15 votes

Mystery ‘Disease X’ evokes fears of another pandemic

6 comments

  1. [5]
    Eji1700
    Link
    This kinda makes this seem like concern baiting. Not that this couldn’t be something but literally every disease is more dangerous if you’re severely malnourished. They also mention it’s mostly...

    All of those infected have been severely malnourished.

    This kinda makes this seem like concern baiting. Not that this couldn’t be something but literally every disease is more dangerous if you’re severely malnourished.

    They also mention it’s mostly been found in children under 5 so yeah, massive immunodeficiency

    11 votes
    1. [3]
      Sheep
      Link Parent
      I feel like this has been a trend since covid 19. I couldn't count with all my fingers and toes how many similar articles I've seen. News sites just all of a sudden started obsessing over every...

      I feel like this has been a trend since covid 19. I couldn't count with all my fingers and toes how many similar articles I've seen. News sites just all of a sudden started obsessing over every new disease discovered to farm engagement by fear mongering, since covid affected so many people in very real ways, even though finding a new infectious disease is not entirely unexpected.

      9 votes
      1. [2]
        Weldawadyathink
        Link Parent
        It’s been happening for as long as I was old enough to pay attention to the news. Covid certainly increased it, but it’s not new. Covid itself was just the next in a long line of diseases that...

        It’s been happening for as long as I was old enough to pay attention to the news. Covid certainly increased it, but it’s not new. Covid itself was just the next in a long line of diseases that some people and news freaked out about. The only difference is Covid actually turned into a pandemic. Before that it was swine flu, bird flu, Ebola, and probably many more I am forgetting.

        5 votes
        1. hobbes64
          Link Parent
          You know what's kind of related? A few times I've been to a doctor or dentist that has a television in the waiting area. It's supposed to seem informational like a morning show, but every few...

          You know what's kind of related? A few times I've been to a doctor or dentist that has a television in the waiting area. It's supposed to seem informational like a morning show, but every few minutes there is a drug commercial trying to convince you to take some pill for some rare disease or condition. Usually it features testimonials or scary details about the disease. It's maddening.

          2 votes
    2. asparagus_p
      Link Parent
      100% this is jumping on the "please not another Covid" bandwagon. After the pandemic, the new fear is that we will see another but more deadly one. Even though these fears are legitimate, the...

      100% this is jumping on the "please not another Covid" bandwagon. After the pandemic, the new fear is that we will see another but more deadly one. Even though these fears are legitimate, the media know that spreading fear generates clicks. How many stories were there on the latest Covid variant, and how many of those variants turned out to be more concerning than any other variant?

      There's a fine line between the need to share information and unnecessarily causing concern. I can't say I know where that line is, but I'm certainly starting to skim over a lot of the media's reporting of the next great pandemic threat.

      1 vote