Virology
The viruses in your blood
By Vincent Racaniello | | Basic virology, Information
If you have ever received a blood transfusion, along with the red blood cells, leukocytes, plasma and other components, you also were infused with a collection of viruses. A recent study of the blood virome of over 8,000 healthy individuals revealed 19 different DNA viruses in 42% of the subjects. Viral DNA sequences were identified among the genome …
An open letter to Psychological Medicine, again!
By Vincent Racaniello | | Uncategorized
Last week, Virology Blog posted an open letter to the editors of Psychological Medicine. The letter called on them to retract the misleading findings that participants in the PACE trial for ME/CFS had recovered from cognitive behavior therapy and graded exercise therapy. More than 100 scientists, clinicians, other experts and patient organizations signed the letter. …
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TWiV 433: Poops viruses and worms
By Vincent Racaniello | | This Week in Virology
The lovely TWiV team explore evolution of our fecal virome, and the antiviral RNA interference response in the nematode C. elegans. You can find TWiV #433 at microbe.tv/twiv, or listen below. Click arrow to play Download TWiV 433 (65 MB .mp3, 107 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV!
An open letter to Psychological Medicine about “recovery” and the PACE trial
By Vincent Racaniello | | Uncategorized
Sir Robin Murray and Dr. Kenneth Kendler Psychological Medicine Cambridge University Press University Printing House Shaftesbury Road Cambridge CB2 8BS UK Dear Sir Robin Murray and Dr. Kendler: In 2013, Psychological Medicine published an article called Recovery from chronic fatigue syndrome after treatments given in the PACE trial.[1] In the paper, White et al. reported that graded exercise therapy (GET) and cognitive …
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TWiV 432: Conjunction junction, what’s your function?
By Vincent Racaniello | | This Week in Virology, Uncategorized
The TWiVites discuss Zika virus seroprevalence in wild monkeys, Zika virus mRNA vaccines, and a gamete fusion protein inherited from viruses. You can find TWiV #432 at microbe.tv/twiv, or listen below. Click arrow to play Download TWiV 432 (65 MB .mp3, 108 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV!
Did viruses enable sex?
By Vincent Racaniello | | Basic virology, Information
A key step in sexual reproduction is the fusion of haploid cells to form a diploid zygote, yet the molecular mechanism underlying this joining of cells is poorly understood. Two studies reveal amazing similarities between proteins required for fusion of sperm and egg, and virus with host cells. A screen for genes that cause male sterility in the flowering plant Arabidopsis led to …
David Tuller
Trial By Error: Norway Disability Case Exposes Flaws in Draft Guideline for “Long-Term Fatigue–including ME/CFS”
By David Tuller, DrPH A recent disability case in Norway provides a good example of why the draft of a new guideline for “long-term fatigue—including ME/CFS” is so problematic. As I reported last week, the draft guideline, produced by the Norwegian Directorate of Health*, generally favors the biopsychosocial approach. The guideline offers few specifics about …
Trial By Error: Why is Professor Crawley Still on the COFFI Steering Committee?
By David Tuller, DrPH Several years ago, the leaders of the biopsychosocial ideological brigades decided to create the Collaborative On Fatigue and related symptoms Following Infection, or COFFI. According to its website, COFFI’s “overarching aim” is “to investigate factors influencing the development of long-term symptoms (in particular fatigue) following certain infectious diseases.” Akershus University Hospital …
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Trial By Error: Aussie GPs Still Push Graded Exercise Therapy
By David Tuller, DrPH When I was in Australia for the first time in 2018, it was clear that the country’s general practitioners were fervent supporters of the biopsychosocial ideology when it came to ME/CFS. That hasn’t changed, according to a recent exchange of views published in the Australian Journal of General Practice. The debate …
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Trial By Error: Dutch Agency Funds CBT Training Program Based on Flawed Long COVID Trial
By David Tuller, DrPH Here is how bullshit replicates itself in today’s medical world: Conduct a flawed trial, declare success despite serious questions, then develop health policy based on these hyped-up claims. ZonMW, a major Dutch healthcare funding agency, is supporting a new program led by Professor Hans Knoop, a longtime supporter of the fraudulent …
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Trial By Error: More on Norway’s Problematic Draft Guideline for “Long-Term Fatigue–including ME/CFS”
By David Tuller, DrPH I posted a piece yesterday on Norway’s draft guideline for “long-term fatigue—including ME/CFS.” But my post was already outdated! The draft guideline was written by a team from the Norwegian Directorate of Health and is open for public comment until May 4th. A working group of 25 individuals from a range …
Trial By Error: Norway’s Problematic Draft Guideline Combining Long-Term Fatigue and ME/CFS
By David Tuller, DrPH On February 4th, the Norwegian Directorate of Health published a draft of a “national professional guideline” for diagnosis, management and treatment of “long-term fatigue—including ME/CFS.” A consultation period for the draft lasts for three months. All comments must be received by May 4th. The draft is intended to replace a 2015 …