According to the World Health Organisation, 'Disease X' is a hypothetical future international epidemic caused by a pathogen as yet unknown to cause human disease. But despite it being a hypothetical disease, 'Disease X' could be 20 times more deadly than the COVID-19 virus. The topic has also made it into the agenda of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week. So what exactly is Disease X? And how can we prepare for its potential outbreak? On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Professor Dale Fisher, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Senior Consultant, National University Hospital, about this looming disease.

 

Highlights:
1. What exactly is Disease X? - 1:39

2. Should we be concerned? - 3:24

3. How can countries enhance their preparedness and create robust systems to effectively manage any potential breakouts? - 4:26

4. What critical areas do you believe should be added to improve global readiness for future pandemics? - 9:38

5. Looking ahead, what kind of preparations would be required for an effective response to possible infectious threats, and how can countries like Singapore proactively prepare for such? - 11:25

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