Another danger looms not too far off – “Disease X.” This ominous name, coined by the World Health Organization (WHO), hints at an unknown pathogen with the potential to unleash a devastating pandemic.
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As the healthcare community gets ready for this likely disaster, specialists caution that Disease X could prove to be 20 times deadlier than COVID-19, claiming the lives of up to 50 million people worldwide.
Disease X is a term used by the WHO to imply a pathogen that is as of now obscure to cause human disease. It could be a virus, bacterium, or fungus with no known treatment.
The concept was introduced in 2018 as a recognition of the possibility of a severe international epidemic caused by an unforeseen pathogen.
Health expert Dame Kate Bingham, former chair of the UK’s Vaccine Taskforce, paints a grim picture of Disease X. She asserts that this mysterious pathogen could be substantially deadlier than COVID-19, which has already claimed nearly seven million lives worldwide.
As per Bingham’s evaluations, This Disease can possibly prompt a stunning 20 times more fatalities, amounting to around 50 million deaths.
To put this into perspective, the 1918-1919 flu pandemic, known as the Spanish Flu, claimed the lives of at least 50 million people worldwide, making it one of the deadliest pandemics in history. One of the most unsettling parts of Disease X is its true capacity for high infectivity and a high casualty rate.
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Bingham draws a chilling examination, proposing that Disease X could be basically as infectious as measles, a highly contagious disease, with a fatality rate akin to Ebola, which has a staggering fatality rate of 67 percent.
This deadly combination makes this Disease a formidable adversary, lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
It’s a scenario where, as Bingham puts it, “somewhere in the world, it’s replicating, and sooner or later, somebody will start feeling sick.” To understand the origins of Disease X, we want to dive into the dynamics of infectious diseases.
Bingham points out that a significant factor contributing to the rise of outbreaks is the increasing trend of people congregating in urban areas.
Urbanization and globalization have established an environment where pathogens can easily leap from one species to another, eventually infecting humans. As a matter of fact, roughly 3/4 of emerging infectious diseases originate in animals before making the jump to humans.
This zoonotic transmission is a concerning aspect of this Disease, as it highlights the interconnectedness of our world and the potential for pathogens to spill over from wildlife into human populations.
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One of the most critical aspects of preparing for this Disease is the development of a vaccine. As of now, there are no approved vaccines available to combat this potential threat.
Bingham emphasizes the need for scientists to create a range of prototype vaccines for different virus families. These vaccines must target the specific features of Disease X, offering the world a fighting chance in the face of this deadly adversary.
Developing vaccines against unknown pathogens is a daunting task, but it’s a race against time that we cannot afford to lose.
Bingham stresses the importance of allocating the necessary financial resources to tackle Disease X. The cost of inaction is described as “seismic,” as the world witnessed with the economic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even though COVID-19 is considered milder than Disease X, it left a staggering bill of $16 trillion in lost output and public health expenditure. Investing in preparedness is not just a matter of health but also of economic stability.
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