# 2961
Michael Osterholm, director of CIDRAP (Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy) at the University of Minnesota holds several video-linked conferences each year – usually with one or more guest speakers.
Dr. Osterholm is one of the most compelling, and authoritative, speakers on the pandemic threat we have in the world today. If you’ve never read his Bio, you should. It is quite impressive, to put it mildly.
Yesterday he and Dr. Doug Quarry, MBBS, MSc (Community Health), Medical Director, International SOS Consulting and Online gave a 90 minute presentation on stockpiling of antivirals by businesses.
Lisa Schnirring, of CIDRAP News brings us the details of that conference. I’ve just reproduced the opening to her article, follow the link to read it in its entirety.
Experts update businesses on antiviral stockpiling
Lisa Schnirring
Staff Writer
Mar 31, 2009 (CIDRAP News) – Antiviral resistance and the global economic downturn might present new obstacles for corporate antiviral stockpiling, but two medical experts today said the medications are still quick, reliable tools that can help preserve business continuity in an influenza pandemic.
At a webinar today sponsored by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) Business Source, an online infectious-disease preparedness resource for businesses, Michael T. Osterholm, PhD, MPH, said experts can't predict if high levels of antiviral resistance recently seen in seasonal influenza A/H1N1 viruses will have any bearing on treatment for a future pandemic strain.
"The honest truth is no one knows," said Osterholm, director of CIDRAP.
However, he told the group that the current level of antiviral resistance won't necessarily persist, as sensitive flu strains might replace resistant ones. Osterholm also pointed out that antiviral resistance hasn't been detected in influenza A/H3N2, a previous pandemic strain that is now a common seasonal strain.
Antiviral medications will still have a vital role to play, given that pandemic vaccine capacity will fall far short of the amount needed for the world population and that little is known about the efficacy of nonpharmaceutical interventions such as social distancing, he said. The drugs will allow employers to provide early treatment for employees who become ill or prophylaxis for workers who are critical to essential business operations.
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