This Week in Virology

In COVID-19 clinical update #88, Dr. Griffin covers vaccine protection among US veterans, absence of long COVID in vaccinated who are infected, single dose of REGEN-COV monoclonal antibody cocktail provides long term protection, and Pfizer protease inhibitor Paxlovid is 89% effective in preventing hospitalization or death. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Vaccine protection of US veterans (Science) Long term protection by REGEN-COV (Regeneron) Pfizer protease inhibitor Paxlovid phase 2/3 results (Pfizer) Letters read on TWiV 828 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

Greg Zuckerman joins TWiV to discuss his book that explores the race to produce COVID-19 vaccines, with insights into the companies, scientists, and executives involved and the rivalries, ambitions, ego, and a desire to save the world. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler Guest: Greg Zuckerman Click arrow to play Download TWiV 824 (76 MB .mp3, 127 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode A Shot to Save the World (Hardcover, Kindle) Letters read on TWiV 827 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Michael Palin Kathy – Science News Centennial Rich – Diverse variola virus (smallpox) strains were widespread in northern Europe in the Viking Age Vincent – Evidence for somatic rearrangement of immunoglobulin genes (and commentary) Listener Picks Matt – Clinical evidence that the pandemic from 1889 to 1891 commonly called the Russian flu might have been an earlier coronavirus pandemic Brigitte – The Obscure Virus Club Justin – Eddie Holmes wins Prime Minister's Prize for Science Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In COVID-19 clinical update #87, Dr. Griffin reviews PCR cycle threshold and RNA copy number, rapid antigen tests, hospitalization rate after infection or vaccination, allergies and vaccination, community transmission and viral RNA load, early treatment with sotrovimab, meta-analysis of tocilizumab treatment, antibiotic overuse, and guidelines on the use of anticoagulation for thromboprophylaxis. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode CDC vaccine nod to 5-11 year olds (CDC) Sensitivity of rapid antigen tests (Front Micro) COVID-19 among infected or vaccinated (MMWR) Allergy and vaccination symptoms (JAMA) Community transmission and viral RNA load (Lancet) Early treatment with sotrovimab (NEJM) Tocilizumab treatment meta-analysis (Leukemia) Antibiotic overuse in COVID-19 (Am J Trop Med Hyg) Anticoagulants for thromboprophylaxis (Blood Adv) Letters read on TWiV 826 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

In this special live-streamed episode of TWiV, Dr. Daniel Griffin fields questions on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 from listeners. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV explores the properties of the spike glycoproteins of an influenza B virus discovered in the Wuhan spiny eel, and protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection one year after mRNA-1273 vaccination of nonhuman primates. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode HA and NA of Wuhan spiny eel influenza virus (Nat Comm) Protection one year after mRNA-1273 vaccination (bioRxiv) Letters read on TWiV 824 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Best of Gilda Radner Brianne – This polio survivor is one of the last still relying on an iron lung Rich – WHO Announces Proposed Members of its Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO); (members) Vincent – Discovery of mRNA (paper one and two) Listener Picks Doris – History of smallpox and smallpox vaccine Judith – How the immune system works Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In COVID-19 clinical update #86, Dr. Griffin discusses virologic features of infection in children, antibody tests should not be used to asses level of protection, test-to-stay programs in schools, FDA authorizes Moderna boosters, results of TOGETHER trial for fluvoxamine, statins and 28 day mortality, and cognitive function in patients. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode 115,000 healthcare worker deaths (Stat News) Virology features of infection in children (J Inf Dis) Antibody tests not for assessing protection (FDA) Infections in vaccinated healthcare workers (NEJM) Flawed science of antibody testing (JAMA) Test-to-stay in school (US News) Vaccination and non-COVID mortality risk (MMWR) EUA for Moderna booster (FDA) Fact sheet for use of casirivimab and imdevimab (FDA) Effect of early treatment with fluvoxamine (Lancet) Statins and 28-day mortality (J Inf Dis) Cognitive function after COVID-19 (JAMA) Routine vaccination coverage worldwide (MMWR) Letters read on TWiV 823 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

Rich reviews the history of smallpox and the discovery of variola viral genomes in ancient DNA from human remains throughout Northern Europe, which pushes back the earliest date of smallpox virus infection to ~600–1050 CE, overlapping the Viking Age. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, 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 Variola virus genomes from Viking era (Science) Hidden history of ancient plagues (Nature) Was smallpox a mild disease? (Science) Smallpox: Ten years gone (Am J Pub Health) Myth of the milkmaid (NEJM) Interview with DA Henderson (ASM) Letters read on TWiV 822 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – The Animal Kingdom is Full of Genetic Screwballs Kathy – Science dresses, accessories from Svaha and Rosalind Franklin's DNA diffraction dress Rich – The Saxon Stories Alan – Cincinnati's "Old Cunny," and audiobook version Vincent – Infectious QBeta viral DNA Listener Picks Jeff – The unvaccinated may not be who you think Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

A TWiV trio reveal the isolation of novel paramyxoviruses from rodents and bats in Arizona, and isolation of naive B cells from seronegative donors that produce germline encoded antibodies which engage the receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2, variants of concern, and related sarbecoviruses from bats. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Bat and rodent paramyxoviruses from Arizona (J Viral) Naive B cells engage SARS-CoV-2 RBD (Science Immunol) Vincent interviews Philip Sharp (ASM) Letters read on TWiV 821 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – Apod: The Dolphin Head Nebula Rich – The Tree That Could Help Stop The Pandemic; Elucidating the Mechanisms of Action of Saponin-Derived Adjuvants Vincent – Discovery of RNA splicing in Sharp and Roberts laboratories Listener Picks Jason – Home Assistant Alena – VirusCraft Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In COVID-19 clinical update #85, Dr. Griffin reviews cases and deaths by vaccination status, mRNA vaccine effectiveness in 12-18 year olds, standard and extended dosing of mRNA vaccines, immune responses after vaccination, Moderna booster dose approved, giving monoclonals at home, no benefit from colchicine, and IFN does not help remdesivir. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Guidelines on COVID-19 drugs (WHO) Holiday celebrations (CDC) COVID-19 cases and deaths by vaccination status (CDC) Effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA Vaccination 12-18 years (MMWR) Rollout of vaccines for 5-11 year olds (WaPo) Standard and extended dosing mRNA vaccine (Cell) Differential kinetics immune responses after vaccination (NEJM) Moderna booster dose approved (FDA) Vertically transferred maternal immune cells (Nat Comm) Giving monoclonals at home (JAMA) No benefit from colchicine (Lancet) IFN does not help remdesivir (Lancet) Letters read on TWiV 820 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV explains how remdesivir inhibits the SARS-CoV-2 RNA polymerase: the drug is incorporated into the growing RNA chain and causes synthesis to stall when the drug clashes with an amino acid in the active site. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode How remdesivir stalls the SARS-CoV-2 polymerase (Nat Comm) Movie of polymerase stalling (Nat Comm) Second mechanism of remdesivir inhibition (J Biol Chem) Watson Crick molecular model (Science Museum Group) Letters read on TWiV 819 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Kathy – Great Lakes Science Center, Cleveland Rich – How to Temporarily Disable Your Keyboard with a Keyboard Shortcut in Windows Alan – How to Make a Slave and Other Essays by Jerald Walker Vincent – A structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid Listener Picks Steve – How the immune system actually works Lise – Lise Meitner: A Life in Physics Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv