TWiV 675: Forget what you've herd about immunity

Daniel Griffin provides a clinical report on COVID-19, then we discuss Bill Foege’s letter to CDC director Robert Redfield, the false promise of herd immunity for COVID-19, secret blueprints for SARS-CoV-2 vaccine trials released, and neuropilin-1 as a possible entry protein for the virus.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker

Guest: Daniel Griffin

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Links for this episode

• Excess COVID-19 Deaths by Age and Race and Ethnicity (MMWR)
• Excess COVID-19 deaths (JAMA)
• SARS-CoV-2 transmission (CDC)
• UK challenge trial (Nature)
• Inflammatory cytokine signature for severe COVID-19 (Nature)
• Death in AstraZeneca vaccine trial (Reuters)
• Herpetic Legion – Reactivation (YouTube)
• Tech position with Dr. Rosenfeld
• Biological safety officer position at CUMC
• Support MicrobeTV at Parasites Without Borders
• Foege letter to Redfield (text, NPR article)
• False promise of herd immunity (Nature)
• Secret vaccine plans released (NY Times)
• Neuropilin-1 and SARS-CoV-2 entry (paper one, two)
• Letters read on TWiV 675
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

Weekly Science Picks

Dickson – Nikon Small World Photography Competition Brianne – Modeling Herd Immunity for measles Alan – Small Gods by Terry Pratchett Rich – Boundless Body Radio Bethany and Casey Ruff Vincent – The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]