Billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates said the next pandemic could be ten times worse than the one brought by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. He stated this in an interview with the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.
“We are not prepared for the next pandemic. I hope it will be different in two years. <...> This pandemic is terrible, but the next one could be ten times worse, ”Gates said.
According to him, the logistics system in the “rich world” turned out to be more complex than expected.
Gates' comments continue the theme he raised on his own blog. In the article, he compared the coronavirus infection pandemic with World War II and stated the need to perceive the threat of a new pandemic as a threat of a new war. According to Gates, billions must now be spent on preventing new disasters to save trillions of dollars and millions of lives.
“To prevent a repeat of last year's difficulties, pandemic preparedness must be taken as seriously as we take the threat of war. <...> Stopping the next pandemic will take tens of billions of dollars a year – a big investment, but remember that the COVID-19 pandemic is estimated to cost the world $ 28 trillion. The world must spend billions to save trillions (and prevent millions of deaths). I think of it as the best and most economical insurance policy the world can buy, ”wrote the billionaire.
In his opinion, just as the Second World War “was a defining event for our parents' generation, the coronavirus pandemic that we are experiencing now will determine our generation.” “And just as the Second World War led to increased cooperation between countries to protect peace and prioritize the common good, we believe the world has an important opportunity to transform the hard-learned lessons of this pandemic into a healthier and more equitable future for all.” , – says the message.
“The sad reality is that COVID-19 may not be the last pandemic. We don't know when the next blow will come, whether it will be the flu, the coronavirus, or some new disease that we've never seen before. But we know for sure that we cannot afford to be caught off guard again. The threat of the next pandemic will always hang over our heads – unless the world takes steps to prevent it, ”he said.
However, there is good news, the billionaire shared his thoughts. According to him, the modern world is able to get ahead of the outbreak of new infectious diseases. He announced that his foundation has partnered with governments and other donors to create the Epidemic Preparedness Innovation Coalition.
Health problems are no longer localized, and rich countries can no longer defend themselves against epidemics that are sweeping poor countries. “If you live in a rich country, it is in your best interest for your government to actively prepare for a pandemic around the world. <...> For starters, governments need to continue to invest in scientific tools that help us weather the current pandemic – even after COVID-19 is left behind, ”Gates suggested.
It took months in the US to roll out the COVID-19 testing system, Gates said. “I hope that by the next pandemic we will have what I call mega-diagnostic platforms that can test up to 20% of the world's population every week,” the billionaire hopes.
Earlier, Gates said that the world is expecting a new pandemic, which could occur in three years or in 20 years. At the same time, the creator of Microsoft suggested that the next pandemic could be less destructive if the world learns from the current one and prepares for new challenges.
Gates is the second richest man in the world according to Forbes. His fortune exceeds $ 120 billion. He has long since retired from the management of Microsoft and retained only 1.36% of the company's shares, donates a lot to charity. Together with his wife Melinda, he heads the world's largest private charity, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. They founded it in 2000 and since then have provided multimillion-dollar funds to fight poverty around the world, to health programs and education. In December 2020, the fund announced that it had allocated another $ 250 million to fight COVID-19.
