Dafter the news ofupdate of the 2024/2028 pandemic planthese days we’re talking about again pandemic. This time he talks about it Ilaria Capua, internationally renowned virologist, scientific communicator and Italian politician known for her studies on influenza viruses and in particular on avian influenza. Here’s what she said.
“A new pandemic will arrive”
“A new pandemic will arrive”. Virologist Ilaria Capua responded with these words questions about the Covid situation and a possible new emergency during transmission The blowing air on A7. In recent weeks, in fact, many experts have been talking about the so-called ‘Disease‘, a pathology that may require countermeasures by the health systems of various countries. At this link the video of Professor Capua’s speech on La7.
What is “Disease X”
The term was coined byWorld Health Organization (WHO) For define a pathology that is still unknown. Disease (Sources: Editorial, What is Disease X?, in Economist). It therefore represents the awareness that a major international epidemic could be caused by a currently unknown pathogen and cause a public health emergency.
This is why it is essential that every nation updates its Pandemic Plans.
Covid was the first Disease
Speaking at World Economic Forum underway in DavosThe Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus he explained that “Covid was the first disease X”. Returning to a terminology used for the first time in 2018, that of “disease X”, the WHO director underlined that «every year the WHO draws up a list of emerging diseases. We included Mers, Zika, Ebola. However, we also said that there are things that could happen that we don’t know about today.”
Before Covid
«All the studies done before Covid on the emergence of a new pandemic virus placed coronaviruses in second position in a danger ranking», explains Professor Capua. «The experience we have had with other coronaviruses, such as that of SARS 1did not cause a pandemic: it infected 8000 people, causing 10% victims.
The second coronavirus to emerge is the Mers coronavirus, of the Middle East, which had dromedaries as its reservoir. This virus also came to us from a bat that infected some dromedaries, which are also an important part of Middle Eastern culture. There have been outbreaks of pneumonia linked to human-dromedary contact, even in that case with low numbers”, specifies the expert.
Disease X: are we ready to face new viruses?
«The two previous coronaviruses did not cause a pandemic. In the last century, influenza viruses have done so, which have been placed in first position by the scientific community. The term Disease, gastrointestinal or sexual: we must be prepared on multiple fronts”concludes Professor Capua.
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