Question: How might the COVID-19 pandemic affect essential Tuberulosis services?

Answer passage (source: WHO):
page_title: Q&A: Tuberculosis and COVID-19
section_headers: How can health authorities ensure supplies of tuberculosis medicines and diagnostics?
section_content: Appropriate planning and monitoring are essential to ensure that procurement
and supply of tuberculosis (TB) medicines and diagnostics are not interrupted.  
WHO is monitoring medicine supply at the global level, while The Global Fund,
the Stop TB Partnership Global Drug Facility (GDF), USAID, Unitaid and other
donors play an essential role in supporting countries to secure adequate and
sustainable supplies of TB medicines, drugs and diagnostics.
Countries are advised to place their orders for 2020 delivery as soon as
possible given anticipated delays in transport and delivery mechanisms.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Describes plans to make sure that the coronavirus pandemic doesn't interrupt tuberculosis treatment.
The answer directly talks about what might happen with TB services because of the virus.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Excellent

Answer passage (source: WHO):
page_title: Q&A: Tuberculosis and COVID-19
section_headers: How can we protect people seeking tuberculosis care during the COVID-19 pandemic?
section_content: In a context of widespread restriction of movement of the population in
response to the pandemic and isolation of COVID-19 patients, communication
with the healthcare services should be maintained so that people with
tuberculosis (TB), especially those most vulnerable, get essential services.
This includes management of adverse drug reactions and co-morbidities,
nutritional and mental health support, and restocking of the supplies of
medicines.
Enough TB medicines will need to be dispensed to the patient or caregiver to
last until the next visit. This will limit interruption or unnecessary visits
to the clinic. Mechanisms to deliver medicines at home and even to collect
specimens for follow-up testing may become expedient. Home-based TB treatment
is bound to become more common. Alternative arrangements to reduce clinic
visits may involve limiting appointments to specific times to avoid exposure
to other clinic attendees; using digital technologies to maintain treatment
support. Community health workers become more critical as treatment is more
decentralized.
More TB patients will probably start their treatment at home and therefore
limiting the risk of household transmission of TB during the first few weeks
is important.
Vulnerable populations who have poor access to healthcare should not get
further marginalized during the pandemic.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Detailed discussion of how to make sure that tuberculosis treatment isn't interrupted during the pandemic.
The answer talks about what will happen with TB services such as medications and treatments during the pandemic.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Excellent

Answer passage (source: WHO):
page_title: Q&A: Tuberculosis and COVID-19
section_headers: What is the potential impact of COVID-19 pandemic on essential tuberculosis services?
section_content: Modelling work suggests that if the COVID-19 pandemic led to a global
reduction of 25% in expected TB detection for 3 months – a realistic
possibility given the levels of disruption in TB services being observed in
multiple countries – then we could expect a 13% increase in TB deaths,
bringing us back to the levels of TB mortality that we had 5 years ago. This
may even be a conservative estimate as it does not factor in other possible
impacts of the pandemic on TB transmission, treatment interruptions and poorer
outcomes in people with TB and COVID-19 infection (Predicted impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic on global tuberculosis deaths in 2020, P.
Glaziou).
Between 2020 and 2025 an additional 1.4 million TB deaths could be registered
as a direct consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic (Stop TB Partnership
analysis).  
All measures should be taken to ensure continuity of services for people who
need preventive and curative treatment for tuberculosis (TB).

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Suggests that even a 25% reduction in TB detection could erase the last five years of progress in reducing the disease's prevalence.
The answer talks about what measures will be taken during the pandemic to stop TB levels from rising.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Excellent