Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist, Bill Gates has warned that another pandemic is all but certain. In an interaction with CNBC, Gates noted that the new pandemic will be from a different pathogen and not from the coronavirus family. He added that risks of severe diseases from COVID-19 have “dramatically reduced” as vaccines become more widely available. Gates had previously warned against the Omicron wave back in December and frequently writes about climate change and global health crisis via the ‘Gates Notes’ blog. His foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with his former wife, is known for its work on healthcare and reducing extreme poverty in the developing world.
During the interactive session, Gates highlighted, “We’ll have another pandemic. It will be a different pathogen next time.” He also said, “The chance of severe disease, which is mainly associated with being elderly and having obesity or diabetes, those risks are now dramatically reduced because of that infection exposure.”
He also noted that it is “too late” to WHO’s goal of vaccinating 70 percent of the world’s population by mid-2022, but remains optimistic about the reduced severity of the disease. At the moment, roughly 61 percent of the world’s population has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose.
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Gate further noted that technology would help us improve the healthcare sector, adding that messenger RNA (mRNA) technology would make that possible. He noted, “The cost of being ready for the next pandemic is not that large. It’s not like climate change. If we’re rational, yes, the next time we’ll catch it early.”
Back in October 2021, Gates lauded India’s vaccination drive after the country passed the milestone of 100 crores (1 billion) vaccines. In a tweet, he praised the “efforts of India scientists” and said the country remains a steadfast partner” towards fighting COVID 19 pandemic.
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