According to the Russian Television Station (RT) reported on the 19th, Bill Gates warned that a virus more deadly than the new crown virus may appear in the future. He suggested that rich countries should invest more in vaccines to deal with potentially catastrophic outbreaks.
Bill Gates Source: People's Vision
The Microsoft co-founder made the remarks when he announced that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation would donate $150 million to epidemic prevention research. He noted that while the Delta and Omiljunn variants of the new coronavirus are already among the most contagious to date, the world could encounter more deadly viruses in the future, causing more deaths.
Gates said governments can prepare in advance to contain future outbreaks by investing in vaccine research and production to ensure that vaccines can be rapidly available around the world in the future.
"Billions of dollars are now being spent on investment ... It's possible to save trillions of dollars in economic losses and tens of billions of lives, which is a pretty good insurance," Bill Gates said.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which accepted the $150 million donation, is reportedly trying to raise $3.5 billion in an effort to shorten the time to develop a new vaccine to 100 days. Gates praised the organization for helping to fund trials of several currently approved COVID-19 vaccines, thus saving lives. He also expressed dissatisfaction with developing countries not getting adequate vaccine supplies.
Bill Gates Source: Visual China
The Wellcome Trust, a UK charity focused on medical research, also donated $150 million to CEPI. Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, echoed Gates' comments on the dangers of future epidemics. CEPI was established after the Ebola outbreak in 2013-2016.
"I think we were and are living in a time when epidemics were more frequent and complex," Farral said.
(Editor: ZLQ)