Disease X: A Call for Global Preparedness Hijacked by Unmoderated Social

In January, the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos Switzerland convened a panel to discuss strategies to prevent the threat of future global pandemics. Coined Disease X by the World Health Organization (WHO), the hypothetical disease, posited to be 20 times deadlier than COVID-19, served as a framework to proactively construct a plan of action to combat its spread and prepare the global health system if it were to emerge as a pandemic. 

The WEF panel brought together luminaries in global health including the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Brazil’s Minister of Health, and health technology, hospital system and pharmaceutical executives. Panelists stated the need for an early-warning system and a plan for health infrastructure as well as the need for transparency – reflecting the hard-earned lessons gained from the COVID-19 pandemic. Panelists also noted the deep distrust between politicians, public health practitioners, infectious disease physicians and the general public from the COVID-19 experience and portend the skepticism of the global public health infrastructure from unmoderated social media that is rife today.

Unmoderated social, already leery of the public health restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and the science underpinning thereof, jumped to unmoderated social shortly after the panel’s announcement to spread conspiracy theories that generally take the form of a globalist elite unleashing Disease X on the world to reimpose lockdowns/sway the 2024 U.S. Presidential election/depopulate the earth/force the mass vaccination/enrich multinational Big Pharma allies and cause millions of deaths. 

According to Pyrra’s AI, mentions of Disease X and WEF among unmoderated social media spiked shortly after the WEF’s January 17 panel was announced, with most posts containing negative language. While unmoderated social interest in the topic has waned over the past two weeks, future efforts to strengthen global public health (or frankly any splashy headline made by the WEF) will likely reignite a disinformation campaign against the WEF from unmoderated social media. 

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Genesis of Disease X

In 2022, the WHO convened 300 scientists to study 25 virus families and bacteria and create a list of pathogens that they believe have the potential to wreak havoc. Among the entries on that final list was Disease X, which was first recognized by the organization in 2018, and “[represented] the knowledge that a serious international epidemic could be caused by [an unknown] pathogen.” For the purpose of the exercise, Disease X was modeled to be 20 times deadlier than COVID-19 – a figure rooted in the experience of previous global pandemics, such as the 1918 Spanish flu, which infected an estimated 33% of the world’s population and resulted in 50 million deaths according to the Cleveland Clinic (global deaths from COVID-19 are estimated to top 7 million). 

Such disaster planning is routine, as public health professionals “have always conducted thought experiments and tabletop exercises to prepare for pandemics… [and] serve the vital function of identifying strengths and weaknesses, as well as highlighting important aspects of a response that merit further refinement”. Indeed, this exercise was prompted after the Ebola outbreak in west Africa killed more than 11,300 people between 2014 and 2016 and included a concerted effort by the WHO and other health experts to discover and surveil deadly diseases, ramp up research and bolster clinical trials. 

The January 17 panel was convened at the WEF to further discuss the need for global collaboration and adequate funding to improve pandemic preparedness for a Disease X-type episode. Among the panel’s recommendation was the need for countries around the world to sign on to the WHO’s pandemic treaty, which was designed to help countries better pool resources and improve coordination for a pandemic response. 

The announcement of the WEF seminar ignited heated debate, especially among the far right on both mainstream and unmoderated social media channels. Conspiracy theorists immediately manipulated the WEF/WHO’s pandemic preparation into a globalist plot to intentionally release the disease in pursuit of world domination (again, Disease X is a theoretical construct and no current virus is known to exist). Users on unmoderated social, fueled by misinformation by high-profile individuals from the right-wing extremists, have amplified such falsehoods as evidence of, and animus towards, the purported nefarious intent of the World Economic Forum. 

Mainstream voices add fuel to Disease X misinformation outrage

With the announcement of the WEF’s January 17 panel, many public figures on the far right signaled their distrust of Disease X and WEF efforts and highlighted many of globalist conspiracy narratives espoused on unmoderated social. 

Donald Trump Jr. referred to the panel in an Instagram post when he wrote “I don’t trust the WEF clowns as far as I could throw them… They’re already talking about Disease X. Be prepared for whatever they throw you by checking out The Wellness Company, one of my triggered podcast’s newest sponsors!!!!” and promptly peddled an “emergency medical kit” containing ivermectin and sells for $299.99. 

Similarly, Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist behind InfoWars, claimed in a January 17 post on X that there is a “Globalist Plan to Launch #DiseaseX to Install World Government” and said “Disease X is coming. But it isn’t some chaotic pandemic we must manage. It is a genocidal kill weapon agreed upon by the worst members of humanity”. Jones’ post furthered a common extremist conspiracy theory that a sinister cabal of global elites is controlling the world. 

Monica Crowley, a former Trump-era Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Treasury Department and Fox News analyst, tweeted on X “unelected globalists at the World Economic Forum will hold a panel on a future pandemic 20x deadlier than COVID starring the head of the WHO (which is essentially controlled by the Chinese Communist Party) and the Chair of the Board of AstraZeneca…” “[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”. 

Unmoderated Social has amplified Disease X misinformation

Following the announcement of the Disease X panel at the WEF, many users on unmoderated social began spreading disinformation and unfounded conspiracy theories. Pyrra’s AI detected just nominal mentions of Disease X and WEF in the months preceding the announcement of the panel but beginning January 10, mentions spiked. Nearly all of the posts on unmoderated social referencing Disease X are undergirded by contempt (or outright hostility) towards the WEF and has been a hallmark unmoderated social’s response to WEF activities.

Some users on unmoderated social also question whether Disease X is a globalist fear-mongering tactic intended to promote vaccination campaigns or influence the 2024 U.S. elections.

But by far the most popular Disease X narrative centers around a prepared pandemic that is set to be unleashed by the WEF/globalists designed to: 

1.     inflict mass deaths
2.     impose a new global vaccine or lockdown mandates      
3.     enrich Big Pharma      
4.     influence the 2024 US elections and/or 
5.     further some other supposed sinister goal of the WEF/global cabal. 

Given the serious nature of allegations, many of the posts direct violence (often graphic and torturous violence) towards leaders of the WEF and supposed leaders of the “global cabal”. 

Unmoderated social media users will continue to attack WEF efforts and leadership

Given the animus aimed towards the WEF and other entities advocating for greater global coordination across the unmoderated social ecosystem, disinformation and conspiracy theories are expected to remain a constant and unrelenting threat. 

While Disease X is the current topic du jour among users, similar experiences from continuing WEF advocacy efforts for greater environmental stewardship, a global COVID-19 response and greater global coordination, among a myriad of other issues, will guarantee that the WEF will continue to be a target across unmoderated social. Unfortunately, there’s little the organization can do to change the minds of conspiracy theorists who are convinced the WEF is at the center of the global cabal.  Attempts to refute disinformation will only lead to further convince believers that the WEF is guilty. Given this situation, the WEF should weigh the pros and cons of its leadership on certain global issues going forward and strengthen its ability to quickly identify emerging narratives and potential actionable threats towards WEF stakeholders and leadership. 

Pyrra’s goal is to make the internet and the world a safer place by identifying and combating hate speech, violent threats, reputation risk and brand damage across the unmoderated and alternative corners of the internet. Should your team need support in monitoring or identifying threats or trends online, please contact us at sales@pyrratech.com.