The Saudi Ministry of Health reassured citizens and expatriates in the Kingdom that there is no cause for concern over the recent statements of the World Health Organization (WHO) pertaining to Disease X. “We are watching for any health challenges,” the ministry said in a statement while noting that the warning about this unknown disease is among the WHO routine warnings about such epidemics that that may occur in the future. The WHO warnings about Disease X, a hypothetical virus 20 times deadlier than COVID-19, came during the 2024 Davos World Economic Forum and earlier. The world leaders gathered in Davos last Wednesday to discuss Disease X. The ministry drew attention to the fact that such news and warnings are repeated every year, and that the ministry is constantly watching and fully prepared to face any health challenges. “What the WHO is calling for, and what scientists have called for in the past decades, comes to motivate health systems and countries in general to raise their capabilities to monitor and confront epidemics, and deal with them with the least possible losses,” the statement said. The ministry stated that repeated advisories are being issued on an annual basis to underline the fact that humans are frequently exposed to epidemics because they coexist with a large number of viruses and germs, saying that they are constantly changing, making it difficult to predict the types of epidemics and their times of occurrence. “The unknown disease that may occur in the future is called Disease X, and that is the unknown disease. These viruses and germs exist in nature, and for reasons - known only to God - they are able to penetrate natural barriers and infect humans. But most epidemics do not turn into pandemics, and general pandemics such as COVID-19 are very rare, and we are in watch for any health challenges,” the statement added.