- Bill Gates says there is one massive problem with COVID-19 tests in the US: results take too long to return.
- He said in a recent interview with WIRED that the majority of U.S. COVID-19 tests are “completely garbage” and “disgusting.”
- To solve the problem of slow tests, Gates said medical providers should not receive payment for COVID-19 tests unless they can produce results within 48 hours.
- He also called on Mark Zuckerberg to do more to combat the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories on Facebook.
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Bill Gates believes one of the biggest roadblocks to effective COVID-19 testing in the U.S. is “stupidity,” he said in an interview with WIRED published Friday.
Specifically, Gates said most U.S. tests are “complete garbage” because it takes so long to return results. Coronavirus testing in the US regularly takes more than a week to return results, frustrating public health authorities who rely on timely test data.
“Well, that’s just stupid,” Gates said when asked about the delays in test results. “The majority of all American tests are completely waste, disgusting.”
The Microsoft founder-turned-philanthropist said he thinks there is a simple solution: Medical providers should only be paid for tests if they return results within 48 hours.
“If you do not care what time the date is and you are reimbursed at the same level, they will obviously take every customer. Because they make ridiculous amounts of money,” Gates said. “You have to pay the fee system 24 hours a little extra, pay the normal fee for 48 hours and pay nothing [if it isn’t done by then]. And they’ll fix it tonight. “
For years, Gates had warned that the US was not prepared for a massive pandemic. Since the inception of COVID-19, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have provided heavy funding for testing and fax research.
Gates himself has also been the target of conspiracy theories stemming from his high-profile advocacy for a more robust response to the virus, including a false theory that Gates intends to inject people with microchips while avoiding vaccination.
In Friday’s WIRED interview, Gates acknowledged that conspiracy theories were spreading like wildfire on social media and suggested that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg should do more to combat misinformation on Facebook.
“I love Mark, I think he has very good values, but he and I do not agree on the trade-offs involved,” Gates said. “We literally give tens of billions for faxes to save lives, then people turn around and say, ‘No, we’re trying to make money and we’re trying to end lives.’ That’s kind of a wild reversal of what our values are and what our track record is. “
Gates also highlighted Microsoft’s potential acquisition of TikTok’s US and international operations, calling President Trump’s interference in the deal “quite bizarre.”
