The WHO has warned about disease X, which could cause a new pandemic and be 20 times more deadly than COVID-19. Find out what disease X is, whether you should be afraid of it, and why the world is talking about a new threat

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The web is full of panic and news about the mysterious disease X, which allegedly threatens the world right now and can take 20 times more lives than COVID-19. However, the reason for the panic was not a statement about the emergence of a new virus, but an announcement on the World Economic Forum's website, which reported that at this year's forum in Davos, Switzerland, experts will also discuss potential threats and challenges associated with a possible pandemic due to "disease X." Literally, the announcement reads as follows:

"Given new warnings from the World Health Organization that an unknown 'disease X' could cause 20 times as many deaths as the coronavirus pandemic, what new efforts are needed to prepare health systems for the many challenges ahead?"

So, what is "disease X", is it worth being afraid of, and why is the world panicking about a mysterious disease - we will tell you further in the article.

What is Disease X?

Disease X is not an existing infection or virus, it is a conventional name for a potential disease that could cause a pandemic in the future. That is, it is an area of work of scientists and experts that aims to study old infections and their mutations to counter and prepare for future threats, as well as to identify new threats. This includes testing, development of vaccines and treatments.

This name first appeared in 2017, when it was introduced due to the Ebola outbreak. Thus, scientists decided to update the list of priority pathogens that can cause serious outbreaks or pandemics. The list of dangerous pathogens and infections that are subject to special monitoring and control includes some diseases and viruses that can cause disease. As of today, these are:

– - Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever

– Ebola virus

– Lassa fever

– Marburg virus;

– Nipah fever and other henipaviruses;

– Rift Valley fever;

– Zika fever;

– Eastern respiratory syndrome (ERS);

– Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS);

– COVID-19 (on the list since 2018);

– Disease X.

And in this list, disease X is not a specific disease, but an unknown infection/virus that may pose a threat to people in the future.

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Why is the world talking about the threat of disease X and should we be afraid of it?

The announcement of the forum caused a resonance in society, and hundreds of media outlets began to use loud headlines that the unknown "disease X will take 20 times more lives than the coronavirus." At the same time, supporters of conspiracy theories were quick to promote unfounded myths about an "artificially created disease" and a "deliberate attempt to limit human freedom with quarantines."

However, today there is no reason to panic, because "disease X" is a conditional threat that medicine must always be prepared for. And it is forums like the one held on January 17 in Davos that help scientists develop countermeasures. And the most striking example and proof of this is COVID-19, because preparations for this "disease X" began in 2018, and this is what helped develop a vaccine against a new strain of coronavirus in less than a year, namely in a record 326 days.

So, we can conclude that to be forewarned is to be forearmed. And one of the countermeasures that each of us can take is to take care of our own health "before" rather than "after" the disease. An auxiliary tool in this matter has always been and will be health insurance, which allows you to get quality care in case of an unexpected illness, injury or accident anywhere in the world, and also guarantees compensation for the insured person.

So, if you are planning a trip or business trip abroad, remember that health insurance is the key to your safety and financial stability in a foreign country, and neglecting it is not a justified risk at all. 

You can apply for an insurance policy from a reliable insurance agent on the Visit Ukraine website. We offer health insurance policies for Ukrainians planning a trip abroad and military risk insurance for foreigners traveling to Ukraine.

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