaccine mandates (AP News)
Measles vaccine recommendations from NYP (jpg)
Deporting Measles! (AP News)
Get the FACTS about measles (NY State Department of Health)
Measles (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
Measles vaccine (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
Presumptive evidence of measles immunity (CDC)
Contraindications and precautions to measles vaccination (CDC)
Measles (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
Measles (CDC: Measles Rubeola)
Adverse events associated with childhood vaccines: evidence bearing on causality (NLM)
Measles Vaccination: Know the Facts (ISDA: Infectious Diseases Society of America)
Deaths following vaccination: what does the evidence show (Vaccine)
Influenza: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
Weekly surveillance report: clift notes (CDC FluView)
Respiratory virus activity levels (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
CDC reports 216 child deaths this flu season (AP News)
Weekly surveillance report: clift notes (CDC FluView)
New York sees highest flu-related pediatric deaths ever recorded in a season (Times Union)
Phase 3 Safety and Efficacy Study of Baloxavir Marboxil in Children Less Than 1 Year Old With Suspected or Confirmed Influenza (The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal)
FDA-CDC-DOD: 2025-2046 influenza vaccine composition (FDA)
RSV: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection)
Interim Evaluation of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Hospitalization Rates Among Infants and Young Children After Introduction of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prevention Products (CDC: MMWR)
US infant mortality dropped in 2024: RSV vaccine? (AP News)
Infant Mortality Dashboard (CDC: National Center for Health Statistics)
Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC)
Wastewater Measures of SARS-CoV-2 Accurately Predict Frequency of Symptomatic Infections in the Community (JID)
Origin of SARS-CoV-2
The recency and geographical origins of the bat viruses ancestral to SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 (Cell)
COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC)
SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain)
COVID-19 infection history as a risk factor for early pregnancy loss (BMC Medicine)
New recommendations seek treatments for post-Lyme disease condition (CIDRAP)
Immunogenicity and Safety of Influenza and COVID-19 Multicomponent Vaccine in Adults ≥50 YearsA Randomized Clinical Trial (JAMA)
Combo flu-COVID vaccine shows good immune response, safety in older adults (CIDRAP)
US FDA advisers to discuss COVID-19 vaccine recommendations on May 22 (Reuters)
Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States (CDC: COVID-19)
COVID-19 vaccine VRBPAC May 22 (FDA)
Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
EUA for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD)
Infusion center (Prime Fusions)
CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
What to do when sick with a respiratory virus (CDC)
When your healthcare provider is infected/exposed with SARS-CoV-2 (CDC)
Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
Steroids,dexamethasone at the right time (OFID)
Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org)
Remdesivir associated with reduced mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients (BMC Infectious Diseases)
Real-world evidence shows remdesivir tied to less death in hospitalized COVID patients (CIDRAP)
Daniel Griffin’s evidence based medical practices for long COVID (OFID)
Long COVID hotline (Columbia : Columbia University Irving Medical Center)
The answers: Long COVID
Excess weight is associated withneurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms in post-COVID-19 condition (PLoS One)
Identification of soluble biomarkers that associate with distinct manifestations of long COVID (Nature Immunology)
Reaching out to US house representative
Letters read on TWiV 1218
Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.