Disease X Pandemic Is Ready To Destroy Millions Of Lives And We Can’t Stop It
It’s been less than a year since the U.S. Government announced the end of the global COVID-19 pandemic, and now, the World Health Organization (WHO) is warning us against a new viral threat. Disease X has the potential to kill upwards of 50 million people and the WHO is not prepared.
At the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, made it clear that unless an international consensus is made, the next pandemic could be even worse than the last one.
What Is Disease X?
While this is stark news, it’s not time to panic… yet. Disease X is the placeholder name for an unidentified virus. While experts fear it could be 20 times deadlier than COVID-19, it technically doesn’t exist.
The problem is it likely will exist one day. And unless the WHO creates a plan to deal with it now, Disease X could destroy millions of lives.
Global Support Is Crucial
The urgency of the situation was underscored during a panel discussion titled “Preparing for Disease X,” where health experts highlighted the need for global cooperation to enhance preparedness and response mechanisms. Shyam Bishen, Head of the Centre for Health and Healthcare at the World Economic Forum, posed crucial questions, emphasizing the importance of preparing health systems for the next pandemic.Ghebreyesus urged leaders worldwide to support the WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty, initiated in 2021 to foster international consensus on handling future pandemics. He stressed that a shared response is essential, drawing parallels with the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Saying, “The key to being better prepared and to address Disease X is the pandemic agreement,” Ghebreyesus emphasized that without an agreed plan, the world could face the events of COVID-19 all over again.
What’s In The Treaty?
The WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty aims to establish an all-encompassing approach, strengthening global capacities and resilience to future pandemics, including the hypothetical Disease X. This includes improving international cooperation on alert systems, data-sharing, research, and the production and distribution of medical counter-measures such as vaccines, medicines, diagnostics, and protective equipment.
However, concerns loom over the fate of the treaty as leaders from various countries must reach a consensus before the May 2024 deadline. Kate Bingham, former chair of the UK’s Vaccine Taskforce, expressed the gravity of the situation, drawing parallels with the devastating 1918-19 flu pandemic that claimed at least 50 million lives worldwide. She stressed the need for different prototype vaccines for every threatening virus family, ensuring rapid adaptation to specific features of Disease X.
Likely To Originate From Animals
Experts, including Dr. Jenny Harries, the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, claim we need to prepare for what will likely be the zoonotic nature of Disease X. This means that, like COVID-19, it will originate from animals. Harries stated that while we can’t predict exactly what Disease X will be, we can make educated guesses and prepare for certain virus families.
Disease X Is Inevitable
While the United States has declared that we are no longer in a state of emergency regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the danger from this virus is far from over. Now, with Disease X on the horizon, it’s more important than ever that the world come to a consensus to prepare for what the WHO is calling inevitable in an ever-evolving landscape of infectious diseases.Source: Daily Express
