Bill Gates Warns of More Fatal COVID Variant

Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has warned that the COVID pandemic is far from over, with the most destructive remaining yet to unfold.

He warned of the likelihood of an even more fatal and transmissive variant of COVID, the Financial Times reported.

Gates stated that even though he does not want to sound gloomy, yet the risk of a more virulent variant is more than 5 percent.

‘Gates also called for renewed efforts with greater investments into global surveillance of viruses, which has been paused by a number of countries in the wake of decline in Covid cases. Gates has also written a book on How to Prevent the Next Pandemic.’

"We're still at risk of this pandemic generating a variant that would be even more transmissive and even more fatal," he was quoted as saying.

"It's not likely, I don't want to be a voice of doom and gloom, but it's way above a 5 percent risk that this pandemic, we haven't even seen the worst of it," he added.

Global Threat Posed by COVID-19 Virus

In 2015, Gates first cautioned publicly that the "world was not ready for the inevitable next pandemic" and that viruses, not war, pose the greatest risk of "global catastrophe."

He has urged for the creation of a team of international experts ranging from epidemiologists to computer modellers to quickly spot global health threats and improve coordination between the countries. According to him, this would cost around $1bn, which would be managed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the report said.

Amid the war between Russia and Ukraine, Gates urged global leaders not to lose sight of the health crisis. He called for greater investment to prevent future pandemics. He also argued for an urgent need for longer-lasting vaccines that blocked infection, stressing that the current pandemic still posed a threat.

Source: IANS