What is Disease X?
A few years ago, the world faced a pandemic affecting many people. Now, we're hearing about Disease X. But don't worry, Disease X isn't real. It might be in the future, though.
The World Health Organization (WHO) uses the name Disease X for a sickness we don't know about right now, but it could become a big problem later on. Simply put, Disease X is not a specific disease but rather a term given to a disease that might happen someday.
Even though Disease X doesn’t yet exist, it’s in the news.
Why is Disease X in the news?
At the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, a group of health experts talked about Disease X. The WHO has said Disease X might be more dangerous than COVID-19.
During the meeting, healthcare experts said it's really important for countries to make plans for Disease X (even if the disease is unknown). This can help save lives and money if governments start doing research and take steps to stop it before an outbreak occurs.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said some people might try to scare others about Disease X. However, he thinks it's better to get ready for it, as pandemics have happened before in history. WHO is also getting ready for any future outbreaks.
How can countries prepare for Disease X?
Countries should develop better early warning systems to detect new diseases. Health services should also be improved to better handle more patients all of a sudden. Experts worldwide are working on a plan to get ready for similar situations.
Our experience with the COVID-19 pandemic might make it easier to stop future Disease X outbreaks. The pandemic helped make new vaccines, especially ones that can be changed easily to fight new infections.
