by Gertrud U. Rey Viruses are universally defined as "obligate intracellular parasites" because they cannot replicate outside of a host cell and depend on that cell and its various metabolic factors for replicating their genome. Based on this definition, most virologists agree that viruses are not alive.  When giant viruses ...

The TWiVers analyze efficacy of the AstraZeneca/Oxford adenovirus vectored vaccine, SARS-CoV-2 did not infect miners who became ill 8 years ago after cleaning bat guano from a cave in Yunnan Province, and induction of antigen-specific germinal center responses and production of neutralizing antibody by SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine but not purified ...

Daniel Griffin provides a clinical report on COVID-19, and Shane Crotty explains a study of antibodies, B cells and T cells in patients which suggests that immunological memory to SARS-CoV-2 might be long-lived. Click arrow to playDownload TWiV 684 (110 MB .mp3, 184 min)Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Show notes at microbe.tv/twiv

Cigarette smoking appears to be associated with more severe COVID-19, but the underlying mechanisms have not been deciphered. The results of infection of airway cells in culture with SARS-CoV-2 provide some insight. Smoking is the most important cause of chronic lung disease, which in turn is a risk factor for ...

On this episode of TWiV, mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer show over 90% efficacy, prothrombotic auto-antibodies in serum of COVID-19 patients, and the whereabouts of SARS-CoV-2 in the human body. Click arrow to playDownload TWiV 683 (72 MB .mp3, 119 min)Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Show notes at microbe.tv/twiv