As winter brings with it respiratory illnesses and pandemic-time practices like mask mandates, health professionals around the world are already thinking about how to prepare for the next big outbreak.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a group of health industry leaders discussed the need to prepare for the so-called “Disease X” hypothesis.
News of the panel sparked a conspiracy from right-wing accounts on social media that world leaders are opening up the next pandemic or to “restrict” free speech and reinstate mask orders. The World Health Organization says such an arrangement is intended to reduce the devastation caused in the age of Covid-19, such as the undercapacity of medical systems or the trillions of dollars lost in the economy.
Here’s what we know about Disease X and what “pandemic preparedness” means.
What is disease X?
Disease X is not a specific disease but a name given to a potential novel infectious agent.
It represents an unknown disease at the moment, but in the future it may pose a serious threat to humans. Preparedness is needed because there is a large reservoir of viruses circulating among wild animals, and humans, who lack immunity, can become a source of new infectious diseases.
In the year In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) added Disease X to its list of research-prioritized pathogens alongside deadly killers such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Ebola.
Designating this threat as “Disease X” is to prepare for a disease that does not yet have vaccines or drug treatments and could lead to a severe pandemic.
How much damage can Disease X cause?
The World Health Organization has warned that Disease X may cause 20 times more deaths than Covid-19.
COVID-19 has killed nearly seven million people worldwide. In the year By 2023, health experts warn that any new epidemic could be even more deadly – killing an estimated 50 million people worldwide.
What was the Disease X panel at Davos?
Health experts at the Davos meeting on Wednesday emphasized that preparing for Disease X could save lives and costs if countries started research and preventive measures against known outbreaks.
“Of course there are people who say this can create fear. It has happened many times in our history, so it is better to prepare for what might happen, said WHO Director-General Theodore Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who joined the panel.
He said the World Health Organization has started implementing measures to prevent another epidemic. This is an epidemic fund and “technology transfer center” in South Africa that will enable the production of vaccines locally and help overcome issues of vaccine inequity in high- and low-income countries.
Michel Demare, chairman of the board at AstraZeneca, said the company is working to conduct a review of health systems around the world to provide recommendations on how to manage the outbreak.
Apollo Hospitals Executive Vice-Chairman Preetha Reddy pointed to the discussions on inequality at the G20 forum and using technology to reach rural populations in India is a major focus of the current plan.
How do we prepare for a pandemic?
This includes international cooperation, including in research and development, as well as the development of country-level initiatives such as proactive response plans in the event of new disease outbreaks.
Such plans may include how to increase hospital capacity, increase medical supply, and adopt new technologies to support medical professionals.
The European Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends strengthening existing systems rather than developing new ones for outbreaks, and encourages testing new systems before new outbreaks occur.
Preparedness includes disease surveillance to quickly identify emerging pathogens that may turn into serious threats. Studies show that on average, at least two new viruses are discovered every year.
These measures are expected to dramatically reduce the costs associated with the outbreak. While Covid-19 has cost the world about $16 trillion, global investments of just $124 billion over five years could make the world better prepared for future pandemics, according to a study by the Gates Foundation-backed organization Save Lives. .
What is the answer?
The World Health Organization In 2018, he classified Disease X as a “placeholder”.
However, the news of the Davos panel has caused quite a stir on social media. Right-wing labels have resisted discussion of Disease X, warning that governments may impose policies such as vaccinations and masks, while some conspiracy theories suggest that governments may even create the epidemic themselves.
In a post on X a week before the summit, former Trump administration official Monica Crowley suggested that the panel indicated a premeditated outbreak.
“Just in time for the election, a new epidemic that allows them to implement a new WHO agreement, close it again, restrict free speech and destroy many freedoms,” she wrote.
However, the World Health Organization says that the designation of Disease X will allow governments to better deal with new outbreaks.