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Gates says risk of severe COVID-19 have reduced, warns of another pandemic | TheHill
Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates said that the risk of severe COVID-19 infection has reduced dramatically, but warned that another pandemic caused by a different pathogen could be around the corner.
In an interview with CNBC's Hadley Gamble at Germany’s annual Munich Security Conference, the billionaire said the novel coronavirus has spread to enough of the population that the "risks are dramatically reduced because of that exposure."
The omicron variant, first discovered in South Africa, spread like wildfire in the United States after it was detected around the holiday season. Gates said that the strain, which is known to cause less severe disease but remains highly transmissible, has beat out health officials administering vaccines to the public, and infected individuals.
“The chance of severe disease, which is mainly associated with being elderly and having obesity or diabetes, those risks are now dramatically reduced because of that infection exposure,” he said.
However, Gates warned that there are a lot of viruses out in the world and that another pandemic was likely from a germ in the coronavirus family.
"There's a lot of diseases out there," he said. "We'll have another pandemic. It will be another pathogen next time."
Other researchers have also said another pandemic is likely around the corner, including the Center for Global Development.
Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates said that the risk of severe COVID-19 infection has reduced dramatically, but warned that another pandemic caused by a different pathogen could be around the corner.
In an interview with CNBC's Hadley Gamble at Germany’s annual Munich Security Conference, the billionaire said the novel coronavirus has spread to enough of the population that the "risks are dramatically reduced because of that exposure."
The omicron variant, first discovered in South Africa, spread like wildfire in the United States after it was detected around the holiday season. Gates said that the strain, which is known to cause less severe disease but remains highly transmissible, has beat out health officials administering vaccines to the public, and infected individuals.
“The chance of severe disease, which is mainly associated with being elderly and having obesity or diabetes, those risks are now dramatically reduced because of that infection exposure,” he said.
However, Gates warned that there are a lot of viruses out in the world and that another pandemic was likely from a germ in the coronavirus family.
"There's a lot of diseases out there," he said. "We'll have another pandemic. It will be another pathogen next time."
Other researchers have also said another pandemic is likely around the corner, including the Center for Global Development.
