Published 01:45 IST, December 14th 2020
Bill Gates warns next 4-6 months could be worst of pandemic despite vaccine progress
Bill Gates spoke about US' response to the COVID-19 crisis, saying that country could have over 200,000 additional deaths in 2021 in 'worst phase' of pandemic.
As the US prepares to inoculate its population with the first shipment of Pfizer vaccines on its way, American business mogul and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates warned that the subsequent 4 to 6 months could possibly be the worst phase of a pandemic.
In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Gates spoke about the response to the coronavirus pandemic, saying that the US could have over 200,000 additional deaths if protocols such as the wearing of masks and hand hygiene weren’t adhered to. The business tycoon stressed that a large percentage of those projected deaths could, however, be avoided if Americans followed the rules. "It’s bad news," said Bill gates, sounding the alarm about the pandemic situation in the year 2021.
In his televised address, Gates agreed that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was far deadlier and fatal than the health authorities had initially anticipated. Further, he stressed that the death toll, as predicted by IHME (Institute for Health Metrics and Analysis) forecast can largely be controlled by never mixing, practicing social distancing, and following the health safety measures. When asked about the grim milestone that the US hit in terms of the rate of hospitalisations and fatalities, Bill Gates responded that he had hoped that the US would do a greater job dealing with it when he had predicted such a pandemic in 2015.
Virus 'extra deadly'
Gates said, that in his forecasts in 2015, he talked in regards to the deaths doubtlessly being increased. So, this virus could possibly be extra deadly than it is. He warned, that the US did not get the 'worst-case'. However, Gates stressed the solitary factor that had shocked him. The financial influence within the US and all over the world was a lot larger than the forecasts made 5 years in the past, he stated.
Earlier, US' leading infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci had similarly warned the Americans to limit their guest list this holiday season in view of an alarming projection of caseload and deaths due to the novel coronavirus. In a televised interview with ABC’s Good Morning America, Fauci made a "final plea" asking people to remain indoors and keeping gatherings as small as possible. "Make a sacrifice now to save lives and disease," head of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases said in a live-streamed address.
Updated 01:45 IST, December 14th 2020