The Saudi Ministry of Health issued a reassuring message to citizens and residents today, Wednesday, regarding rumors about an upcoming disease referred to as X. The ministry stated that comments made by the World Health Organization during the Davos Forum about a serious new disease named X, which could be more deadly than COVID-19, represent a hypothetical scenario and simulation of potential future events. They emphasized that the issue is not as serious as the context in which it was presented.
The ministry noted that such news recurs annually and underscored their constant vigilance and preparedness for any unknown future threats. They explained that the calls made by the World Health Organization and scientists over the past decades are intended to motivate health systems and countries in general to enhance their capabilities for monitoring and confronting epidemics, aiming to handle them with minimal losses.
Furthermore, they reiterated that the annual message is that humanity is susceptible to epidemics "because we coexist with a large number of viruses and bacteria" that are constantly evolving, making it difficult to predict the types of epidemics and their timing. The unknown disease that may occur in the future is termed "Disease X," referring to a disease that is currently unknown.
