Episodes

  • TWiV 1233: Long COVID and big bats

    TWiV 1233: Long COVID and big bats
    Jul 6 2025

    TWiV covers FDA Director overriding scientists on COVID shots, NIH funded science must now be free to read instantly, Trump cuts subscriptions to Springer Nature journals, UK and Gates make up for US money withdrawn from GAVI, US defunding USAID could lead to 14 million deaths by 2030, then reviews research on how host IL1 genetics regulates Epstein-Barr virus reactivation and long COVID, and enhanced antiviral capacity of bat innate immunity.

    Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Rich Condit

    Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email

    Become a patron of TWiV!

    Links for this episode
    • Support science education at MicrobeTV
    • FDA official overrides scientists on COVID shots (NYTimes)
    • NIH funded science must be immediately open access (Nature)
    • Trump cuts journal subscriptions for NIH (Science)
    • Donors make up GAVI US shortfall (Reuters)
    • USAID defunding will lead to 14 million deaths (CIDRAP)
    • SARS-CoV-2, IL1, Epstein-Barr virus and long COVID (Cell Rep)
    • Bat innate immunity (Nat Comm)
    • Letters read on TWiV 1233
    • Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!
    Weekly Picks

    Rich – Unraveling Mendel’s final mysteries: A genomic retelling of pea genetics (Thanks, Kathy!) (Original article)
    Alan – Winners of Nature’s 2025 “Scientist at Work” photo competition
    Vincent – Signs of AI-generated text found in 14% of biomedical abstracts last year

    Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

    Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

    Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.
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    1 hr and 51 mins
  • TWiV 1232: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

    TWiV 1232: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin
    Jul 5 2025
    In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin with Vincent Racaniello are shocked at how vaccine safety is undercut by misrepresenting thimerosal safety, its removal from vaccines, and how CBER director Vinay Prasad overruled his advisors for the administration of COVID vaccines to pregnant people knowingly compromising their health, before Dr. Griffin reviews recent statistics on measles epidemic, 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, immunization recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines, where to find PEMGARDA, provides information for Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center, where to go for answers to your long COVID questions, association of long COVID and cognitive changes as well as the development of type I diabetes and contacting your federal government representative to stop the assault on science and biomedical research. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Thimerosal and Vaccines (FDA)Thimerosal-containing vaccines and neurodevelopmental outcomes (CDC)Thimerosal and Vaccines (CDC: Vaccine safety)WHO says ‘no evidence of harm’ from thimerosal (Reuters)RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Panel Has a New Approach: Question Everything (Wall Street Journal)COVID-19 infection poses higher risk for myocarditis than vaccines (American Heart Association)Top F.D.A. Official Overrode Scientists on Covid Shots (NY Times)Who Sets the Immunization Schedule? (CDC: Vaccines for your children)Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule for ages 18 years or younger (CDC) H5 bird flu: current situation (CDC: Avian Influenza)Assessing the transmissibility and outbreak risk of measles in the United States, 2024 – 2030 (JID)Proof of a measles vaccine for travelers coming from various countries, including the United States (US Embassy in Honduras)More measles outbreaks put US total within single digits of modern-day record (CIDRAP)Epidemiological Update – Measles in the Americas Region – 1 July 2025 (PAHO) Wastewater for measles (WasterWater Scan)Measles cases and outbreaks (CDC Rubeola)New Mexico announces measles outbreak in a county detention facility (AP News)Weekly measles and rubella monitoring (Government of Canada)Measles vaccine recommendations from NYP (jpg)Measles (WHO)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)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)Respiratory virus activity levels (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)Weekly surveillance report: clift notes (CDC FluView)Influenza Vaccination During Pregnancy and Infant Influenza in the First 6 Months of Life (Obstetrics & Gynecology)Influenza vaccination in Japanese children, 2024/25: Effectiveness of inactivated vaccine and limited use of newly introduced live-attenuated vaccine (Vaccine) 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)Novel Drug Approvals for 2025 (FDA)Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)COVID-19 deaths (CDC)COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC)Independent assessment of the origins of SARS‑CoV‑2(WHO)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 (bioRxiV)Estimated 2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness in Adults (JAMA)RECOVID: Retrospective Observational Study of Renal Outcomes and Long-Term Mortality in Patients With COVID-19-Associated AKI, A Comparison Between Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Patients (Kidney Medicine)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...
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    57 mins
  • TWiV 1231: What is a virus?

    TWiV 1231: What is a virus?
    Jun 29 2025

    TWiV discusses Sen. Cassidy calling for ACIP meeting delay, RFK Jr. abandons GAVI, millions of children at risk as global vaccination rates fall, RFK Jr. grilled by Congress, autism rates have increased 60-fold due to changed definitions, deep mutational scanning of rabies virus glyoprotein, and and proton gradient and incomplete TCA cycle in a giant virus.

    Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, Brianne Barker, and Angela Mingarelli

    Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email

    Become a patron of TWiV!

    Links for this episode
    • Support science education at MicrobeTV
    • Sen. Cassidy calls for ACIP delay (NYTimes)
    • RFK Jr. stops GAVI funding (NYTimes)
    • Global vaccination rates drop, millions of children at risk (Guardian)
    • Autism rates have increased 60-fold, here’s why (NYTimes)
    • Deep mutational scanning of rabies virus glycoprotein (Cell Host Micr)
    • Giant virus with proton gradient and partial TCA cycle (ISME J)
    • Why cells are powered by proton gradients (Scitable)
    • Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!
    Weekly Picks

    Angela – 27 new, exciting, and blobby species discovered in the Peruvian rainforest!
    Brianne – Encounters in the Milky Way
    Rich – Where to go for accurate, up-to-date vaccine information
    Vincent – The members of RFK Jr.’s new vaccine committee have published little on vaccines

    Listener Picks

    Charles – Vaccine Advice, Vandalized
    Ken – Golden Goose Awards

    Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

    Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

    Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.
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    1 hr and 55 mins
  • TWiV 1230: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

    TWiV 1230: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin
    Jun 28 2025
    In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin with Vincent Racaniello are alarmed at how RFK is breaking his promise of not altering vaccine policies, and nonexistent data and studies are used by members of the ACIP to make changes to immunization practices in the absence of a CDC director, justification for not honoring the US commitment to GAVI and global public policies including support of routine childhood immunizations, placing millions of children at risk for the return of vaccine preventable diseases including polio outbreaks in Pappa New Guinea and increased circulation of wildtype type 1 poliovirus, before Dr. Griffin reviews recent statistics on RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the Wasterwater Scan dashboard, approval of Merck’s anti-RSV mRNA monoclonal antibody, whether or not the NB.1.8.1 should be included in the fall 2025 vaccines, immunization recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines, where to find PEMGARDA, changes in COVID mRNA vaccine labeling and reframing of the science around the vaccine, provides information for Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center, where to go for answers to your long COVID questions, and contacting your federal government representative to stop the assault on science and biomedical research Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Jake Scott (Stanford University)Vaccine Randomized control trials (Bradspellberg.com)Vaccine RCT spreadsheet aims to show the data, dispel myths about vaccines (CIDRAP)Vaccines-rcts (Bradspellberg.com)CDC’s upcoming vaccine advisory meeting set up to sow distrust in vaccines (CIDRAP)Next ACIP meeting (CDC: ACIP) June meeting: MEETING OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES (ACIP) (CDC: ACIP agenda) Robert F Berman, PhD (UC Davis Health: Department of Neurological Surgery)Transparency = nonexistent data: CDC advisers appears to cite nonexistent study to support claims about risk of vaccine preservative (CNN)A C.D.C. Committee Just Voted Against Flu Shots With This Preservative. Is It Safe? (NY Times)CDC vaccine advisory committee to review long-approved immunizations (STAT News)Newly appointed CDC vaccine advisory committee holds first meeting, stirs more controversy (CIDRAP) FDA approves clesrovimab to protect infants during first RSV season (Contemporary Pediatrics) ACIP updates: Committee recommends clesrovimab for RSV, reaffirms routine influenza vaccination (Contemporary Pediatrics)Susan Monarez (Wikipedia)Robert F Kennedy Jr (Wikipedia) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Wikipedia)Who is in charge at the CDC (CDC: About CDC)Do children REALLY need to be vaccinated? (Wall Street Journal)U.S. Adults’ Views on Routine Childhood Vaccination (Harvard Opinion Research Program)RFK Jr. declares US withdrawal from GAVI (YouTube)Kennedy Withdraws U.S. Funding Pledge to International Vaccine Agency (NY Times) Millions of children at risk as global vaccine rates fall (Guardian)Global, regional, and national trends in routine childhood vaccination coverage from 1980 to 2023 with forecasts to 2030 (LANCET)Polio this week: 47 WPV1 positive environmental samples this week! (GPEI) H5 bird flu: current situation (CDC: Avian Influenza)Cambodia logs fifth death from H5N1 avian flu as USDA weighs poultry vaccination (CIDRAP)Cambodia reports 6th H5N1 bird flu case this year(BNO News)USDA develops potential plan to vaccinate poultry for bird flu (Reuters) Wastewater for measles (WasterWater Scan)Measles cases and outbreaks (CDC Rubeola)Weekly measles and rubella monitoring (Government of Canada)Measles vaccine recommendations from NYP (jpg)Measles (WHO)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))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)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)Novel Drug Approvals for 2025 (FDA)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)...
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    49 mins
  • TWiV 1229: Virology throughout Europe

    TWiV 1229: Virology throughout Europe
    Jun 22 2025

    Rich travels to Dubrovnik for the European Congress of Virology 2025 and Vincent joins via Zoom to speak with Stéphane Blanc, Vanda Juranić Lisnić, and Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stöckl about their work on plant viruses, cytomegalovirus, and Epstein-Barr virus.

    Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Rich Condit

    Guests: Stéphane Blanc, Vanda Juranić Lisnić, and Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stöckl

    Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email

    Become a patron of TWiV!

    Links for this episode
    • Support science education at MicrobeTV
    • Assembled plant viruses move through plants (PLoS Path)
    • Genome formula of multipartite virus (PLoS Path)
    • Immune surveillance of cytomegalovirus in tissues (Cell Mol Immunol)
    • Cytomegalovirus and NK cells (Nat Commun)
    • Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis (J Clin Inves)
    • Epstein-Barr virus and lymphoproliferative disease (Transplant)
    • Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

    Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

    Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

    Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.
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    1 hr and 23 mins
  • TWiV 1228: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

    TWiV 1228: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin
    Jun 21 2025
    In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin and Vincent Racaniello discuss in shock how RFK is breaking his promise of not altering vaccine policies by appointing new members of the ACIP, next ACIP meeting on guidelines for the COVID and RSV vaccines, circulation of “human insect viruses” including West Nile virus, and an outbreak of mpox on a cruise ship, and the ongoing measles outbreak before Dr. Griffin reviews recent statistics on RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections the Wasterwater Scan dashboard, how to reduce the use of antibiotics for RSV and influenza infections in children, approval of the moderna RSV mRNA vaccine, whether or not the NB.1.8.1 should be included in the fall 2025 vaccines, immunization recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines, where to find PEMGARDA, provides information for Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s long COVID treatment center, where to go for answers to your long COVID questions, contacting your federal government representative to stop the assault on science and biomedical research, and a shout out for the special episode of TWiV with David Tuller on long COVID and ME/CFS. Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode RFK Jr. is sabotaging the vaccine program. Here’s how to stop him (Washington Post)Innovaciones Alumbra (Alumbra Innovaciones)John T Walton (Wikiepedia)Walmart (Wikipedia)Sam Walton (Wikipedia)Condé Nast (Wikipedia)Christy Walton (Wikipedia)Vaccine Integrity Project ( CIDRAP)CIDRAP launches Vaccine Integrity Project (Twin Cities: University of Minnesota)Next ACIP meeting (CDC: ACIP) June meeting: MEETING OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES (ACIP)(CDC: ACIP agenda)West Nile Virus and Other Nationally Notifiable Arboviral Diseases — United States, 2023 (CDC: MMWR) Clade II Mpox Infections Among Cruise Ship Passengers and Crew Members — United States, 2024 (CDC: MMWR) H5 bird flu: current situation (CDC: Avian Influenza) Wastewater for measles (WasterWater Scan)Measles cases and outbreaks (CDC Rubeola)Weekly measles and rubella monitoring (Government of Canada)Measles (WHO)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)Measles vaccine recommendations from NYP (jpg)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)Pediatric antibiotic use associated with respiratory syncytial virus and influenza in the United States, 2008-2018 (JID) 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)Novel Drug Approvals for 2025 (FDA)Effectiveness and impact of nirsevimab in Chile during the first season of a national immunisation strategy against RSV (NIRSE-CL) (LANCET: Infectious Diseases)Safety, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity ofmRNA-1345 in Adults at Increased Risk for RSV Disease Aged 18 to 59 Years (CID)Moderna Receives U.S. FDA Approval for RSV Vaccine, mRESVIA, in Adults Aged 18–59 at Increased Risk for RSV Disease (moderna)Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)COVID-19 deaths (CDC)COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC)Spatiotemporal Association of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Cases and Deaths With Exposure to Wildfire Particulate Matter in 2020 (OFID)COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC)SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain)Next ACIP meeting (CDC: ACIP)Antigenic and Virological Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Variant BA.3.2, XFG, and NB.1.8.1 (biRxiV)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)Implementation of an online drug-drug interaction screener for the STRIVE ensitrelvir trial for COVID-19 (OFID)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) ...
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    45 mins
  • TWiV Special: Long COVID and ME/CFS with David Tuller

    TWiV Special: Long COVID and ME/CFS with David Tuller
    Jun 17 2025

    David Tuller returns to TWiV to discuss RFK Jr. and the trashing of American public health, rituximab and ME/CFS, The Sick Times, the Cochrane Mess, a Norwegian Long Covid trial, effort preference and more.

    Host: Vincent Racaniello

    Guest: David Tuller

    Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email

    Become a patron of TWiV!

    Links for this episode

    • MicrobeTV Discord Server
    • David Tuller writes at virology blog
    • CFS, a long tangled tale (virology blog)
    • The Sick Times
    • Norwegian Long COVID trial (virology blog)
    • Cochrane mess (virology blog)
    • Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

    Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

    Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

    Content on TWiV should not be taken as medical advice.
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • TWiV 1227: How can antibody forget a pandemic?

    TWiV 1227: How can antibody forget a pandemic?
    Jun 15 2025

    TWiV reviews the administrations dismantling of the committee that studies pandemic potential, firing of CDC vaccine advisory committee and replacing them with unqualified anti-vaxxers, zoonotic and sustained Mpox spread in Nigeria and Cameroon, and breadth of influenza A antibody cross-reactivity.

    Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Brianne Barker

    Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email

    Become a patron of TWiV!

    Links for this episode
    • Support science education at MicrobeTV 2:39
    • NIH terminates pandemic preparedness committee (Science)
    • RFK Jr. fires all ACIP members (CNN)
    • RFK Jr. names dubious members of new ACIP (NPR)
    • Zoonotic and sustained Mpox spread in West Africa (Nature)
    • Breadth of influenza A antibody cross-reactivity (Nat Micro)
    • Letters read on TWiV 1227
    • Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!
    Weekly Picks

    Brianne – Accidental discovery in planetarium show
    Alan – Project Hail Mary
    Vincent – How to speak to a vaccine sceptic: research reveals what works

    Listener Picks

    James – Looking at the world through a microscope

    Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

    Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

    Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.
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    1 hr and 50 mins