WHO prepares the world for an unknown “Disease X”
18 January 2024 16:24
The world must prepare for future unknown diseases. This was stated to delegates in Davos by the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adanom Ghebreyesus, reports 
with reference to The Guardian.
The WHO director general explained that the idea of the so-called disease X is not new – the organisation has been using this term since 2018. It is used to describe “a disease that we do not know about, but which may occur”.
Ghebreyesus says that the WHO was preparing in a similar way for a Covid-like virus before the 2020 pandemic:
You could even call Covid the first X disease, and it could happen again.
Some people say this will cause panic, but that’s not true, adds Gebreisus:
“It’s better to anticipate what might happen and prepare for it. We should not face things unprepared. We can prepare for some unknowns.
Such preparation, he says, includes an early warning system, as well as systems that can be deployed when there is an urgent need for more medical space and manpower.
