Bill Gates Believes After Omicron, COVID-19 Can Be 'Treated Like Seasonal Flu'

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates agreed to a live Q&A session on Twitter with Devi Sridhar, director of Global Health Governance, to share his opinions on diverse aspects of the coronavirus pandemic, its origins and what might happen after the Omicron variant hits peak.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates went on Twitter on 11 January to share his opinions on a plethora of issues linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his live Q&A session with Devi Sridhar, director of Global Health Governance and professor at the University of Edinburgh Medical School in Scotland, Gates predicted what would follow after the current Omicron wave of COVID-19 outbreak dies down.

"Once Omicron goes through a country then the rest of the year should see far fewer cases so COVID can be treated more like seasonal flu," said Gates.

As countries experience their Omicron wave health systems will be challenged. Most of the severe cases will be unvaccinated people. Once Omicron goes through a country then the rest of the year should see far fewer cases so Covid can be treated more like seasonal flu.

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) January 11, 2022

The co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation warned of the effects of the Omicron variant on the unvaccinated, claiming most of the severe cases will be those who failed to get the jabs. He expressed the belief that people may have to take yearly inoculations in the foreseeable future.

"Omicron will create a lot of immunity at least for the next year. (Trevor Bedford, a scientist at Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center) tracks the genetics really well. We may have to take yearly shots for COVID for some time."

The vaccines we have prevent severe disease and death very well but they are missing two key things.

First they still allow infections ("breakthrough") and the duration appears to be limited.

We need vaccines that prevent re-infection and have many years of duration.#

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) January 11, 2022

Vaccines, wrote Gates in his Twitter thread, prevent severe cases of the respiratory disease and deaths, but they still “allow breakthrough infections". He underscored the importance of developing vaccines that "prevent re-infection and have many years of duration".

Asked what were the odds that a more contagious variant of COVID-19 might be looming after Omicron, the philanthropist didn’t think it was likely.

A more transmissive variant is not likely but we have been surprised a lot during this pandemic. Omicron will create a lot of immunity at least for the next year. @trvrb tracks the genetics really well. We may have to take yearly shots for Covid for some time.

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) January 11, 2022

The American multi-billionaire also addressed some of the aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic that have triggered speculations and conspiracy theories.

On the origins of the virus – a hotly debated topic – he pointed to the data being “pretty strong” that it came from another species.

While a 2021 World Health Organization study offered no definitive answers on the issue, dismissing as "extremely unlikely" the theory of a leak from a Chinese laboratory, he advised labs to be “careful”.

The data is pretty strong that it came from another species which is true for most pandemics. People will continue to speculate on this and we should make sure labs are careful. There will be future outbreaks coming from other species so we need to invest in being ready. #

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) January 11, 2022

"There will be future outbreaks coming from other species so we need to invest in being ready," wrote Bill Gates.

When asked about the conspiracy theory that claimed the entrepreneur came up with the coronavirus in order to control the world’s population through vaccination, Gates, who has millions towards research on the infectious disease, including the development of inoculation and its procurement, wrote that like Devi Sridhar, Anthony Fauci, and others, he himself had been "subject to a lot of misinformation".

People like you and I and Tony Fauci have been subject to a lot of misinformation. I didn't expect that. Some of it like me putting chips in arms doesn't make sense to me - why would I want to do that?#

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) January 11, 2022

Looking ahead, Bill Gates said the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention need to be injected with more resources to get a head start on pandemics.

Trusted authorities like @WHO and @CDCgov need more resources to see the pandemic early (surveillance) and to communicate better. Social media got behind on trying to get factual information out - there will be a lot of debate about how to do better on that...

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) January 11, 2022

In December 2021, Bill Gates had voiced optimism that the Omicron-generated surge in coronavirus cases could burn itself out in three months, adding, "I still believe if we take the right steps, the pandemic can be over in 2022."

If there’s good news here, it’s that omicron moves so quickly that once it becomes dominant in a country, the wave there should last less than 3 months. Those few months could be bad, but I still believe if we take the right steps, the pandemic can be over in 2022.

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) December 21, 2021