This Week in Virology

In COVID-19 clinical update #117, Dr. Griffin discusses duration of virus shedding, association between pre-exposure to steroids and infection outcome, post-infection subtypes, rehabilitation for post-acute infection, Tixagevimab/Cilgavimab for infection prevention, antibody prophylaxis and vaccination in kidney transplant recipients, remdesivir and bebtelovimab fact sheets for providers, the upda...

Vincent travels to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to speak with David Baltimore, John Coffin, and Harold Varmus about the discovery in 1970 of retroviral reverse transcriptase and its impact on life sciences research. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello Guests: David Baltimore , John Coffin , and Harold Varmus Subscribe (free):  Apple Podcasts ,  Google Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV! Li...

In COVID-19 clinical update #115, Dr. Griffin discusses croup association with infection surge, rhinovirus co-circulation in children, shedding following vaccination, high vaccine efficacy in children 6 mo-5 yr, vaccine protection for hospitalized patients, convalescent plasma as post-exposure prophylaxis, real-world effectiveness of PAXLOVID, effectiveness of PAXLOVID in reducing hospitalization,...

In this special episode, Dr. Griffin answers questions about the recent cases of monkeypox including their origin, clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and overall risk. Subscribe (free):  Apple Podcasts ,  Google Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Monkeypox multi-country outbreak risk assessment ( pdf , ECDC) Monkeypox update (ProMedMail) Monkeypox...

TWiV reviews recent cases of monkeypox, presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA but not infectious virus in feces, and the association of autoantibodies to interferons with severe COVID-19. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Despommier , Rich Condit , Kathy Spindler , and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free):  Apple Podcasts ,  Google Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Monk...

In COVID-19 clinical update #115, Dr. Griffin reviews cross-variant immunity without vaccination, EUA for boosters in 5-11 year olds, B.1.1.529 attack rate, scent dogs, Omicron and pets, Paxlovid, Veklury, Fluvoxamine, antigen positivity after isolation, inflammasome activation and severe disease, and GI persistence and fecal shedding. Subscribe (free):  Apple Podcasts ,  Google Podcasts ,  RSS , ...

TWiV celebrates 900 episodes, Vincent gives the Richard R. Ernst lecture, and we discuss why inflammasome activation in infected macrophages drives severe COVID-19. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Alan Dove , Rich Condit , Kathy Spindler , and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free):  Apple Podcasts ,  Google Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Richard R. Ernst Lecture...

In COVID-19 clinical update #114, Dr. Griffin discusses early treatment with ivermectin, procalcitonin not a reliable biomarker, vaccine in 6-11 year olds, FDA limits use of Janssen vaccine, does site of vaccine booster matter, sniffer dogs, monoclonals for hospitalized patients, risk assessment for public events, Paxlovid eligibility, and persistence of pediatric anosmia. Subscribe (free):  Apple...

TWiV explains why the concept of herd immunity might not apply to COVID-19, and the observation that smallpox vaccination causes an increase in skin bacteria that promote pathology and influence the immune response. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Rich Condit , Kathy Spindler , and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free):  Apple Podcasts ,  Google Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for...

In COVID-19 clinical update #113, Dr. Griffin discusses tocilizumab use in hospitalized Patients, IL-6 inhibitors and mortality, Baricitinib in hospitalized patients, post-infection neurological sequelae, comparative effectiveness of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, phase 2/3 study of Paxlovid, infection relapse following Paxlovid, pre-hospital administration of Remdesivir, and hospitalization with di...

TWiV explains a study of how climate change is predicted to increase cross-species viral transmission risk, and increased memory B cell potency and breadth after a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine boost. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Despommier , and Amy Rosenfeld Subscribe (free):  Apple Podcasts ,  Google Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Climate change and...

In COVID-19 clinical update #112, Dr. Griffin reviews seroprevalence of infection-induced antibodies, Moderna filing for vaccine authorization in young children, public health impact of vaccines in US, FDA approval of first treatment for young children, phase 2 data for Sabizabulin, and post infection inflammation. Subscribe (free):  Apple Podcasts ,  Google Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patr...

TWiV explains what is known about cases of acute, severe hepatitis of unknown origin in children, and discovery of an inhibitor of TMPRSS2 protease that blocks SARS-CoV-2 infection. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Alan Dove , Kathy Spindler , and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free):  Apple Podcasts ,  Google Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Severe hepatitis in ch...

Kartik, Denise, and Gorka join TWiV to discuss their finding that changes in the surface glycoprotein of South American yellow fever virus lead to reduced neutralization by antibodies induced by the vaccine, which is derived from an African isolate. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Despommier , and Brianne Barker Guests: Kartik Chandran , Denise Haslwanter , and Gorka Lasso Cabrera Subscribe (...

In COVID-19 clinical update #111, Dr. Griffin discusses vaccine coverage and mortality in Hong Kong, immune response to boosters in kids, hospitalization of kids, breath based diagnostic test, viral co-infections, bivalent mRNA vaccine, intramuscular Evusheld, and global long COVID. Subscribe (free):  Apple Podcasts ,  Google Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episo...

Elke, Adam, and Gabor join TWiV to discuss their work on Lloviu virus, a filovirus, including recovery of infectious virus from a DNA copy of the genome and from Schreiber's bats in Hungary. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Rich Condit , Kathy Spindler , and Brianne Barker Guests: Elke Muhlberger , Adam Hume , and Gabor Kemenesi Subscribe (free):  Apple Podcasts ,  Google Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Beco...

This episode of TWiV is focused on COVID-19 vaccines and antibodies: who should get boosters, whether a variant matched mRNA vaccine is superior to a historical vaccine, and how the interval between vaccination and infection influences the quality of the antibody response. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Despommier , Rich Condit , and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free):  Apple Podcasts ,  Google...

In COVID-19 clinical update #110, Dr. Griffin covers hospital admissions during variant outbreaks, viral load in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, predictive capacity of symptoms in children, comparison of antigen tests, incidence of myocarditis after vaccination, steroids during replication phase, Paxlovid efficacy and safety, fluvoxamine, sabizabutin, colchicine, and prevalence of infecti...

Richard joins TWiV to discuss the SARS-CoV-2 antiviral drug Molnupiravir , including how it was discovered, its mechanism of action, whether it is a mutagen for cells, and the future of drugs for treatment of COVID-19. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Alan Dove , and Brianne Barker Guest: Richard Plemper Subscribe (free):  Apple Podcasts ,  Google Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV! Li...

TWiV explains why this season's influenza vaccine is not protecting against mild to moderate disease caused by H3N2 virus, and that antibody-dependent entry of SARS-CoV-2 into monocytes is a major contributor to severe COVID-19. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Despommier , Rich Condit , and Amy Rosenfeld Subscribe (free):  Apple Podcasts ,  Google Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of...

In COVID-19 clinical update #109, Daniel Griffin discusses cardiac complications after infection or vaccination, long COVID in children, fourth vaccine dose in Israel, no need for fourth vaccine dose in EU, dexamethasone dosing, immunomodulation therapy, MIS outcomes in children, US long COVID effort launched, and herd immunity. Subscribe (free):  Apple Podcasts ,  Google Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email...

TWiV reveals an ACE2-dependent sarbecovirus from Russian bats that is not inhibited by anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, and a modified vaccinia virus Ankara vectored vaccine that protects nonhuman primates from Delta infection. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Rich Condit , and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free):  Apple Podcasts ,  Google Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this epis...

Vincent and Amy explain how asthmatic bronchial smooth muscle increases rhinovirus replication in the bronchial epithelium, and mimicry of IL-17 by the ORF8 protein of SARS-CoV-2. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello and Amy Rosenfeld Subscribe (free):  Apple Podcasts ,  Google Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode Asthmatic bronchial smooth muscle and rhinovirus (Cell R...

In COVID-19 clinical update #107, Daniel Griffin reviews vaccine booster doses, at-home testing, transmission in ferrets, improving indoor air quality, trials of BCG, ivermectin, and fluvoxamine, vaccination during pregnancy, mRNA vaccines and Fc functions, anti-platelet and aspirin therapy and a trial of prone positioning. Subscribe (free):  Apple Podcasts ,  Google Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Becom...

Vincent and Brianne review the need to better understand T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection to better inform public health decisions, and how IL-1 and IL-1ra are important regulators of the inflammatory response to RNA vaccines. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free):  Apple Podcasts ,  Google Podcasts ,  RSS ,  email Become a  patron  of TWiV! Links for this episode...