TWiV 1194: Clinical Update with Dr. Daniel Griffin - Key Takeaways (Feb 22, 2025)
0:00 Remembering Dickson: The episode starts with a tribute to Dickson Despommier, a former co-host of TWiV, highlighting his contributions and influence.
5:23 Ebola in Uganda: Eight Ebola patients in Uganda have been discharged after testing negative, leaving no active cases being treated for the virus in that country. A total of 26 contacts are currently being monitored.
6:53 Polio Concerns: Despite efforts, polio continues to spread in Pakistan and Afghanistan. There is a growing concern regarding vaccine-derived polio cases due to the continued use of oral polio vaccine (OPV), especially in regions like Gaza, and the need to switch to inactivated polio vaccine (IPV).
10:58 Measles Outbreak in Texas: A significant measles outbreak in West Texas (58 cases as of Tuesday), largely due to low vaccination rates within the affected community (30% uptake of vaccine), highlighting the consequences of vaccine hesitancy.
12:27 Avian Flu (H5N1) in Cats and Dairy Cattle: A highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus was detected in indoor domestic cats in Michigan associated with households of dairy industry workers. H5N1 has now been detected in almost 1000 dairy herds in the US. One dairy worker declined testing and treatment because they feared losing their job.
23:23 Avian Flu Vaccine for Poultry: A conditionally licensed avian influenza H5N1 vaccine for chickens produced by Zoetis has been approved. However, vaccinating flocks can impact export due to trade partner restrictions.
29:29 Human Cases of Avian Flu: There are now four confirmed human cases of avian flu H5N1 in the US. Canada has secured 500,000 doses of a human vaccine against avian influenza (GSK's H5N1 vaccine).
30:38 High Respiratory Virus Activity: Influenza, RSV, rhinovirus and COVID-19 activity remains high across the US, with COVID-19 continuing to cause a significant number of deaths weekly.
33:01 COVID-19 Case Fatality Rate Analysis (Austria): A study in Austria from 2020-2023 showed a COVID-19 case fatality rate (CFR) of 0.3%, varying greatly by month and variant. CFR was highest early in the pandemic and decreased with newer variants. The highest risk groups were the unvaccinated, the elderly, and nursing home residents. Previous COVID-19 infection offered less protection over time.
38:51 COVID-19 Inhaled Antibody Treatment (Phase 1): Early results of a Phase 1 trial of an inhaled antibody treatment (IN-006) for COVID-19 showed the treatment to be safe and well-tolerated, with high antibody concentrations in the nasal fluid. But the levels of antibody dropped significantly over the days after dosing. Efficacy studies are still pending.
41:50 Ensitrelvir for COVID-19 (Phase 3): A Phase 3 trial (Scorpio-HR) of ensitrelvir for non-hospitalized adults with COVID-19 did not show a significant impact on the time to symptom resolution.
43:41 COVID-19 Treatment Recommendations: The recommended treatment for COVID-19 is still Paxlovid, which reduces the risk of hospitalization and death, especially in high-risk individuals. Remdesivir and molnupiravir are other options, and convalescent plasma may still be used for immunocompromised patients. Steroids, anticoagulation, and pulmonary support are for patients who are hospitalised with COVID.
47:06 Pregnancy and Vaccines: Pregnant individuals should get flu and COVID-19 vaccines, ideally during the third trimester, to protect both themselves and their babies.
50:09 Paxlovid Treatment Response: An 80 year-old tested positive for COVID, started Paxlovid but was berated by their physician, who stated Paxlovid may have no affect because the symptoms were mild. This is contrary to professional society recommendations, which advocate administering Paxlovid to symptomatic 80 year old patients within 24 hours of positive test.
52:01 Measles and Immune Amnesia: Surviving measles can cause "immune amnesia," wiping out previously acquired immune memory.
54:40 COVID-19 Vaccine Frequency: It is recommended that high-risk individuals get 2 COVID vaccines per year while only 1 annual flu vaccine is needed.
58:42 Call to Action: Please consider donating to parasitesborders.com in order to help ensure more information sources remain available.