The world has been grappling with an unprecedented crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in numerous fatalities. Although the initial outbreak was eventually brought under control after three years, researchers are now raising concerns about the emergence of another epidemic.
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning that the next pandemic could potentially be deadlier than Covid.
Well-known diseases such as Ebola, SARS, and Zika have raised concerns in the past, but the possibility of an unknown disease, referred to as “Disease X,” causing a devastating epidemic remains a point of worry. “Disease X” represents a hypothetical and unidentified disease that could potentially trigger a future epidemic or pandemic, according to Reuters.
Dr. Pranab Chatterjee, a researcher from the Department of International Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, emphasizes that there is a genuine possibility of an epidemic caused by Disease X. Global medical professionals are advocating for increased funding to support surveillance and research on potential pandemic agents, aiming to prevent and effectively respond to a Disease X outbreak, told the National Post.
The Covid pandemic is not the first global health emergency humanity has faced, and indications suggest that it may not be the last. The WHO underscores the urgent need to prepare for the next pandemic promptly. Reports indicate that the forthcoming pandemic could be equally devastating, if not more so, than the Covid pandemic. Some reports even suggest that the mortality rate associated with the next pandemic could surpass that of Covid.
