World Economic Forum to Discuss Preparations for Hypothetical 'Disease X'

The World Health Organization warns of a potential disease far deadlier than Covid-19, sparking controversy and calls for global cooperation in pandemic preparedness.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) is set to discuss preparations for a hypothetical disease, referred to as 'Disease X', which the World Health Organization (WHO) predicts could be 20 times deadlier than Covid-19.
'Disease X' is a term coined by the WHO to represent a serious international epidemic that could be caused by a pathogen currently unknown to cause human disease.
The WHO has prioritized research into 'Disease X' alongside known diseases like COVID-19, Ebola, SARS, MERS, and Zika.
Discussion of 'Disease X' has sparked controversy on social media, with right-wing accounts criticizing the plans and drawing parallels to the measures put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The WHO is working on a scientific framework for epidemic and pandemic research preparedness, with meetings scheduled for this month and next to further develop its pathogen research programs.