By Melissa Goldin—
The Associated Press
A series of posts about a supposedly deadly pathogen,
called
Disease
This is false:
disease X
is not real.
This was the name given to a hypothetical pathogen used as an example to help plan for future health crises.
The name was coined by the World Health Organization in 2018. And global healthcare experts spoke this week on a forum panel called "Preparing for Disease X."
In the days leading up to Wednesday's panel on the topic, social media users began sharing a variety of posts that misrepresented supposed
disease X
and presented it as real and imminent.
[At the ultra-rich forum in Davos, top US executives bet on a Trump victory in 2024]
“
Disease
_
“Apparently 'it could have 20 times more fatalities than COVID.'
Remember… they always tell us what is coming,” the text adds.
But
disease X
does not exist
.
The WHO introduced the concept as part of its 2018 list of diseases that pose the greatest risk to public health.
Information helps guide global research and development
in areas such as vaccines, tests and treatments.
'Disease
Disease
_
_
_
An initial version of the list, which
did
not
include
disease
.
“Targeting priority pathogens and virus families for research and development of countermeasures is essential for a rapid and effective response to epidemics and pandemics,” explained Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, in the 2022 press release.
When asked for comment on false claims about
Disease X
, the WHO sent The Associated Press an updated copy of the statement, which was almost identical to the 2022 one.
[USA. falls 16 places to 43rd place on the World Economic Forum's gender parity index]
The Davos panel discussing
Disease X
on Wednesday featured global healthcare leaders, including WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus;
Nísia Trindade, Minister of Health of Brazil;
and Nancy Brown, executive director of the American Heart Association.
Under the title “Preparing for
Disease X
,” participants discussed how to prepare health systems for future pandemics and other crises.
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