Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates published a blog post, in which he outlined what the world needs to do in order to stop the pandemic and reopen the economy.
Gates said the focus should be on treatments, vaccines, testing and contact tracing of victims and patients. Policies to “open up” the global economy should also be considered. Gates compares the pandemic to a war.
“During World War II, amazing innovations, including radar, reliable torpedoes and code-breaking, helped end the war faster,” Gates said. “That’s the same with the pandemic.” Gates has called the spread of the virus a “nightmare scenario.”
Here's what Gates said about the five areas of innovation needed:
Treatment: Bill Gates acknowledged that many treatments may fail, but said he is optimistic. Certainly, some of them will bring positive results and will deal with Covid-19 to some extent. The world will need a treatment that is at least 95% effective so that people feel safe in public gatherings, such as football games or concerts. He pointed to the possibilities of using blood plasma or antibodies, antivirals and hydroxychloroquine.
Vaccines: According to Gates, the only way for people to return to a normal state is through a vaccine. However, he warned that it usually takes about five years to release a vaccine for a new disease. He said, however, that a lot of work is being done and that he is optimistic about releasing a vaccine in the next 18 months. It could potentially come out sooner or later.
Testing : Bill Gates said the US should prioritize and speed up the process of testing for Covid-19 , so that results can be obtained within a day. He also said that all health workers should have access to tests, and that asymptomatic people should wait for people with symptoms to be tested first. In addition, people should be able to test at home , even if the tests need to be sent to a laboratory for analysis.
Contact tracing: Gates stressed that people who have been in contact with a patient should be prioritized for testing and should be isolated at home. He believes most countries will follow Germany's approach to contact tracing, where people who test positive for the coronavirus report who they have come into contact with. Experts have a database to confirm that they have spoken to all patients.
Economy: Bill Gates believes that most developed countries will enter the second phase of the Covid-19 pandemic in the next two months. In this phase, the world is semi-normal, although people will still keep their distance. Countries should take example from others, to judge when is the right time to reopen markets. Experts should make decisions based on risks and benefits.
