Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jun 2;115(6):579-582.
doi: 10.1093/trstmh/trab025.

Experiences, challenges and looking to the future in a clinical tuberculosis cohort in the time of COVID-19 in the Philippines

Julius Patrick Ferrer  1 , Shuichi Suzuki  2 , Cristelyn Alvarez  1 , Clarinda Berido  1 , Michelle Caballero  1 , Bliss Caraig  1 , Paul Ian Flores  1 , Romil Jeffrey Juson  1 , Ann Lustresano  1 , Trivon Opinion  1 , Michelle Saavedra  1 , Ares Verde  1 , Benjamin N Faguer  2 , Sharon E Cox  2   3   4 , Juan A Solon  1
Affiliations

Experiences, challenges and looking to the future in a clinical tuberculosis cohort in the time of COVID-19 in the Philippines

Julius Patrick Ferrer et al. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. .

Abstract

A cohort study of Filipino tuberculosis patients is currently undergoing data collection amidst the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. In this article we present the current experiences, challenges and obstacles of our team during this period as we attempt to fulfil our roles and responsibilities in Metro Manila, Cebu and Negros Occidental in the Philippines. Each site had different lockdown restrictions and experienced problems to different degrees. The underlying themes were similar, covering the supply chain, mobility, communication, physical and mental health and disruption of health services due to reallocation of staff. While we maximized the use of mobile devices, logistical challenges remained. Institutional support for the field teams, creative problem solving and resilience are required to adapt in a rapidly changing environment.

Keywords: COVID-19; clinical study; diabetes; health services accessibility; malnutrition; tuberculosis.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Cox S. ISRCTN16347615. The effect of malnutrition and diabetes on outcomes for drug-resistant and drug sensitive patients starting anti-tuberculosis treatment. Available from: http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN16347615 [accessed 1 June 2020].
    1. Republic of the Philippines Department of Health . COVID-19 tracker. Available from: https://www.doh.gov.ph/covid19tracker [accessed 24 August 2020].
    1. Villanueva AMG, Lazaro J, Sayo AR et al. COVID-19 screening for healthcare workers in a tertiary infectious diseases referral hospital in Manila, the Philippines. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020;103(3):1211–4. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Labrague LJ, De Los, Santos JAA. COVID-19 anxiety among front-line nurses: predictive role of organisational support, personal resilience and social support. J Nurs Manag. 2020;28(7):1653–61. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Tee ML, Tee CA, Anlacan JP et al. Psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. J Affect Disord. 2020;277:379–91. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types