COVID deaths and infection rates could fall below seasonal flu levels by the mid of next year if no new dangerous variants emerge until then, according to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates as reported by Bloomberg.
Between natural and vaccine immunity, as well as burgeoning oral treatments, “the death rate and disease rate ought to be coming down pretty dramatically,” the billionaire said Thursday at the Singapore New Economy Forum.
He also appears to believe that, once supply issues are resolved, the constraints on vaccinating the entire world against COVID-19 will shift to logistical distribution issues the following year. Furthermore, he stated that the level of demand in many countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, is unknown.
“The vaccines are very good news, and the supply constraints will be largely solved as we get out in the middle of next year, and so we’ll be limited by the logistics and the demand,” Gates said in an interview.
He continued by stating that the world should work to eradicate the flu to reduce the threat of future outbreaks. Gates had earlier this year urged the United States and the United Kingdom to help countries with low vaccination rates.
Viral infections are one of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s primary areas of focus. Since 2015, Gates has been cautioning the world about the impending disease and the steps that must be taken to avoid a major disaster.
Gates has stated on numerous occasions that society is unprepared for another pandemic. He has even advocated for the formation of a Global Pandemic Taskforce to deal with potential pandemics and avoid the “devastating global, economic, medical, and emotional events” that the world has already witnessed.
Furthermore, Gates advocated for the elimination of regular flu vaccinations to reduce the risk of future pandemics. We all hope that his prediction for 2022 will come true.
