Update on Managing the Risks of Exposure to Lentiviral and Retroviral Vectors.

OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to review the risks associated with using lentiviral and retroviral vectors in research and clinical settings and to propose an update to an effective treatment plan. METHODS: Risks of exposure were evaluated based on vector design, safety features, viral tropism, transgene, and means and modes of transmission. These risks were weighed against the potential risks and benefits of current HIV medications. RESULTS: We recommend the following post-exposure prophylactic treatment for significant lentiviral vector exposures: 1) dolutegravir 50 mg. taken once a day for 7 days; and 2) tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg. taken once a day for 7 days (28 days of both medications for replication-competent vectors). CONCLUSIONS: Due to the highly efficient delivery of transgenes by modern lentiviral and retroviral vectors, post-exposure prophylaxis is indicated to prevent vector integration and oncogenic risks.

Role and Value of the Corporate Medical Director.

ABSTRACT: The role of the Corporate Medical Director (CMD) has received increased attention during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued to evolve. This updated guidance addresses the role and value of the CMD in: health policy, strategy, and leadership; fostering a culture of health and well-being; supporting worker health and productivity/performance; addressing mental health; collaborating on employer benefits design; developing programs for global health, travel medicine, and remote/extreme environments; overseeing on- and near-site clinics; incorporating digital technology, artificial intelligence, and telehealth in health programs; supporting critical incident preparedness and business continuity planning; addressing workplace hazards; and overseeing periodic executive health examinations.

Role and Value of the Corporate Medical Director.

: The role of the corporate medical director (CMD) has evolved over the last 300 years since Ramazzini first identified diseases of Italian workers in the early 1700s. Since then, there has been a gradual blurring of the boundaries between private and workplace health concerns. Today's CMD must have intimate knowledge of their corporation's industry and the businesses that they support, particularly the occupational and environmental programs that comply with all local, state, and/or national standards and regulations. Leading companies not only measure compliance with such standards but also may hold programs to their own internal corporate global standards even if these go beyond local government requirements. This document will explore in greater depth the strength and importance that the CMD brings to the business operations to support a healthy, engaged, and high performing workforce. Part 1 describes the role and value of the CMD, while Part 2 provides collective wisdom for the new CMD from current and past highly experienced CMDs.

Risks Associated With Lentiviral Vector Exposures and Prevention Strategies.

Lentiviral vectors (LVVs) are powerful genetic tools that are being used with greater frequency in biomedical laboratories and clinical trials. Adverse events reported from initial clinical studies provide a basis for risk assessment of occupational exposures, yet many questions remain about the potential harm that LVVs may cause. We review those risks and provide a framework for principal investigators, Institutional Biosafety Committees, and occupational health professionals to assess and communicate the risks of exposure to staff. We also provide recommendations to federal research and regulatory agencies for tracking LVV exposures to evaluate long-term outcomes. U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved antiviral drugs for HIV have theoretical benefits in LVV exposures, although evidence to support their use is currently limited. If treatment is appropriate, we recommend a 7-day treatment with an integrase inhibitor with or without a reverse transcriptase inhibitor within 72 hours of exposure.

Integrating health and safety in the workplace: how closely aligning health and safety strategies can yield measurable benefits.

OBJECTIVE: To better understand how integrating health and safety strategies in the workplace has evolved and establish a replicable, scalable framework for advancing the concept with a system of health and safety metrics, modeled after the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. METHODS: Seven leading national and international programs aimed at creating a culture of health and safety in the workplace were compared and contrasted. RESULTS: A list of forty variables was selected, making it clear there is a wide variety of approaches to integration of health and safety in the workplace. CONCLUSION: Depending on how well developed the culture of health and safety is within a company, there are unique routes to operationalize and institutionalize the integration of health and safety strategies to achieve measurable benefits to enhance the overall health and well-being of workers, their families, and the community.

A summary of meeting proceedings on addressing variability around the cut point in serial interferon-γ release assay testing.

On June 13, 2012, a group of key stakeholders, leaders, and national experts on tuberculosis (TB), occupational health, and laboratory science met in Atlanta, Georgia, to focus national discussion on the higher than expected positive results occurring among low-risk, unexposed healthcare workers undergoing serial testing with interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs). The objectives of the meeting were to present the latest clinical and operational research findings on the topic, to discuss evaluation and treatment algorithms that are emerging in the absence of national guidance, and to develop a consensus on the action steps needed to assist programs and physicians in the interpretation of serial testing IGRA results. This report summarizes its proceedings.

Advancing workplace health protection and promotion for an aging workforce.

OBJECTIVE: To explore issues related to the aging workforce, including barriers to integrating health protection and promotion programs, and provide recommendations for best practices to maximize contributions by aging workers. METHODS: Workgroups reviewed literature and case studies to develop consensus statements and recommendations for a national approach to issues related to older workers. RESULTS: Consensus statements and actions steps were identified for each of the Summit goals and call-to-action statements were developed. CONCLUSIONS: A national dialogue to build awareness of integrated health protection and promotion for the aging workforce is needed. Workers will benefit from improved health and performance; employers will realize a more engaged and productive workforce; and the nation will gain a vital, competitive workforce.

Overview of selected infectious disease risks for the corporate traveler.

International business travel to under-developed and developing countries has increased considerably over the past two decades. Most of these destinations are endemic to a variety of infectious diseases, many of which are associated with considerable morbidity, mortality, or both and the nonimmune, unprepared corporate traveler is at risk. Comprehensive pretravel consultation is essential to prevent travel-related illness. This review addresses some of the infectious diseases that can be acquired during international travel, including regions of endemicity, assessment of risk, and available means of prevention. In addition, we discuss data concerning current practices and attitudes of travelers, along with some of the issues surrounding the counseling of corporate travelers.