Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says world may see another pandemic soon

New Delhi: Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft and a millionaire philanthropist, has warned that another pandemic is all but imminent. Gates told CNBC that the future pandemic will be caused by a separate infection, not a member of the coronavirus family. As vaccines become more widely available, he says, the danger of serious infections from COVID-19 has "dramatically decreased." 

Gates had already warned against the Omicron wave in December, and his 'Gates Notes' blog routinely discusses climate change and the global health issue. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which he co-founded with his former wife, is noted for its efforts in healthcare and decreasing severe poverty in underdeveloped countries.

"We'll have another pandemic," Gates said during the interactive session. The pathogen will be different next time." "The risk of serious disease, which is primarily related with being elderly and having obesity or diabetes, is now drastically lowered as a result of that infection exposure," he added.

He also stated that the WHO's aim of vaccination 70% of the world's population by mid-2022 is "too late," but he remained optimistic about the disease's lessened severity. At this time, around 61 percent of the global population has gotten at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccination.

Gates also stated that technology would aid in the improvement of the healthcare industry, citing messenger RNA (mRNA) technology as an example. "The cost of being prepared for the next epidemic is not that high," he said. It's not like global warming. Yes, if we're logical, we'll catch it early the next time."

Gates praised India's immunisation drive in October 2021, when the country reached a milestone of 100 crores (1 billion) vaccines. In a tweet, he thanked India's "efforts" and stated that the country "remains a faithful partner" in the fight against the COVID 19 pandemic.