Disease X: Could This Be The Next Pandemic And How Is The World Preparing For It?

Disease X, the possible next pandemic, deadlier than COVID-19 is once again in the spotlight after world leaders discussed it at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and a host of other experts discussed the preparedness for Disease X, which could be triggered by an yet-to-be-identified pathogen.

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Why prepare for Disease X?

"It’s better to anticipate something that may happen – because it has happened in our history many times – and prepare for it," Ghebreyesus said.

Ghebreyesus said that the WHO has already started implementing measures to prepare for another outbreak.

What is Disease X?

WHO has been warning about Disease X since 2017-18 and it doesn't specify any particular outbreak but was listed among a host of infections that could result in the next global epidemic and should be prioritised.

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The 2018 list includes COVID-19, Crimean-Cong haemorrhagic fever, Ebola virus disease and Marburg virus disease, Lassa fever, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Nipah and henipaviral diseases, Rift Valley fever, Zika and Disease X.

"Disease X represents the knowledge that a serious international epidemic could be caused by a pathogen currently unknown to cause human disease," the WHO said.

“Targeting priority pathogens and virus families for research and development of countermeasures is essential for a fast and effective epidemic and pandemic response. Without significant R&D investments prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it would not have been possible to have safe and effective vaccines developed in record time,” the WHO had said in 2022.

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Disease X vs COVID??

Despite the warnings and early preparedness, the nature of Disease X, what will cause it, and how it will affect humans is still anyone's guess.

However, most scientists believe that Disease X could be a respiratory illness like COVID-19, but much more deadly.

Though there are many unknowns, scientists are hoping that they can use the knowledge gained from combating COVID-19 to prevent the outbreak of the next pandemic.

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