This Week in Virology

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin summarizes influenza and RSV circulation in the US, the benefit of administering oseltamivir early and if influenza vaccination reduces secondary household infections, before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, how 1st or 2nd trimester SARS-CoV-2 infections may shorten newborn telomeres, what are B1 cells, if IgG4 responses are critical for protection elicited by mRNA vaccines, if there is a difference in protection against the development of severe disease between an mRNA or a protein based vaccine, where to find PEMGARDA, if remdesivir reduces readmission of vulnerable patients once hospitalized for COVID-19, information for Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center, if transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation ameliorates musculoskeletal pain and fatigue during long COVID, do antihistamines reduce post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection and how long can SARS-CoV-2 antigens be detected in blood. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Influenza weekly surveillance report: cliff notes (CDC FluView) US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) Influenza vaccines protect against secondary infections in households (JAMA Network) Benefit of early oseltamivir therapy for influenza A (CID) RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection) COVID-19 deaths (CDC) COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC) Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC) SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain) Maternal infection of SARS-CoV-2 during 1st and 2nd trimesters newborn telomere shortening (Journal of Translational Medicine) What is a B1 cell? (Wikipedia) Pre-COVID and post-COVID vaccination on long COVID (Journal of Infection) Delayed Induction of Noninflammatory SARS-CoV-2 Spike-Specific IgG4 Antibodies after  BNT162b2 Vaccination in Children (The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal) Relative effectiveness of homologous NVX-CoV2373 and BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccinations in South Korea (Vaccine) Phase III trial results! Comparative efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines (BMC Infectious Diseases) Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda) EUA for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD) Fusion center near you….if in NY (Prime Fusions) CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC) NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH) Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society) Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool) 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 Effectiveness in Reducing the Risk of 30-day Readmission in Vulnerable Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19 (CID) Daniel Griffin’s evidence based medical practices for long COVID (OFID) Long COVID hotline (Columbia : Columbia University Irving Medical Center) Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for fibromyalgia-like syndrome in patients with Long-COVID(Scientific Reports) Mitigating the risks of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) with intranasal chlorpheniramine (BMC Infectious Diseases) Measurement of circulating viral antigens post-SARS-CoV-2 infection (CID) Letters read on TWiV 1172 Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to [email protected]

TWiV reviews susceptibility to vaccine-preventable infections in asylum seekers, the economic power of vaccines, French university tries to bury its investigation of a faculty member’s ethical lapses, transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in New Zealand before and after COVID-19, and a germ line encoded antibody that recognizes a broad array of enveloped viruses. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Why RFK Jr is not suitable for HHS (YouTube) Write your Senators to oppose RFK Jr Support MicrobeTV ASV 2025 Susceptibility to infections in asylum seekers (NEJM) RSV hospitalization in adults (JAMA Net Open) Ethics failings at French university (Science) RSV transmission in New Zealand (Nat Commun) Glycan reactive IgM binds multiple viruses (SciImmunol) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – Publication of Updated Human Cell Atlas Rich – Astroscale Alan – E3 ubiquitin ligase game, and an article about its origin Vincent – In the Quantum World, Even Points of View Are Uncertain Listener Pick Ryan – A Dangerous Moment Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected] Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin dives into H5N1/influenza and RSV circulation in the US, whether or not H5N1 is “adapting” for human-human transmission, why drinking raw milk may NOT be the best idea despite RFK Jr endorsement, before reviewing the recent statistics on SARS-CoV-2 infection, the WasterwaterScan dashboard, how if I encounter no one I can infect no one, the efficacy of COVID-19 boosters, how vaccines are the ‘seat belt’ of public health, the results of two PLACEBO control studies assessing antiviral therapy for COVID-19, where to find PEMGARDA, susceptibility of neurological complications in young to middle-aged adults and how discussing the origins of the pandemic and rise of scientific harassment will allow you to avoid a political conversation around your Thanksgiving day table, the interplay between transmission and immunity for virus spread and who to call if you do get sick this holiday. Happy Thanksgiving!   Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Influenza weekly surveillance report: cliff notes (CDC FluView) US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection) In case you missed, US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses) Adaptation of H5N1 to humans…..sequence analysis (Nature) Favoring human transmission for H5N1 ?(Youtube: medcram) From 2022: unprecedented bird flu outbreaks sweeping the world…..and we are still talking about it? (Nature) What children get flu: First child in US infected with H5N1 (CDC Newsroom) Bird flu detected in raw milk……but RFK at HHS says it is safe? (NBC News) COVID-19 deaths (CDC) COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC) Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan) COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC) SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain) If I see no one in my house, household Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Transmission is reduced! (CID) Updated boosters conferred protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and emergency  visits/hospitalizations during a JN.1 variant wave(CID) Provisional COVID-19 mortality (CDC National Center for Health Statistics) Influenza, RSV and COVID-19 vaccine in nursing home residents (CDC MMWR) Vaccines are the seat belts of public health (TRID) Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda) EUA for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD) Fusion center near you….if in NY (Prime Fusions) CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC) NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH) Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society) Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool) Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV) Effectiveness of molnupiravir against 30-day mortality among 74 541 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients (OFID) Sustained Recovery Among Outpatients With COVID-19 Receiving Montelukast vs Placebo(JAMA Network Open) 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 for treatment of COVID-19 requiring oxygen support (CID) Daniel Griffin’s evidence based medical practices for long COVID (OFID) Neurologic manifestations of long COVID disproportionately affect young and middle-aged Adults (Annals on Neurology) To review, three score and two months ago, the WHO brought for on this planet, the declaration of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19…. How nature began a pandemic (microbeTV) Bullying within the origin scientific discourse……by those at Rutgers (Science) Scientific harassment on the rise (Science) Doxing :The de-identified of the de-identified (Wikipedia) Harassment survey (Science) The harm of factless hypotheses (mSphere) In summary, the era of harm: factless theories (microbeTV) Stay inside: risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in community indoor settings (JID) Lower levels of household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 VOC Omicron compared to Wild-type: an interplay between transmissibility and immune status (JID) Long COVID hotline (Columbia : Columbia University Irving Medical Center) Letters read on TWiV 1170 Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to [email protected]

TWiV travels to Brisbane, Australia for the Options XII for the control of influenza conference, and meets up with Stephanie Gras and Jenna Guthmiller to talk about their careers and their research. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Kathy Spindler, and Steph Langel Guests: Stephanie Gras and Jenna Guthmiller Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Goldilocks zone of influenza immunity (J Inf Dis) Broadly neutralizing HA antibodies (Nature) T cell epitopes needed for influenza vaccines (Clin Transl Immunol) T cell epitopes conserved in emerging H5N1 viruses (Clin Transl Immunol) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected] Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.