The Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has issued a warning to countries to be prepared for the arrival of the new Disease X, Fox News reported.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Tedros urged nations to come together and sign a pandemic treaty that would help them prepare for the potential outbreak of this disease, which he predicts could be 20 times deadlier than COVID-19.
Health experts at the forum also warned that Disease X could have the potential to kill up to 50 million people, making it even more crucial for countries to start researching and implementing preemptive measures in advance of a known outbreak
By taking steps to prepare for Disease X in advance, healthcare officials believe that lives and costs can be saved in the future.
Tedros said that WHO is already preparing for another outbreak by establishing a pandemic fund and a "technology transfer hub" in South Africa to facilitate local vaccine production and address vaccine inequity in high and low-income countries.
What is Disease X?
Disease X is not a specific disease but is the name of a potential virus similar to COVID-19 in its devastations.
It is the name of an illness that is currently unknown but could pose a serious threat to humans around the world.
In 2018, WHO added Disease X to the list of top-priority research.
The aim is to be well informed and prepared before the outbreak of another virus and not face the same difficulties as we did with COVID-19.