“They did this just before Covid-19…”: Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones rants about Disease X ahead of WEF discussion

Disease X is a placeholder name adopted by WHO in February 2018 to represent a hypothetical, unknown pathogen that could cause a future pandemic. The placeholder was adopted to ensure that planning was sufficient. Earlier, experts had claimed that Covid-19 fit the blueprint of being a pandemic that fit Disease X.

The term has remained in currency. In December 2023, Kate Bingham who chaired the UK’s vaccine taskforce in 2020, had said that Disease X had the “capacity to result in 20 times more fatalities than Covid-19”.

The World Economic Forum is set to hold a meeting to discuss a pandemic that many believe will cause 20 times more deaths than Covid-19. In the meeting titled ‘Preparing for Disease X,’ set to be held on Wednesday, January 17, a panel of international speakers are expected to discuss which “novel efforts are needed to prepare healthcare systems for the multiple challenges ahead.”

“What new efforts are needed to prepare health systems for the multiple challenges ahead, with new warnings from the World Health Organization that unknown disease X could cause 20 times more deaths than the coronavirus pandemic?” the organisation’s website says.

The participants of the discussion are the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Minister of Health of Brazil Nicia Trindade Lima, the officials of the company AstraZeneca, which develops a vaccine against coronavirus, as well as other health experts.

This led to a tirade by Alex Jones on X who floated the idea that Disease X would be a new way to control people.

What is Alex Jones saying?

Jones said in a recent video, “Now, what is disease X? That’s a name for a disease that never existed. And if you talk to the virologists and the experts, they say that’s not known for hundreds of years. And most of the diseases that they have recently found, they find later in bodies they dig up, existed before. And it’s very rare to find a new disease. So when you hear disease X, they mean the laboratory-made synthetic viruses, gain of function operations. So now they are in a crescendo with corporate media, the UN, the WF, Bill Gates, the new world order, saying that the release of a new virus is imminent and is going to happen.”

Jones went on to say that “they did this just months before they released Covid-19 that was made in the lab.”

“So when you hear disease X, that means the gain of function, the manipulation of viruses, splicing different families of viruses together, taking viruses that are only in animals,” adding that they are being made “where they’re more airborne, where they’re more communicable.”

‘A new contagion to allow them to implement a new WHO treaty’

Right-wing users have warned that preparations for Disease X could include measures similar to those that were in place during the Covid-19 pandemic. Monica Crowley, a former Fox News contributor and assistant secretary for public affairs to the Treasury Department during the Donlad Trump administration, said in a tweet that a new contagion would lead to more lockdowns by more world leaders, who would “restrict free speech and destroy more freedoms.”

“Just in time for the election, a new contagion to allow them to implement a new WHO treaty, lock down again, restrict free speech and destroy more freedoms,” Monica wrote. “Sound far-fetched? So did what happened in 2020. When your enemies tell you what they’re planning and what they’re planning FOR, believe them. And get ready.”

X previously issued a disclaimer saying Disease X “is not an actual disease” but a hypothetical one that “could cause a serious international epidemic in the future.”

WHO Health Emergencies Program executive director Michael Ryan said that targeting pathogens for research is “essential for a fast and effective epidemic and pandemic response.” “WHO is convening over 300 scientists who will consider the evidence on over 25 virus families and bacteria, as well as “Disease X.” Disease X is included to indicate an unknown pathogen that could cause a serious international epidemic. The experts will recommend a list of priority pathogens that need further research and investment. The process will include both scientific and public health criteria, as well as criteria related to socioeconomic impact, access, and equity,” the statement says.