After WHO Chief’s Warning, ‘Disease X’ Raises Concern

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Covid-19 posed unprecedented challenges before the world, and caused thousands of fatalities. After three years, a sense of normalcy has returned but scientists are wary of the next outbreak, especially after World health Organisation (WHO) chief’s recent statement that the world must get ready for the next pandemic, which might be “even deadlier” than Covid-19. After this remark, there is a renewed interest in the list of ‘priority disease’ on the health body’s website.

The short list has the names of the disease that could cause the next deadly pandemic. While most of the diseases are known to us – Ebola, Sars and Zika – the final entry named ‘Disease X’ has caused concern.

According to WHO website, the term “represents the knowledge that a serious international epidemic could be caused by a pathogen currently unknown to cause human disease”.

It could be a new agent – a virus, a bacterium or fungus – without any known treatments.

The WHO started using the term in 2018. And a year later, Covid-1 began to spread across the world.

For now, health experts want surveillance to be increased and additional funds provided to develop counter measures.

 

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