What is Disease X? New disease deadlier than COVID-19 sparks fear of next pandemic

 Disease X, where  X stands for unexpected, is reportedly an unknown virus that can reportedly spread as fast as the novel coronavirus and has a fatality rate of 50-90 percent as the Ebola virus. 

The scientist who discovered the Ebola virus in 1976 has warned against an unknown number of new and potentially fatal viruses faced by humanity, among which is a deadly disease called 'Disease X'. 

What is Disease X?

Disease X, where  X stands for unexpected, is reportedly an unknown virus that can reportedly spread as fast as the novel coronavirus and has a fatality rate of 50-90 percent as the Ebola virus. 

According to the World Health Organization, Disease X is still hypothetical but could spiral into a deadly pandemic.

Where has 'Disease X' originated from?

•A woman from a remote town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, identified as Ingende, was found suffering from symptoms of a hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola, which could have been caused by an unidentified deadly pathogen.

•The woman was tested for multiple diseases including Ebola but they all tested negative, which has sparked fears that her illness may be caused by 'Disease X'.

•According to Professor Jean-Jacques Muyembe Tamfum, the scientist who helped discover the Ebola virus in 1976, we are now in a world where new pathogens will come out and that is what constitutes a threat for humanity. He added saying that these new viruses could be much deadlier than COVID-19.

•The scientist stated that many diseases such as influenza, yellow fever, rabies and even COVID-19 began from animal to human transmission, adding that such incidences are common and could cause epidemics and pandemics in the future. Disease X may also similarly be thriving inside animals at the moment. 

•Professor Jean-Jacques Muyembe Tamfum is the head of the National Institute of Biomedical Research in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The institute is backed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation.  

•These labs are generally the first ones to detect new diseases. 

Background 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) had published its global plan in 2018 for accelerating research and development during health emergencies. The "Disease X" was also included in WHO's 2018 R&D Blueprint, which prioritized nine diseases for research and development including Nipah, Ebola virus disease, COVID-19, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever and Zika virus. All these diseases do not have an effective drug or vaccine.