Sep 26, 2023
FILMIPOPDisease X refers to a hypothetical, unidentified disease that could potentially cause a future epidemic or pandemic.
Image Source: Canva
The term 'Disease X' was coined by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2018 as a placeholder for any unknown pathogen that could emerge and pose a global health threat.
Image Source: Canva
Disease X is believed to be more hazardous and at least twenty times deadlier than the coronavirus.
Image Source: Canva
The outbreak of this disease is a probability and the world needs to prepare itself in advance if it is to survive.
Image Source: Canva
The disease can cause deaths of around 50 million people and more globally.
Image Source: Canva
It could have the same devastating effects as the Spanish flu of 1918-19202.
Image Source: Canva
Scientists have been aware of 25 virus families, each of which has thousands of different viruses with the potential to cause a great pandemic.
Image Source: Canva
We will be experiencing more of these viral outbreaks in the coming years mainly because of three reasons- globalisation, overpopulation, and habitat destruction.
Image Source: Canva
In order to combat virus outbreaks that can lead to pandemics, we need to develop “a collection of different prototype vaccines for every threatening virus family that we know about.”
Image Source: Canva
Scientists are studying different animal species and the viruses they might carry, trying to figure out which viruses could jump from animals to humans and cause major problems.
Image Source: Canva