On the first day of the work week, prior president Trump put forth an executive decision prohibiting high-risk ‘gain-of-function’ biological experiments not only within the United States but also on a global level. Consequently, this move fortified his previous choice to disengage the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO). Despite the severity of these actions, the vulnerability of the U.S. to global control still lurks, especially in case of a speculated ‘Disease X’ pandemic hitting the world.
On January 30, 2020, the WHO’s head announced an ‘international public health emergency’ in light of the escalating COVID-19 situation. By uttering this phrase, he activated the WHO’s International Health Regulations (IHR), obligating all the member nations, including the U.S., to adhere. Hence, with the activation of this ‘treaty’, WHO exhibited its power over all its member nations, the U.S. included, affecting their sovereignty.
Immediate power was granted to federal institutions such as the National Institutes of Health within the United States. March 13, 2020, saw President Trump declare the COVID-19 situation as a ‘national public health emergency.’ Executing this decision handed control to certain individuals who were part of the leadership during the past coronavirus challenges. However, despite these substantial decisions, the WHO still had the potential to impact the U.S. healthcare network amidst global health scare situations.
Though Trump has pulled the U.S. back from the WHO, the decoupling will be complete only when Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the Health and Human Services director, cuts all ties between the CDC and the WHO. Until that occurance, the health of the U.S. citizens may still be at the mercy of the decisions made by the WHO’s director general. This implies that merely suspecting the onset of an infectious disease could make him oblige every WHO member nation to surrender their governance and decision-making abilities to him.
The fact remains that while the U.S. might have officially dissociated itself from the WHO, it is still susceptible to the organization’s considerable sway over the international health and medical circles. The most alarming scenario would be the world, including the U.S., facing a ‘Disease X’.
The term ‘Disease X’ has been coined by the WHO to denote an unanticipated pandemic in the future. However, the chilling possibility is that the future might already be here. Based on our investigations, it appears ‘Disease X’ might have been manipulated as a super version of COVID-19, with higher transmissibility and mortality, and already unleashed.
Our studies also hint that a more deadly vaccine has been developed, marketed as a cure for ‘Disease X’. Unless the CDC is completely separated from the WHO’s influence, the consequences of a ‘Disease X’ pandemic could be catastrophic.
With the looming threat, the most significant concern is the position of the U.S. military during a ‘global health emergency of international concern’. Could it still remain under the control of the commander in chief?
President of the U.S. is the lone official, as per the constitution, who has the authority to direct the U.S. away from medical martial law, regardless of the potential deadly nature of a future ‘Disease X’. If, or perhaps when, such a disease strikes, it remains uncertain how the situation may unfold.
Given this, the absolute severance of the CDC from the WHO would play a crucial role in managing and navigating this emergency situation. This decoupling would pave the way for the U.S. to regain control over its public health decisions and policies.
However, as the situation stands now, the WHO’s influence briskly permeates the international health scene. Such reach underscores the potential impacts on the U.S., despite the country’s formal disassociation from the organization.
What truly needs emphasis is how important it is for the CDC and the WHO to operate independently. An international health crisis would warrant swift responses from national bodies who take orders from local governments, instead of being at the mercy of global health organizations.
The pivotal question in the face of all this is whether the U.S. will successfully manage to chart its own course, be it during pandemics like COVID-19, or in the future with the threat of ‘Disease X’. It is crucial for the nation to retain sovereign control over its public health decisions to ensure the protection and safety of its citizens.