This Week in Virology

Chadi and Caroline join TWiV to describe the potential epidemiological and evolutionary impacts of vaccine nationalism, and their modeling which emphasizes the importance of rapid equitable vaccine distribution for global control of the pandemic.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Rich Condit and Brianne Barker

Guests: Chadi Saad-Roy and Caroline Wagner

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Links for this episode

• Vaccine nationalism and control of the pandemic (Science)
• Vaccine sharing app
• Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 simulation
• Dynamics of vaccination simulation
• Vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization (MMWR)
• Letters read on TWiV 807
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Dickson –  Ernie Kovaks-Nairobi Trio
Brianne – XKCD Summarizes this Episode
Rich – Texas Coronavirus Antibody REsponse Survey (CARES) (Dashboard)
Vincent – Elmer Pfefferkorn

Listener Picks

Catherine – A Life on Our Planet
Attila – How to improve your chances of nudging the vaccine hesitant away from hesitancy and toward vaccinationIntro music is by Ronald Jenke

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

TWiV reveals how viruses participate in the organomineralization of travertines, and how neutralizing antibodies evolve to exploit vulnerable sites in the hepatitis C virus envelope glycoprotein E2 and mediate clearance of infection.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker

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Become a patron of TWiV!

• MicrobeTV Discord Server
• MicrobeTV store at Cafepress
• Become a member of ASV (asv.org)
• Research assistant position in Rosenfeld Lab CBER/FDA (pdf)
• The New City by Dickson Despommier
• Global dengue cases rise markedly (WHO)
• Measles outbreak in Philadelphia (Phil Health Dept)
• Viruses and organomineralization of travertine (Sci Rep)
• Neutralizing antibodies and clearance of HCV infection (Immunity)
• Letters read on TWiV 1079
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Dickson – Global climate highlights 2023 and 7 new songs you should hear Brianne – Stuff you should know episodes: METI and SETI Kathy – Oppenheimer “Science, Mission, Legacy” documentaries from Los Alamos Lab One Two Three and Los Alamos National Laboratory Summer 2023 National Security Science: The Oppenheimer Issue Rich – The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann Alan – Less is Morse, an educational game Vincent – Citing Misinformation, Florida Health Official Calls for Halt to Covid Vaccines

Sonrisa – Microorganisms in Perspective Anonymous – Wow! Human Cells Vibrate With Resonant Frequency and It’s Technically Audible

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

In COVID-19 clinical update #84, Dr. Griffin discusses childrens’ antibody response to vaccination, phase 3 results of Novavax vaccine, heterologous vaccination, antithrombotic therapy, EUA for molnupiravir, phase 3 results of AZD7442, serum ferritin levels and outcomes, heparin therapy, and WHO strategy for global vaccination.

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• Antibody profiles after mRNA vaccination in children (bioRxiv)
• Novavax vaccine phase 3 results (medRxiv)
• Heterologous vaccine boosters (medRxiv)
• Antithrombotic therapy outcomes (JAMA)
• Molnupiravir EUA submitted (Merck)
• AZD7442 phase 3 results (AstraZeneca)
• Serum ferritin levels and disease outcome (JAMA)
• Heparin efficacy (JAMA)
• WHO strategy to vaccinate world (WHO)
• Letters read on TWiV 817
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to [email protected]

TWiV reveals all that we know so far about the variant of concern B.1.1.529, also called Omicron, and describes a study on the ability of the alpha, beta, and delta variants to reproduce in cells in culture and induce membrane fusion.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker

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• Omicron genome changes (Covariants)
• Omicron shared changes with other variants (Covariants)
• Update on Omicron (WHO)
• Spike polymutant PMS20 (bioRxiv)
• Syncytium formation of variants of concern (EMBO J)
• Variants as super cell fusers (EMBO J)
• Letters read on TWiV 836
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Brianne – Immune Kathy – Elizabeth Lee Hazen and Rachel Fuller Brown, discoverers of nystatin oneand two Alan – Four Lost Cities by Analee Newitz Vincent – Deadly Choices by Paul Offit

Ryan – Ronny Jackson (one and two)

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]

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

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• 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 [email protected]