Jan 11, 2pm.
The billionaire philanthropist said during a live Q&A session that after the omicron wave of Covid-19 dies down, countries will see fewer positive cases for the rest of the year, creating an environment where Covid could be treated like seasonal flu.
Bill Gates spoke at the New York Times Dealbook. Mike Cohen is the photographer for The New York Times.
Images for The New York Times.
He said that a country should record fewer cases of Covid-19 throughout the rest of the year, in which it can be treated more like seasonal flu.
The United States could be entering the worst part of the Pandemic as Covid cases were surging across the country, and predicted by Gates last month.
The World Health Organization has said that it is not the right time to treat Covid-19 as if it were already endemic because of the uncertainty surrounding it.
Gates said Tuesday that the world needs vaccines that protect people from re-infection and provide protection for many years as fully vaccine-vaccinated Americans are reporting breakthrough cases.
He said that a variant with higher transmissibility than omicron is not likely to emerge.
Rochelle Walensky, the director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said last week that previous infections do not prevent people from contracting the omicron variant. She said that omicron infections could provide protection against testing positive for delta. Walensky said it was not certain whether an omicron infection protects against another. The number of hospitalizations on Monday shattered the previous record, with single-day Covid infections hitting record highs. Staffing shortages at hospitals have been reported by a growing number of states. Airline carriers have reduced flight schedules to make up for a smaller workforce after contracting Covid-19.
The number is big.
There was a majority of 57%. According to a new poll, a majority of US adults have practiced social distancing in the past week by staying home and avoiding others. The percentage of American adults taking precautions by socially isolating themselves was higher than in the past.
There is a structure called the Tangent.
Gates said that the world has a lot of supply overall and that there are problems with the health systems in developing countries.
Omicron is life threatening for unvaccinated elderly and people with underlying conditions.
A poll finds that more Americans are being socially disinclined than at any point in the past year.
The U.S. has a record of over one million new covid cases each year.
The World Health Organization warns against treating Covid-19 like a flu.
Bill Gates said that we could be entering the worst part of the Pandemic.