As COVID-19 has become an ongoing and familiar health concern, healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom are now gearing up for a potential new pandemic referred to as "Disease X." These healthcare experts have issued a warning that this new virus has the potential to be just as devastating as the Spanish Flu of 1918-1920.
Health experts are now raising alarms about "Disease X" following the terminology coined by the World Health Organization. They are cautioning that this potential new pandemic could result in 20 times more fatalities than the coronavirus.
In 2020, the world witnessed the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, which tragically claimed the lives of over 2.5 million people worldwide.
Kate Bingham, who served as the chairperson of the UK's Vaccine Taskforce from May to December 2020, expressed her belief to the Daily Mail that Disease X could prove to be significantly more perilous than COVID-19.
Estimates from experts suggest that Disease X has the potential to result in approximately 50 million fatalities. Bingham stated, "To put it in perspective, the 1918-19 flu pandemic claimed the lives of at least 50 million people worldwide, double the casualties of World War I. Today, we could anticipate a similar death toll from one of the many viruses that already exist."
Bingham emphasized the need for global preparedness through mass vaccination campaigns delivered at an unprecedented pace.
She pointed out that while scientists have identified 25 virus families encompassing thousands of individual viruses, there may still be millions of undiscovered viruses with pandemic potential. These viruses could evolve into global health threats.
Bingham highlighted the role of luck in dealing with COVID-19, noting that despite causing over 20 million deaths worldwide, the majority of infected individuals managed to recover. She warned that Disease X, if as infectious as measles and as deadly as Ebola (with a 67% fatality rate), could lead to devastating consequences once it starts spreading.
Bingham attributed the increase in outbreaks to the growing trend of urbanization, with more people congregating in urban areas. She also emphasized that ongoing destruction of natural habitats contributes to the emergence of infectious diseases, as around three-quarters of such diseases originate in animals and then cross species barriers to infect humans.
According to Bingham, one of the initial steps required is to allocate the necessary financial resources, emphasizing the importance of "putting money on the table." She highlighted that the cost of inaction is immense, citing the example of COVID-19, which, despite being milder than Disease X, left a staggering $16 trillion bill in terms of lost output and public health expenditure.