Next pandemic disease X

What Is Disease X?

According to WHO, 'Disease X' is a placeholder name to signify the unknown upcoming potential agent adopted in February 2018 and shortlisted in blueprint priority diseases.

Health experts have sounded an alarm about the global threat of the X-agent after the WHO coined this term. It is simply an unnamed agent or microbial threat that could cause a future epidemic even a pandemic and would cause 20 times more fatalities than Covid-19. Did you know, COVID-19 spread in 2020 and claimed about 2.5 million people's lives globally? 

Symptoms

Telling about the symptoms of next pandemic disease X or pandemic X is controversial and hypothetical because we are discussing the symptoms of that disease which is yet to come or maybe in carrier in this world and has not been revealed as an emerging outbreak up till now but as per previous history of pandemics scientists and medical researcher experts have something to say as per their analysis and most probably the symptoms of X are Fever, body aches, headaches, sore throats, chills, and loss of taste and smell, etc.

What will be the most probable cause of the next pandemic disease X, flourishing into a pandemic or epidemic?

Now let’s talk about how the next upcoming disease will spread globally. The viruses that infect humans are currently grouped into 21 families but the most prominent ones that would cause the next pandemic are Herpesviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Poxviridae, Adenoviridae, and Coronavirida can be a threat to global health. However, if look over the modes of transmission and way of spreading then it shows as.

Airborne: Spread through the air or respiratory transmission.

Carrier transmission: Spread from one sick person to another without showing symptoms.

Indirect contact: Transmission through vectors like insects or animal bites e.g.: Zika Virus, Dengue fever.

Bloodborne transmission: Transmitted through blood.

Vertical Transmission: From mother to child during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and childbirth.

Hope we get the right conventional information regarding Disease X and its concern but if it’s named X-unknown then how can we prepare ourselves to prevent it in the future? [Forehead wrinkles]

Developing Medical Countermeasures in the Absence of Knowledge about the Next Disease Outbreak ("DISEASE X")

-          Developing Medical countermeasures against viral families that have the potential or are most likely to cause pandemics rather than those individual microbial strains that could not pose a hazard.

-          When the vaccination is developed for one family of microbe or virus then the preparations for the next family should start immediately by modifying the previous vaccination therapies without waiting for the developing disease in the population.

-          Health and Medical organizations should give funding plans to develop countermeasures and technologies for vaccination startups against upcoming outbreaks and epidemics.

-          Collaboration between R&D, Public, and health organizations with people to better understand diagnostics, antivirals, and unidentifiable possible microbial strains which can be analyzed before months and years to cause epidemics.

The need for preparedness for the next pandemic disease X

Early detection and surveillance B. International collaboration and information sharing C. Development of vaccines and treatmentsDid you know? SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) killed over 20 million people worldwide. According to the analysts world still hasn’t prepared yet for the next upcoming outbreak.Think if COVID-19 hit us unprepared and caused a huge no. of deaths globally then what if the next X disease will come out with the same potential unknowingly? As per the report of statista.com world is still not ready for the next pandemic as they have to do.

Accepting the facts that COVID-19 hasn’t killed many or is most contagious as compared to other viruses in history like Ebola, Avian flu, and MERS. As per the scenario from the Ebola virus people died about 67%, from the Avian flu around 60%, and from MERS up to 34% deaths in the past when these viruses were at a peak. Relating this MERS virus (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) from the same family of SARS-COV-2 and health researchers and experts who were working on the vaccines and antidotes for this virus didn’t get considerable time to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as it has already done. According to the authors, the world needs to take steps to be prepared for the next upcoming X disease and its effects on global health concerns. Here, I have also focused on core points to prepare for something deadly that is yet to come!

Early Detection and Surveillance

It is critical for proactive preparedness to prioritize early detection and surveillance measures in an era where the next possible global health crisis is still unpredictable. Alert surveillance and swift identification of emerging threats empower nations to respond rapidly and effectively. The procedure for the detection and surveillance of bioactive agents should be specific and sensitive for accurate analysis to take the necessary steps to prevent outbreaks.

For advanced surveillance systems, we need advanced computer technology with healthcare support design tools, so public health and clinical staff work together to control biological threats.

International Collaboration and Information Sharing

Did you know? In 2007 nations in the World Health Assembly signed a new International Health Regulations in which they agreed to exchange information regarding any unusual event of disease and health crisis. The three main core elements are communication, collaboration, and coordination during unusual times of events before or after the outbreak. Government organizations, non-government organizations (NGOs), and international government organizations play an essential role in the exchange of information with public and health departments. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the public and economy have suffered the most. Reactions from one nation during these crises frequently affect other nations. It follows that working together rather than having each nation pursue its interests independently is more likely to produce positive results both individually and collectively. Gaps in international cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic have impeded the pace and equity of the world's recovery in the areas of research and information sharing like in vaccine development and deployment, and travel regulations, so Information sharing and international collaboration is one the influential steps to prevent and control the situation of emerging outbreak. Here, is one of the most influential and significant platforms that play a leading role in informational exchange regarding outbreaks and health crises globally like COVID-19 including WHO, CDC, MDPI (journal giving prompt facts and figures), Global Health and Data Exchange, etc.

Development of vaccines and treatment plans

 Quarantine (Isolations), better hygiene, face protection, and reduction in gathering and social activity no doubt help in flattening the curve of the pandemic but without prophylaxis treatment plans all have no value because the virus in living being can only be eradicated, prevented and killed by certain agents (antibodies) like in vaccines. Streamlining vaccination and treatment plans requires strategic coordination guided by laws, funding, and government priorities, all while maintaining flexibility. Various international organizations are working globally to resolve the issue of financial instability for vaccination research and development.

For prompt action to chase problems like outbreaks with financial instability, we have global funding organizations that play their role in promoting the development of vaccination treatment plans few examples are the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,                  “We prepare for epidemics and outbreaks by investing in novel vaccination plans to provide rapid response in global health emergencies and improvising innovational and better surveillance plans”WHO in their words,               “Globally emerging infectious diseases have declined since 2000. However, still has devastating effects on a nation's economy and can result from infectious diseases, which can also imprison people in poverty and weaken community resilience.”Others are the World Bank, GAVI global health organization, and the United Nations Organization (UNO), etc.Former UK Vaccine Taskforce chair Kate Bingham underlined the seriousness of the threat of pandemic-X, drawing comparisons to the devastating Spanish Flu of 1919–1920, which killed over 50 million people worldwide.Up until now, there have been no approved vaccines developed specifically for the upcoming disease X. However, scientists were working on their research and development of a prototype, especially for microbiological families or threatening viral families, as said by Kate Bingham.I hope you discover this information to be quite tasty and that it fulfills all your cravings for knowledge about disease X.

Conclusion

Several infectious disease outbreaks, including the ongoing threat of COVID-19, have occurred around the world in recent years, ranging from monkeypox to Crimean-Congo, hemorrhagic fever, and the deadliest one from the past, the Spanish flu, but now people and medical experts are concerned for the more upcoming deadliest outbreaks and diseases that will greatly affect the life expectancy of human race and animals on this earth planet. As time passes, no doubt the human race is making efforts to chase more advanced technology and medical health services to overcome the new hurdles in the form of diseases that will be yet to come or are still controversial, as belief about X.