Question: What should be done for tuberculosis patients during the 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:
Gives detailed information for handling tuberculosis patients and ensuring service availability.
This answer is acceptable because it provides information as to what healthcare professionals should do if they have a patient with both TB and COVID, but it does not provide enough details for the answer to be classified as excellent.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Acceptable

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:
Addresses treatment plans for tuberculosis patients during the coronavirus outbreak.
This answer is excellent because it provides a lot of information as to how TB patients can be treated if they get COVID.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Excellent

Answer passage (source: WHO):
page_title: Q&A: Tuberculosis and COVID-19
section_headers: Are people with tuberculosis likely to be at increased risk of COVID-19 infection, illness and death?
section_content: While experience on COVID-19 infection in tuberculosis (TB) patients remains
limited, it is anticipated that people ill with both TB and COVID-19 may have
poorer treatment outcomes, especially if TB treatment is interrupted.
Older age, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are
linked with more severe COVID-19 and are also risk factors for poor outcomes
in TB.
TB patients should take precautions as advised by health authorities to be
protected from COVID-19 and continue their TB treatment as prescribed.
People ill with COVID-19 and TB show similar symptoms such as cough, fever and
difficulty breathing. Both diseases attack primarily the lungs and although
both biological agents transmit mainly via close contact, the incubation
period from exposure to disease in TB is longer, often with a slow onset.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Gives clear information of handling tuberculosis patients during the coronavirus pandemic.
This answer needs improvement because it does not explain what healthcare professionals need to do if a TB patient contracts COVID. It refers to TB patients with COVID, but does not provide enough information to really help someone.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Could be Improved