This Week in Virology Podcast

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin with Vincent Racaniello in horror examine dismantling of public infrastructure for establishing vaccine guidelines, the creation of a autism taskforce by someone disciplined for practicing medicine without a license, the ongoing pertussis, bird flu and measles outbreaks, before Dr. Griffin reviews recent statistics on RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections the Wasterwater Scan dashboard, the effective of oseltamivir vs supportive care when one is hospitalized with influenza infection, whether or not the NB.1.8.1 should be included in the fall 2025 vaccines, approval of another anti-RSV monoclonal antibody for treatment in infants, immunization recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines, where to find PEMGARDA, results from the phase 3 randomized clinical trial of pemivibart, provides information for Columbia University Irving Medical Centers long COVID treatment center, where to go for answers to your long COVID questions, how artery disease impacts SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes, contacting your federal government representative to stop the assault on science and biomedical research and the recent public health programs that have been unfunded.

Become apatronofTWiV!

Links for this episode

• Vaccine Opponent Hired by RFK Jr.Scours Official Recordsfor Link to Autism (Wall Street Journal)
• Correcting our record(Salon)
• You are FIRED! Kennedyremoves all ACIP members,eyes replacement (CIDRAP)
• UPI Investigates:The vaccine conflict..investigative reporting? (UPI)
• RFK Jr.:HHS Moves to Restore Public Trust in Vaccinesto avoid conflicts UGHHHH! (Wall Street Journal)
• GREATVaccine advisory panel (Great Barrington Declaration)
• National Vaccine Information Center(Wikipedia: National Vaccine Information Center)
• Nonprofit organization501(c)(Wikipedia)
• Kennedy AnnouncesEight New Membersof C.D.C. Vaccine Advisory Panel(NY Times)
• Whooping coughdeaths!(Kentucky. Gov)
• Kentucky announcestwo pertussis deathsin infants this year (CIDRAP)
• H5 bird flu: current situation (CDC: Avian Influenza)
• Stability of influenza viruses in themilkof cows and sheep (medRxiv)
• Wastewaterfor measles (WasterWater Scan)
• Measlescases and outbreaks(CDC Rubeola)
• Weeklymeasles and rubella monitoring (Government of Canada)
• Canadas Ontario province reportsdeath of child from measles(Reuters)
• Measles outbreaks continue with risk of holidays causingsurge(gov.UK)
• Measles(WHO)
• Measles vaccine recommendations from NYP (jpg)
• Get theFACTSabout measles (NY State Department of Health)
• Measles(CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Measlesvaccine (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Presumptive evidenceof measles immunity (CDC)
• Contraindications and precautionsto measles vaccination (CDC)
• Measles(CDC Measles (Rubeola)
• Adverse events associated withchildhood vaccines: evidence bearing on causality (NLM)
• MeaslesVaccination:Know the Facts (ISDA: Infectious Diseases Society of America)
• Deaths following vaccination: what does theevidence show(Vaccine)
• Influenza: Waste water scan for11 pathogens(WastewaterSCan)
• USrespiratoryvirus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• Weekly surveillance report:clift notes(CDC FluView)
• Respiratory virusactivitylevels (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• Weekly surveillance report:clift notes(CDC FluView)
• Oseltamivir TreatmentvsSupportive Care for Seasonal Influenza Requiring Hospitalization (JAMA)
• FDA-CDC-DOD:2025-2046 influenza vaccine composition (FDA)
• RSV: Waste water scan for11 pathogens(WastewaterSCan)
• USrespiratoryvirus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection)
• Approval for MercksENFLONSIA (clesrovimab-cfor) for Prevention of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Lower Respiratory Tract Disease in Infants Born During or Entering Their First RSV Season (Merck)
• Waste water scan for11 pathogens(WastewaterSCan)
• COVID-19deaths(CDC)
• COVID-19national and regionaltrends (CDC)
• COVID-19variant tracker(CDC)
• SARS-CoV-2genomesgalore (Nextstrain)
• Antigenic and Virological Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 VariantBA.3.2, XFG, and NB.1.8.1(biRxiV)
• COVID-19 vaccine for6 months, 12 years(CDC: childhood vaccination)
• COVID-19 vaccine for65 yearsand older (CDC: Adult vaccination)
• Whereto get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
• EUAfor the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD)
• Infusioncenter(Prime Fusions)
• CDC Quarantineguidelines (CDC)
• NIHCOVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
• Drug interactionchecker(University of Liverpool)
• Infectious Disease Society guidelinesfor treatment and management (ID Society)
• Molnupiravirsafetyand efficacy (JMV)
• Convalescent plasma recommendation forimmunocompromised(ID Society)
• What to do when sick with arespiratory virus(CDC)
• Managing healthcare staffingshortages(CDC)
• Steroids,dexamethasoneat the right time (OFID)
• Anticoagulationguidelines (hematology.org)
• Daniel Griffinsevidence basedmedical practices for long COVID (OFID)
• Long COVIDhotline(Columbia : Columbia University Irving Medical Center)
• The answers:Long COVID
• Long-term outcomes of patients withpre-existing coronary artery diseaseafter SARS-CoV-2 infection (eBioMedicine)
• Reaching out toUS house representative
• Trump BudgetEliminates Fundingfor Crucial Global Vaccination Programs(NY Times)
• Letters readon TWiV 1226
• Dr. Griffins COVID treatment summary (pdf)
• Timestamps byJolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Intro music is byRonald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin [email protected]

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

TWiV reviews the administration’s call for fools gold-standard science, NIH may publish in-house, avian influenza viruses in birds in China, and Omicron pathogenicity and immune responses.

Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• Support science education at MicrobeTV
• Fool’s Gold Standard Science (Nature)
• NIH may publish in-house (Stat News)
• Diversity of H9N2 in China (Nat Micro)
• Omicron and immunity (Cell Rep)
• Letters read on TWiV 1225
• Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Kathy – mSphere virus species names standardization
Rich –   Real Tides & Currents Graph HD
Alan – Invasive termites spreading from privately owned boats
Vincent – Entomologist Answers Insect Questions

Listener Picks

Gerry – Citations Needed podcast 221: Anti-science mugging
Joyrell – Mayday: Air Disaster Favorite one, two, three, for Vincent

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 with Vincent Racaniello in dismay examine the MAHA-Make America Health Again-report and its inclusion of fictious studies or “Creative literature degree Medical Science writing”, RFK Jr contradicted by the CDC for COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children, reduction in MMR vaccine coverage, the ongoing bird flu and measles outbreaks, how the General Accounting Office instructed HHS to fix deficiencies in infectious disease testing before the next pandemic, before Dr. Griffin reviews recent statistics on RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections the Wasterwater Scan dashboard, whether or not the NB.1.8.1 should be included in the fall 2025 vaccines approval of Moderna’s mNEXSPIKE vaccine for fall 2025, childhood immunization recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines, where to find PEMGARDA, results from the phase 3 randomized clinical trial of pemivibart, provides information for Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center, where to go for answers to your long COVID questions, the identification of an association between FOXP4 and long COVID and contacting your federal government representative to stop the assault on science and biomedical research.

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• The MAHA report (The White House)
• White House Health Report Included Fake Citations (NY Times)
• C.D.C. Contradicts Kennedy and Keeps Advice That Children May Get Covid Shots (NY TImes)
• CDC revises recommendation for COVID vaccines in kids (CIDRAP)
• Exclusive: CDC Expert resigns from COVID vaccines advisory role (Reuters)
• Trends in County-Level MMR Vaccination Coverage in Children in the United States (JAMA Network)
• U.S. Cancels Contract With Moderna to Develop Bird Flu Vaccine (NY Times)
• Canada Wants to Kill 400 Ostriches. Kennedy and Dr. Oz Want to Save Them. (NY Times)
• Confirmations of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Commercial and Backyard Flocks (USDA: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service)
• H5 bird flu: current situation (CDC: Avian Influenza)
• Bird flu (CDC: Avian Influenza)
• H5N1 avian flu strikes another Arizona layer farm (CIDRAP)
• Bird flu outbreak kills 95% of Hickman’s Arizona chickens, closes West Valley farms (AZCentral)
• Wastewater for measles (WasterWater Scan)
• Additional Denver Resident Tests Positive forMeasles (Denver: The Mile High City)
• Health officials alert public of potential measles exposure at Denver International Airport and nearby hotel (Colorado: Department of public health and environment)
• Colorado announces another measles case linked to Turkish Airlines flight (CIDRAP)
• Measles cases and outbreaks (CDC Rubeola)
• Weekly measles and rubella monitoring (Government of Canada)
• Measles (WHO)
• Measles vaccine recommendations from NYP (jpg)
• Get the FACTS about measles (NY State Department of Health)
• Measles (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Measles vaccine (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Presumptive evidence of measles immunity (CDC)
• Contraindications and precautions to measles vaccination (CDC)
• Measles (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Adverse events associated with childhood vaccines: evidence bearing on causality (NLM)
• Measles Vaccination: Know the Facts (ISDA: Infectious Diseases Society of America)
• Deaths following vaccination: what does the evidence show (Vaccine)
• Public Health Preparedness: HHS Needs a Coordinated National Approach for Diagnostic Testing for Pandemic Threats (GAO: US Government Accountability Office)
• GAO to HHS: Fix ‘persistent deficiencies’ in infectious-disease testing before next pandemic (CIDRAP)
• Influenza: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• Weekly surveillance report: clift notes (CDC FluView)
• Respiratory virus activity levels (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• Weekly surveillance report: clift notes (CDC FluView)
• FDA-CDC-DOD: 2025-2046 influenza vaccine composition (FDA)
• RSV: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection)
• Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
• COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC)
• COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC)
• SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain)
• Antigenic and Virological Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Variant BA.3.2, XFG, and NB.1.8.1 (biRxiV)
• mNEXSPIKE is now approved and coming this fall (mNEXSPIKE)
• FDA approval for mNEXSPIKE (moderna)
• COVID-19 vaccine for 6 months, 12 years (CDC: childhood vaccination)
• COVID-19 vaccine for65 years and older (CDC: Adult vaccination)
• ACIP Shared Clinical Decision-Making Recommendations (CDC: Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices(ACIP))
• Safety and Efficacy of Pemivibart, a Long-Acting Monoclonal Antibody, for Prevention of Symptomatic COVID-19 (CID)
• Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
• EUA for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD)
• Infusion center (Prime Fusions)
• CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
• NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
• Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
• Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
• Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
• Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
• What to do when sick with a respiratory virus (CDC)
• Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
• Steroids,dexamethasone at the right time (OFID)
• Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org)
• Daniel Griffin’s evidence based medical practices for long COVID (OFID)
• Long COVID hotline (Columbia : Columbia University Irving Medical Center)
• The answers: Long COVID
• Genome-wide association study of long COVID (Nature Genetics)
• Reaching out to US house representative
• Letters read on TWiV 1224
• Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
• Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

TWiV reviews RFK Jr.”s MAGA report with non-existent literature citations, a new fungus that could further devastate North American bats, surveillance of avian influenza viruses through bird guano in remote regions, and the receptor for HKU5 coronaviruses is ACE2 from Pipistrellus abramus bats.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Kathy Spindler, and Brianne Barker

Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• Support science education at MicrobeTV
• Bad citations in MAGA report (Med Exp)
• Another fungus for North American bats (NY Times)
• Surveillance of avian influenza through bird guano (Nat Commun)
• ACE2 from Pipistrellus bats is receptor for HKU5 coronaviruses (Nat Commun)
• Letters read on TWiV 1223
• Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Brianne – New mutation found in orange cats
Kathy –  Middle schooler’s STEM project leads to a bacterium with antibiotic activity and to an anti-cancer compound
Vincent – Elon Musk’s Legacy Is Disease, Starvation and Death

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 with Vincent Racaniello discusses vaccination trends, the changes COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant women, easing of vaccination exemptions in Texas, the ongoing measles outbreak globally before Dr. Griffin reviews recent statistics on RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections the Wasterwater Scan dashboard, whether or not the NB.1.8.1 should be included in the fall 2025 vaccines and concern as confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 rise here and in China, different mechanisms by which to reduce transmission of respiratory pathogens, the May 22 VRBPAC COVID-19 vaccine meeting, where to find PEMGARDA, prolonged steroid and antibiotic therapies, provides information for Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center, where to go for answers to your long COVID questions, how spike protein may alter mast cells and the immune response and contacting your federal government representative to stop the assault on science and biomedical research.

Become a patron of TWiV!

Links for this episode

• Vaccination trends (CDC: Respiratory Illnesses)
• Weekly COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard (CDC: COVIDVaxView)
• RFK Jr ends coronavirus shot recommendation for healthy children and pregnant women (Washington Post)
• Characteristics of Children Ages 1–17 Who Died of COVID-19 in 2020–2022 in the United States (American Academy of Pediatrics)
• RFK Jr.’s War on Children (Paul Offit: Beyond the Noise)
• AAP analyzes pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations from 2020-’24 (American Academy of Pediatrics)
• COVID-19–Associated Hospitalizations among Children and Adults — COVID-NET (CDC: National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases)
• COVID-19–Associated Hospitalizations among Children and Adults — COVID-NET (CDC: National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases)
• Long COVID in Children (CDC: NCHS)
• Long COVID Prevalence and Associated Activity Limitation in US Children (JAMA Pediatrics)
• The C.D.C. Now Says Healthy Kids Don’t Need Covid Shots. Is That True? (NY Times)
• U.S. Will No Longer Recommend Covid Shots for Children and Pregnant Women (NY TImes)
• Gregg Abbott (AP News)
• US school-entry vaccination rates fall as exemptions keep rising (AP News)
• Whooping cough cases are rising again in the US (AP News)
• Amid measles outbreak, Texas is poised to make vaccine exemptions for kids easier (AP News)
• Cardiac Events in Adults Hospitalized for Respiratory Syncytial Virus vs COVID-19 or Influenza (JAMA Network Open)
• USDA reported H5N1 bird flu detection in wild birds (CDC: Avian Influenza)
• USDA reported H5N1 in poultry (CDC: Avian Influenza)
• HPAI Confirmed Cases in Livestock (USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspections Service)
• H5 bird flu: current situation (CDC: Avian Influenza)
• Bird flu (CDC: Avian Influenza)
• Measles cases and outbreaks (CDC Rubeola)
• Weekly measles and rubella monitoring (Government of Canada)
• Measles (WHO)
• Measles vaccine recommendations from NYP (jpg)
• Get the FACTS about measles (NY State Department of Health)
• Measles (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Measles vaccine (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Presumptive evidence of measles immunity (CDC)
• Contraindications and precautions to measles vaccination (CDC)
• Measles (CDC Measles (Rubeola)
• Adverse events associated with childhood vaccines: evidence bearing on causality (NLM)
• Measles Vaccination: Know the Facts(ISDA: Infectious Diseases Society of America)
• Deaths following vaccination: what does the evidence show (Vaccine)
• Influenza: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• Weekly surveillance report: clift notes (CDC FluView)
• Respiratory virus activity levels (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• Weekly surveillance report: clift notes (CDC FluView)
• FDA-CDC-DOD: 2025-2046 influenza vaccine composition (FDA)
• RSV: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection)
• Respiratory syncytial virus: an under-recognized healthcare-associated infection (Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology)
• Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
• COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC)
• COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC)
• SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain)
• Antigenic and Virological Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Variant BA.3.2, XFG, and NB.1.8.1 (biRxiV)
• New Covid variant NB.1.8.1 detected at US airports amid rise in cases
• U.S. reports cases of new COVID variant NB.1.8.1 behind surge in China (CBS News)
• WHO TAG-VE Risk Evaluation for SARS-CoV-2 Variant Under Monitoring: NB.1.8.1 (WHO)
• New COVID variant NB.1.8.1 detected at US airports amid rise in cases (The Economic Times: News)
• Infection Control Guidance: SARS-CoV-2 (CDC: COVID-19)
• Isolating the burden of transmission-based precautions for COVID-19 (Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology)
• A pilot study of coughing into the shirt to disrupt respiratory pathogen transmission (International Journal of Emergency Medicine)
• Hybrid B- and T-Cell Immunity Associates With Protection Against Breakthrough Infection After Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Vaccination in Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) Participants (JID)
• FDA panel is split on updates to COVID shots as questions loom for fall vaccinations(AP News)
• COVID-19 Vaccines (2025-2026 Formula) for Use in the United States Beginning in Fall 2025(FDA)
• Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States (CDC: COVID-19)
• Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
• EUA for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD)
• Infusion center (Prime Fusions)
• CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
• NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
• Clinical effectiveness of oral antiviral treatment for non-hospitalized high-risk patients with COVID-19 during Omicron JN.1 subvariant wave(Pneumonia)
• Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
• Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
• A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Effectiveness of Remdesivir to Treat Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Hospitalized Patients (CID)
• Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
• Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
• What to do when sick with a respiratory virus (CDC)
• Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
• Steroids,dexamethasone at the right time (OFID)
• Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org)
• Tocilizumab, sarilumab and anakinra in critically ill patients with COVID-19 (Thorax)
• Daniel Griffin’s evidence based medical practices for long COVID (OFID)
• Long COVID hotline (Columbia : Columbia University Irving Medical Center)
• The answers: Long COVID
• Spike proteins of coronaviruses activate mast cells for degranulation via stimulating Src/PI3K/AKT/Ca²⁺ intracellular signaling cascade (Journal of Virology)
• Reaching out to US house representative
• Letters read on TWiV 1222
• Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
• Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

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

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.