In recent weeks, the United States has experienced a record number of cases, deaths and hospitalizations.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, whose foundation has been part of the effort to develop and deliver COVID-19 vaccines, warned that the next four to six months could be the worst of the coronavirus pandemic.
In recent weeks, the US has experienced a record number of cases, deaths and hospitalizations.
“I thought the United States would do a better job handling it,” Gates, who in 2015 had warned the world about such a pandemic, said Sunday.
“Unfortunately, the next four to six months could be the worst of the pandemic. The IHME (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation) forecast shows more than 200,000 additional deaths. If we followed the rules, in terms of wearing masks and not mixing, we could avoid a large percentage of those deaths, ”said Mr. Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. CNN.
COVID-19 has so far killed more than 2.90,000 people in the United States.
“In general, when I made the forecasts in 2015, I talked about how the deaths could be higher. So this virus could be more fatal than it is. We did not get the worst case scenario. But what has surprised me is that the economic impact in the United States and around the world has been much greater than the forecasts I made five years ago, “he said.
Mr. Gates said his foundation had been funding much of the vaccine research.
“We are very agile. We are partners in something called CEPI, which is the second largest donor after the United States government, ”he said.
“So in diagnostics, therapy and vaccines, we know where the science is, we know how the pieces need to come together urgently. And so our experience in infectious diseases, which normally only relates to developing countries, was applied to the whole world for this crisis, “he added.
The United States needs to help all of humanity, Gates said when asked about the executive order signed by President Donald Trump that prioritizes the distribution of the vaccine to Americans before it reaches people in other countries.
“We want the world economy to work. We want to minimize deaths. And, you know, the basic technology is a German company. Therefore, blocking international exchange and cooperation has been disruptive and a mistake throughout this pandemic, ”he said.
“Therefore, we need to increase the capacity of all vaccines. There will be some additional approved in the coming months that are easier to expand manufacturing. But the United States has benefited from taking care of the work of other countries, and we should not be entirely selfish in the way we move forward, “he added.
Responding to a question, Mr. Gates said that he will take the vaccine publicly, as former US Presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barack Obama have said, to increase people’s confidence in the vaccine.
“I will do the same. When it is my turn, I will not give in, but when my turn comes, visibly I will take the vaccine, because I think it is a benefit for all people not to be transmitting,” he said.
Mr. Gates said access to the vaccine should be based on medical necessity, not wealth.
“After all, this epidemic has been terrible in the way that it has exacerbated inequalities. It’s been worse for Hispanics, worse for blacks, worse for low-income service workers, multi-generational households – a number of things that mean that in terms of choosing who gets the vaccine, we better use equity to drive all those decisions, “he said.
Despite the availability of the vaccine, Gates said the next four to six months really does demand that Americans do the best they can.
“Because we can see this will end, and you don’t want someone you love to be the last to die from coronavirus,” he said.
“Certainly, wearing masks is essentially without drawbacks. They are not expensive. Bars and restaurants in most of the country will be closed as we enter this wave. And I think, sadly, that’s appropriate. Depending on how serious it is, the decision on schools is much more complicated, because there the benefits are quite high, the amount of transmission is not the same as in restaurants and bars, ”said Mr. Gates.
In response to another question, Mr. Gates said that the “transition is complicating” the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
“But the new administration is willing to trust real experts and not attack those experts. They are making clear plans. So, I think we will get through this in a positive way. I am satisfied with the people and the priority that President-elect Biden and his team are bringing to this problem, ”he said.
“Biden is doing everything he can to retain Francis Collins and Tony Fauci and add them to that strong group of people. These are people who are willing to admit when things aren’t going well and deliver tough messages, especially over the next four to six months. And so I think the United States will not be one of the worst players when the team takes office, “said Gates.
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