Bill Gates Says World Must Advance Its Treatments, Vaccines, Testing to Stop Coronavirus

UTC by Teuta Franjkovic · 3 min read
Bill Gates Says World Must Advance Its Treatments, Vaccines, Testing to Stop Coronavirus
Photo: Shutterstock

Bill Gates outlined the innovations needed to stop the Covid-19 pandemic and reopen the economy in a new blog post. He said the world must advance its treatments, vaccines, testing, contact tracing.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates stressed COVID-19 testing (not even the vaccines) is the most important thing when it comes to the revival of the United States economy.

He said:

“We need to be testing enough people that we can quickly detect emerging hotspots and intervene early. We don’t want to wait until the hospitals start to fill up and more people die.”

In his story made for the Washington Post Gates also said that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-supported research only shows that the “self-swab” testing concept has the same certainty as to the tests that are made by medical professionals. He also added that the whole process would stay effective without the necessity of a contact.

Gates also stressed that so-called contact tracing in the country needs to be advanced, especially when it comes to possibilities of using tech solutions so the whole process could be more effective. He also says he admires the RNA vaccine development, adding that the eventual process “essentially turns your body into its own vaccine manufacturing unit.”

18 Months Needed to Develop a Coronavirus Vaccine

Earlier this week he said that it could take 18 months to make a COVID-19 vaccine as the overall death toll from the disease reached 191,000.

Speaking together with his wife Melinda during the One World: Together at Home concert live-streamed across the globe Gates said:

“There are a lot of vaccine candidates now that we are backing, and I’m optimistic by late next year one of those will come out, and we need to make sure that it gets out to everyone in the world.”

He also added that the whole disease will last until a vaccine is developed.

Senator Cruz Condemns Gates

On the second hand, United States Senator Ted Cruz earlier this week criticized Gates, for him condemning Donald Trump‘s decision to stop the funding to the World Health Organization (WHO). Cruz said Gates is worth $103 billion and that he alone could fund the organization.

Cruz added Gates has enough money to afford to give the $400 million the country has been providing to the WHO per year and continue the funding for another 257 years if he is not satisfied with the president’s call.

Previously, Gates called the decision to pull funds from the health organization during the COVID-19 pandemic “dangerous,” saying the country needs the WHO “now more than ever.”

Be it as it may, Gates also said:

“Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds. Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever.”

Gates: G20 Should Help Fund COVID-19 Vaccines

He also stated that the Group of 20 (G20) members has to help when it comes to funding the research and development of the vaccine.

In his blog, he also wrote that the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), launched by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Welcome Trust and several governments, which is working on eight potential vaccines, and are “confident they’ll have at least one ready within 18 months,” still need “at least $2 billion for their work.” He called for fairness when it comes to the distribution of medical equipment and resources, adding that “millions could die” if the disease starts taking hold in poorer countries.

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