As the travel, cruise, and hospitality industries continue to thrive in the post COVID years, there is also an awareness and commitment to remaining vigilant. Indeed, the World Health Organization (WHO) urges preparedness for Disease X. This term is used by WHO to refer to a hypothetical, unknown pathogen that could cause a future epidemic or pandemic. The concept of Disease X is meant to represent a disease that emerges unexpectedly and has the potential to spread widely and cause significant health, social, and economic impacts. Fortunately, there is no virus or bacteria circulating right now that is causing pandemic worries but the term Disease X itself serves as a reminder of the unpredictability of pandemics and the necessity of maintaining vigilance and readiness for novel infectious diseases.
“As public health experts, COLUMBIA pure greatly values prevention, planning, and quick response to public health alerts and crises,” says Kaitlyn West, Head of Public Health and Quality for COLUMBIA blue. “As part of our services, we generate tailor-made outbreak prevention and response plans, which can focus on the collection of data for outbreak prevention. Our plans focus on disease modelling so that businesses can be alerted to the potential for an outbreak before one is present. To ensure a business keeps running, our public health services have the ability to rapidly expand capacity in the event of an outbreak or public health emergency.”
The travel, cruise, and hospitality industries are all learning from past outbreaks to improve the global response to future emerging infectious diseases — with a leading role played by the scientific and global public health communities.
Worldwide, there are efforts to stimulate research into generic solutions, including: platforms for rapid vaccine development and broad-spectrum antiviral drugs; global disease surveillance and early detection systems for identifying and responding to emerging threats; and the development of resilient health systems that can quickly adapt to and manage new disease outbreaks.
It’s particularly important to promote international collaboration and information sharing to enhance the collective ability to respond to unknown pathogens. In addition, governments and health organisations are being urged to invest in health security measures, infrastructure, and workforce training. Also key is a commitment to raise public awareness about the potential for new diseases and the importance of public health measures and research funding.
Cruise ships offer a vivid example of the impact of COVID and the commitment to preparing for Disease X. Numerous COVID-19 outbreaks occurred on cruise ships early in the pandemic, leading to widespread media coverage and heightened concerns about the safety of cruise travel. Cruise lines had to implement stringent health and safety protocols, including pre-boarding testing, health screenings, social distancing measures, and enhanced cleaning and disinfection practices. New protocols also included onboard medical staff training, isolation areas, and contingency plans for managing outbreaks at sea. Many cruise lines suspended operations for extended periods and ports around the world closed to cruise ships, further complicating itineraries and operations. COLUMBIA pure developed expertise in knowing exactly what health regulations needed to be met in each country that a cruise ship would enter.
Looking ahead, to prepare for Disease X and other unspecified epidemic/pandemic preparedness, the travel, cruise, and hospitality industries can implement comprehensive measures to prevent, detect, and respond to potential outbreaks. These measures include: health screenings for guests, staff, passengers, and crew; health protocols to ensure facilities are equipped with adequate medical facilities and supplies to handle potential outbreaks; rigorous cleaning and sanitation; and upgraded HVAC systems to include HEPA filters and ultraviolet light disinfection to reduce airborne transmission of pathogens.
Communication and collaboration throughout these industries, as well as the global public health and scientific communities, must be prioritised on an ongoing basis. Disease X symbolises the recognition by WHO and the global health community that future pandemics are inevitable and that proactive, flexible, and comprehensive preparedness strategies are essential to mitigate the impact of such unknown threats.
Says Kaitlyn West, COLUMBIA blue’s Head of Public Health: “It is incredibly important for all businesses to keep an updated outbreak prevention and response plan. WHO has highlighted the need for rapid expansion of public health services and the critical ability of all sectors of society to ensure outbreak preparedness. COLUMBIA pure prides itself on the vast experiences gained during the previous pandemic and we remain committed to ensuring that any business can rapidly react in the event of a public health crisis.”
