Question: What protection can we afford tuberculosis patients during COVID-19 pandemic

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:
Talks about ensuring continuity of treatment to TB patients and providing home-based care.
This response is very thorough and exactly what the question is asking about when looking to protet patients with TB from COVID. Very relevant and spot on

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Excellent

Answer passage (source: WHO):
page_title: Q&A: Tuberculosis and COVID-19
section_headers: Is tuberculosis treatment different in people who have both TB and COVID-19?
section_content: In most cases tuberculosis (TB) treatment is not different in people with or
without COVID-19 infection.  
Experience on joint management of both COVID-19 infection and TB remains
limited. However, suspension of TB treatment in COVID-19 patients should be
exceptional. TB preventive treatment, treatment for drug-susceptible or drug-
resistant TB disease should continue uninterrupted to safeguard the patient’s
health, reduce transmission and prevent the development of drug-resistance.  
While treatment trials are ongoing, no medication is currently recommended for
COVID-19 and therefore no cautions on drug-drug interactions are indicated at
present. TB patients on treatment should nonetheless be asked if they are
taking any medicines, including traditional cures, that may interact with
their medication.
Effective treatments to prevent TB and to treat active TB have been scaled up
and are in use worldwide. The risk of death in TB patients approaches 50% if
left untreated and may be higher in the elderly or in the presence of
comorbidity. It is critical that TB services are not disrupted during the
COVID-19 response.  
Gathering evidence as this pandemic unfolds will be very important, while
upholding the norms of professional conduct and patient confidentiality when
handling clinical details.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Discusses managing TB treatment during the pandemic, but could provide more information about avoiding infection with coronavirus.
This response is very good at answering exactly what is being asked. They state that TB treatments should mostly remain the same as there is no current treatment available for COVID yet

Reviewer ratings:
Acceptable
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:
Recommends ensuring continuing treatment for TB patients, but doesn't discuss protective measures in detail.
This response doesn't talk about protection for TB patients at all. This is focused on giving facts and figures about the increase in TB deaths which is not what is being asked

Reviewer ratings:
Could be Improved
Could be Improved