Integrated testing for TB and COVID-19.

Integrated testing for TB and COVID-19 may help find those TB patients who are not accessing care in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some molecular platforms with assays for both diseases are already commercially available; however, integrated testing approaches need to be systematically evaluated to ensure their appropriate implementation.
Competing Interests: E.L.M., L.V.C., C.U.G., and M.P. declare no competing interests. M.R. is an employee of FIND. FIND is a not-for-profit foundation whose mission is to find diagnostic solutions to overcome diseases of poverty in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It works closely with the private and public sectors and receives funding from some of its industry partners. It has organizational firewalls to protect it against any undue influences in its work or the publication of its findings. All industry partnerships are subject to review by an independent scientific advisory committee or another independent review body, based on due diligence, TTPs and public sector requirements. FIND catalyzes product development, leads evaluations, takes positions, and accelerates access to tools identified as serving its mission. It provides indirect support to industry (e.g., access to open specimen banks, a clinical trial platform, technical support, expertise, laboratory capacity strengthening in LMICs) to facilitate the development and use of products in these areas. FIND also supports the evaluation of publicly prioritized TB assays and the implementation of WHO-approved (guidance and performance qualification [PQ]) assays using donor grants. In order to carry out test evaluations, FIND has product evaluation agreements with several private sector companies for TB and other diseases, which strictly defines its independence and neutrality vis-à-vis the companies whose products get evaluated and describes roles and responsibilities.
(© 2022 Elsevier Inc.)