Virology
New Drugs for Treating Ebola Virus Infection
By Gertrud U. Rey | | Basic virology, Gertrud Rey, Information
by Gertrud U. Rey The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently experiencing its worst outbreak of Ebola virus disease in history. More than 3,000 people have been infected with the virus, and nearly 1,900 have died since the outbreak began in 2018.
TWiV 563: BLT on mice
By Vincent Racaniello | | This Week in Virology
The TWiVologists consider whether to receive an influenza vaccine in August (in the northern hemisphere), and mice implanted with human lung fragments for studying microbial pathogens. Click arrow to play Download TWiV 563 (55 MB .mp3, 91 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Show notes at microbe.tv/twiv
Precision mice as infection models
By Vincent Racaniello | | Basic virology, Information
Mice are important animal models for studying human pathogens, but they have limitations: not all human viruses replicate in mice and often these animals do not reproduce aspects of disease and immune responses. Mice implanted with human bone marrow, liver, and thymus (BLT mice) develop human immune systems, but most pathogens infect other cell types. …
TWiV 562: Take a breath
By Vincent Racaniello | | This Week in Virology
TWiV travels to Rutgers University to speak with Brad, Kay, Siobain, and Kim about their careers and their work on viruses of plants, fungi, bacteria, diatoms, and coccolithophores. Click arrow to play Download TWiV 562 (77 MB .mp3, 127 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Show notes at microbe.tv/twiv
The evolving concept of virus
By Vincent Racaniello | | Basic virology, Information
In the 19th century the word ‘virus€™ was used to describe the cause of any contagious disease. How it came to describe the very small intracellular parasites that we know today is a fascinating story that illustrates our evolving concepts of infectious agents. Long before bacteria, fungi, and viruses were identified, it was known that …
TWiV 561: Hot or not
By Vincent Racaniello | | This Week in Virology
The Autonomous CollecTWiVe reveal two effective treatments for Ebolavirus infection, how a virus in a fungus confers heat tolerance to a plant, and dampened inflammation as a mechanism for bat tolerance to viral infection. Click arrow to play Download TWiV 561 (57 MB .mp3, 93 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Show notes at microbe.tv/twiv
David Tuller
Trial By Error: More on the Canadian Long COVID Trial with Plans to Lie to Participants Receiving an Exercise Intervention
By David Tuller, DrPH I recently posted a blog about the protocol for a Canadian Long COVID exercise trial in which the investigators proposed lying to the participants about the nature of both the study and the intervention being assessed. While acknowledging that a significant number of people with Long COVID report experiencing post-exertional malaise …
Trial By Error: In Protocol for Long COVID Exercise Trial, Investigators Advocate Lying to Participants
By David Tuller, DrPH Researchers are planning yet another trial of a rehabilitative exercise program for Long COVID—but, in this one, they propose to lie to all the participants about the nature of the study and the intervention being investigated. BMJ Open has recently published a paper called “Pursuing Reduction in Fatigue After COVID-19 via …
Trial By Error: Some Things I’ve Read Recently: Anil van der Zee on Sex, “Mold Warrior” Johnson, and a Rant Against the Word “Journey”
By David Tuller, DrPH Anil van der Zee says “Fuck M.E.” One aspect of ME and ME/CFS that receives perhaps too little attention is the impact on someone’s sex life. Engaging in sexual activity takes a significant amount of energy—and is therefore likely to trigger post-exertional malaise for many with this illness. Especially for those …
Trial By Error: Some Things I’ve Read Recently–Aboriginals and Long COVID, Tips for Disability Claims, Profile of Ron Davis
By David Tuller, DrPH Failure to address Long COVID in Australian Aboriginal communities Croakey Health Media is a small but feisty Australian news outlet that covers social and structural inequities in healthcare. Croakey recently published “a call for action to address Long COVID in Aboriginal communities,” which focused in particular on the situation in the …
Trial By Error: Journalist Simon Spichak on Lack of Focus on Post-Exertional Malaise in Long COVID Exercise Trials
By David Tuller, DrPH According to the headline of a recent article in The Sick Times, “less than 20% of Long COVID trials involving exercise even mention post-exertional malaise.” The news organization analyzed the registration records for Long COVID clinical trials and found that only a small minority assess or take into account post-exertional malaise (PEM), …
Trial By Error: JAMA Touts Long COVID Exercise Trial with Clinically Insignificant Results; Most LC Exercise Trials Ignore PEM, Per Sick Times
By David Tuller, DrPH In its current “Medical News in Brief” section, JAMA is touting and amplifying the questionable claims of a flawed trial to treat or prevent Long COVID published by one of the journals under its umbrella—JAMANetworkOpen. The JAMA headline: “Resistance Training Improves Long COVID Outcomes.” Technically, the headline is true. In the …