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The TWiVers review Biden’s national strategy for the COVID-19 responses and pandemic preparedness, and an evaluation of the BinaxNOW rapid antigen test for SARS-CoV-2 infection. 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 Biden’s COVID-19 strategy (pdf) CDC evaluation of BinaxNOW antigen test (MMWR) FDA instructions for BinaxNOW test (pdf) Adam Neely on Sea Shanties (YouTube) Letters read on TWiV 711 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Spelling Bee Brianne – He Made a Viral Bernie Meme Site. Now He Has to Keep it Going Alan – America’s Cup AC75 capsize and aftermath in qualifying race Rich – Game Theory’s UNCENSORED Interview With Dr. Fauci | The Truth About COVID-19 Vaccines Vincent – Top Science Podcasts Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In COVID-19 clinical update #46, Daniel Griffin discusses the BinaxNow rapid antigen test, efficacy of Bamlanivimab in nursing homes, associations of serum vitamin D concentrations with in-hospital mortality and need for invasive mechanical ventilation, trials of IL-6 receptor antagonists, effects of anticoagulants on in-hospital mortality, and symptom persistence in outpatients. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Evaluation of Abbott BinaxNOW (MMWR) Lilly mAb in nursing homes (WSJ) Vitamin D and COVID-19 severity (Mayo Clin Proc) Anticoagulation, aspirin, in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 (medRxiv) Long COVID symptoms in outpatients (Ann Int Med) Letters read on TWiV 710 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

In this episode, President Biden elevates his science advisor to his Cabinet, a review of the current flu season, the scientific goals of the WHO-convened Global Study of the Origins of SARS-CoV-2, and answers to listener questions. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode President’s science advisor to Cabinet (NY Times) Letter from Biden to Lander (pdf) Weekly flu (CDC) Weekly NY flu (NYDOH) WHO study on SARS-CoV-2 origins (WHO) Letters read on TWiV 709 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Kathy – 15 YouTubers play Telestrations Vincent – Vince Beiser Listener Picks Bob, David, Janet – Sea Shanty by A Cappella Science (YouTube, TikTok, Bandcamp) Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

The TWiVy team deconstructs CoronaVac, the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine produced by Sinovac Biotech, and production of multivalent camelid nanobodies that block infection with the virus and suppress selection of neturalization-resistant variants. 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 David Kessler to head Operation Warp Speed (NY Times) Phase 1/2 results of Sinovac inactivated vaccine (Lancet) beta-propiolactone (Wikipedia) Multivalent anti-SARS-CoV-2 nanobodies (Science) Letters read on TWiV 708 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Photos of mob attacking Capitol Brianne – Video of Neutrophil Phagocytosis Alan – Fishing Through the Apocalypse Rich – A Word on Statistics by Wislawa Szymborska Vincent – Letters from an American Listener Pick Mike – Have the new jab Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

In COVID-19 clinical update #45, Daniel Griffin discusses J&J Ad26 vaccine results, reactogenicity after the second dose of mRNA vaccines, expansion of vaccine eligibility, and the finding that encephalitis after SARS-CoV-2 infection is a cytokine release syndrome. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode J&J Ad26 vaccine phase 1/2 results (NEJM) SARS-CoV-2 encephalitis is a cytokine release syndrome (CID) Letters read on TWiV 707 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

TWiV answers listener questions about pandemic response, excess deaths in 25-44 year olds, vaccines, vaccines, and vaccines. 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 Poems are at Twiverse 2020 US traffic deaths (Car & Driver) National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (HRSA) Jet injector (Wikipedia) Letters read on TWiV 706 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – We Know Almost Nothing About Giant Viruses Rich – The Coccolithophores Project Kathy – v-safe and  Vaccine Handbook Vincent – Gorillas at San Diego Zoo infected with SARS-CoV-2 (pdf) Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

Emily Travanty from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment joins TWiV to discuss how her laboratory was the first in the US to detect the SARS-CoV-2 variant VOC 202012/01. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker Guest: Emily Travanty Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode VOC detected in Colorado (WaPo) US has sequenced only 50,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomes (CDC) Human CoV evolves to escape immunity (bioRxiv) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Randal Despommier on saxophone Brianne – Giant Microbes SARS-CoV2 Alan – West of Loathing Rich – Draft landscape of COVID-19 candidate vaccines Vincent – SARS-CoV-2 spillover events Listener Pick Daniel – His Vaccine Story Inspired His Father To Write A Disney Classic Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In this COVID-19 clinical update, Daniel Griffin summarizes current status of vaccination in the US, discusses a study on convalescent sera from Argentina, use of remdesivir in patients with kidney disease, and provides further considerations on the use of Ct values in patient management. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Argentine study on plasma therapy (NEJM) Ct values and clinical outcome (Open Forum Inf Dis) Bamlanivimab fact sheet (FDA pdf) Cognitive defects in recovered COVID-19 patients (medRxiv) Letters read on TWiV 704 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

On this episode, a discussion of why modifying the dose schedule of the mRNA vaccines in the US is not a good idea, evidence that lower Ct values on hospital admission is associated with higher mortality, and dose-dependent response to SARS-CoV-2 infection of ferrets. 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 Follow authorized vaccine dosing schedule (FDA) Mina suggests one vaccine dose (NY Times) UK decision document on vaccine dose (pdf) Ct linked to COVID-19 mortality (Open Forum Inf Dis) Dose-dependent infection of ferrets (Nat Comm) Letters read on TWiV 703 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – Linsey Marr on masks Kathy – Striped Martian Sand Dunes and Rich – How Microwaving Grapes Makes Plasma Vincent – Musings of an anonymous, pissed off virologist Listener Pick Laura – Auld Lang Syne follow-up Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

For this first episode of 2021, the complete TWiV team reviews compelling virology stories of 2020, and thanks the multitude of guests who have helped us to navigate the pandemic, and our many listeners who turn to us for scientific facts. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, 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 Poems are at Twiverse This little virus went to market (TWiV 581) Host genetics initiative TWiV 628  Inborn errors of immunity & serious COVID TWiV 671  Lisa Gralinski TWiV 674  Tragic gene flow from Neanderthals TWiV 676 Ivermectin and COVID-19 (TWiV 599) DC and Galveston road trips: TWiV 625, 643, 646, 589, 580, 583, 587) Fauci and Hotez interviews (TWiV 641, 687) Long-haul COVID, pro-thrombotic autoantibodies (TWiV 680, 683) Minority health and disparities (TWiV 655) Diversity in science (TWiV 672, 670) SeXX matters (TWiV 624) Kate Rubins (TWiV 682) Laura Splan (TWiV 691) Protective immune responses (TWiV 693, 685, 683) Immune memory/cross-reactivity (TWiV 684, 681, 650, 631) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Dickson – Best of 2020 by NASA and The Plague Year Brianne – Where Year Two of the Pandemic Will Take Us Alan – Japan’s distinct form of vaccine hesitancy Kathy – Paul Offit updates on the vaccine rollout and Choral Scholars of University College Dublin (John Greene’s videoessay on the song) Rich – Do You Love Me? Vincent – Story on Katalin Kariko’s career Listener Pick Louise – Virus socks Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

In Daniel Griffin’s final clinical report for 2020, he summarizes what we have learned about the clinical management of COVID-19 patients in the past year. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Attributes and predictors of long COVID-19 (medRxiv) Letters read on TWiV 701 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV reviews additional data on the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2, the distinct variant spreading in South Africa, association of afucosylated antiviral IgG with severe COVID-19, approval of AstraZeneca vaccine in the UK, and winners of the pandemic poem contest. 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 PHE update #2 (pdf) South African variant (medRxiv) CDC cautious in conclusions on variant Afucosylated IgG and severe COVID-19 (Science) AstraZeneca vaccine EUA in UK (BBC) Letters read on TWiV 700 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – Ready Player Two Kathy – Bert Hubert’s Reverse Engineering of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine Rich – Boston Dynamics running robots Vincent – Fever by John Fuller Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

From the 2020 online meeting of the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Vincent speaks with Jonathan Auguste, Carol Blair, Desiree LaBeaud, Louis Lambrechts, and Mauricio Nogueira about their careers and their research on arthropod-borne viruses. Host: Vincent Racaniello Guests: Jonathan Auguste, Carol Blair, Desiree LaBeaud, Louis Lambrechts, and Mauricio Nogueira Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode RNAi in arbovirus-vector interactions (Viruses) Arbovirus emergence via bridge vectors (Sci Rep) Rift Valley fever (Trop Med Inf Dis) Flavivirus infection and cerebrovascular events (Viruses) Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! 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 his own experience with vaccination, guidelines for vaccine distribution, reasons for under-utilization of 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 Phased allocation of COVID-19 vaccines (ACIP slides) How CDC is making COVID-19 vaccine recommendations (CDC) Letters read on TWiV 698 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

TWiV reviews the latest data on the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2, including some properties of the variant and why it is being closely studied, development of liver cancer in a participant in a adenovirus-associated virus gene therapy trial, and answers to listener questions. 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 3:39 NERVTAG meeting minutes (pdf) NERVTAG Preliminary genomic characterization of UK variant (virological.org) PHE investigation of UK variant (pdf) N501Y does not affect antibody neutralization (Science, eLife) WHO notice on UK variant (WHO) Liver tumor during AAV gene therapy (Science) Letters read on TWiV 697 Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – EM Rap Podcast COVID update Kathy – Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn and Tony Fauci vaccinated Santa Claus Rich – Chicken LIttle (wiki) Vincent – virological.org Listener Pick Greg – Someone who wants to make a difference Uli – XKCD on statistics Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

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