Title: Prevalence-based Screening by Anti-HCV Reflex HCV Antigen Test and Accessible Post-
screening Care towards Elimination of Hepatitis C in Rural Villages
Version: 1 Date: 23 Mar 2025
Reviewer:  Joaquín Cabezas
Reviewer's report:
The authors nicely demonstrate the utility of HCV diagnosis with reflex test based on antibody
and core HCV-Ag which makes a great sense to reduce costs and improce accesibility.
Main concerns:
- Where all HCV-core Ag positive tested for HCV-ARN. Then, when treated, where they tested
with HCV core Ag to demonstrate SVR?
- Regarding screening rate, any barriers description? Important  to discuss in the manuscript
limitations.
- Data comes from 2020-2021 - is there any updated information to nowadays? or any data
regarding the impact of this study in the prevalence of hepatitis C?
- Any data on infected patients for elastografy if available?
- There is info on HBV, any on HIV?
Figures: I suggest to include a care cascade bars plot: from screening rate, to testing, testing
positive, treatment rate and SVR rate to make it ease to reference o cite the study, as well as
comparable to other strategies.
Title: Prevalence-based Screening by Anti-HCV Reflex HCV Antigen Test and Accessible Post-
screening Care towards Elimination of Hepatitis C in Rural Villages
Version: 1 Date: 23 Mar 2025
Reviewer:  Joaquín Cabezas
Reviewer's report:
The authors nicely demonstrate the utility of HCV diagnosis with reflex test based on antibody
and core HCV-Ag which makes a great sense to reduce costs and improce accesibility.
Main concerns:
- Where all HCV-core Ag positive tested for HCV-ARN. Then, when treated, where they tested
with HCV core Ag to demonstrate SVR?
- Regarding screening rate, any barriers description? Important  to discuss in the manuscript
limitations.
- Data comes from 2020-2021 - is there any updated information to nowadays? or any data
regarding the impact of this study in the prevalence of hepatitis C?
- Any data on infected patients for elastografy if available?
- There is info on HBV, any on HIV?
Figures: I suggest to include a care cascade bars plot: from screening rate, to testing, testing
positive, treatment rate and SVR rate to make it ease to reference o cite the study, as well as
comparable to other strategies.
Please review this paper.
user
Title: Prevalence-based Screening by Anti-HCV Reflex HCV Antigen Test and Accessible Post-
screening Care towards Elimination of Hepatitis C in Rural Villages
Version: 1 Date: 23 Mar 2025
Reviewer:  Joaquín Cabezas
Reviewer's report:
The authors nicely demonstrate the utility of HCV diagnosis with reflex test based on antibody
and core HCV-Ag which makes a great sense to reduce costs and improce accesibility.
Main concerns:
- Where all HCV-core Ag positive tested for HCV-ARN. Then, when treated, where they tested
with HCV core Ag to demonstrate SVR?
- Regarding screening rate, any barriers description? Important  to discuss in the manuscript
limitations.
- Data comes from 2020-2021 - is there any updated information to nowadays? or any data
regarding the impact of this study in the prevalence of hepatitis C?
- Any data on infected patients for elastografy if available?
- There is info on HBV, any on HIV?
Figures: I suggest to include a care cascade bars plot: from screening rate, to testing, testing
positive, treatment rate and SVR rate to make it ease to reference o cite the study, as well as
comparable to other strategies.
assistant