cover story Preparing for Pathogen X By Kelly M . Pyrek
cover story Preparing for Pathogen X By Kelly M . Pyrek
The COVID-19 pandemic tested the healthcare sector ’ s preparedness and left it with lingering questions , including : What relevant scientific information did we possess before the pandemic ? Which strategies were successful , and which could be improved ? What will the next pandemic look like ? What research will facilitate identification of the next pandemic ? And what must be accomplished to prepare for possible pathogens , including unexpected or re-emerging pathogens ? ( WHO , 2022 )
These questions have been among the priorities being addressed in scientific symposia across the globe , as we know it is a matter of when – not if – another pandemic will strike . The guiding caveat of infectious disease management has been gleaning insights from lessons learned , but it is critical to get out in front of what scientists are calling Pathogen X , which causes Disease X .
As Tahir , et al . ( 2021 ) observe , “ Some experts have commented that COVID-19 , caused by severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 ( SARS-CoV-2 ), met the standards to be considered the first Disease X , while some authors have called Zika a Disease X . However , one unfortunate possibility is that COVID-19 and other recent pandemics might have been milder versions of what will eventually be the most prominent Disease X .”
Banerjee , et al . ( 2023 ) note that , “ Looking at the ongoing trends , a majority of recent catastrophic onsets have involved RNA viruses , contradictory to the fact that viral pathogens only make up a small component of the pathogens responsible for emerging infectious diseases .” They add , “ The transformation from self‐limiting emerging episodes into persistent person‐to‐person transmission is driven by a combination of improved virulence and population dynamics .”
14 november 2023 • www . healthcarehygienemagazine . com