Bill Gates has warned that multiple doses of any coronavirus vaccine may be needed to be effective and that schools should remain closed for another year.
Gates also slammed US president Donald Trump’s handling of the pandemic adding that the silencing of experts like Dr Anthony Fauci and CDC chiefs was illogical.
The Sun reports: Microsoft billionaire Gates said “serious mistakes” have been made by the White House as he predicted schools could be closed until fall 2021.
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Speaking during an interview with Norah O’Donnell on CBS News, Gates said he had faith in the development of a coronavirus vaccine.
However, he warned it could take an “unbelievably big number” of doses to beat the virus.
He said: “None of the vaccines at this point appear like they’ll work with a single dose.
“That was the hope at the very beginning.”
However, he said the solution will “improve over time” even though there will be “a lot of uncertainty” about the vaccine.
The philanthropist – who is worth $98billion, the second-richest man in the world – has offered £300million to help fund research into the vaccine.
Gates also described the closures of schools as the “biggest cost” of the pandemic after deaths as he said classes likely won’t be all back until fall 2021.
He said: “This next academic year does hang in the balance. It is extremely important.”
More should be done to help schools take learning online to ensure kids get their educations, he said.
The 64-year-old tech boss now spends most of his times working with the Global Health division of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
He had been warning of the threat posed to humanity by pandemics since 2015 before the coronavirus outbreak.
During the interview, Gates was also heavily critical of the Trump administration – with the US having the highest death and case count in the world with 146,192 and 4.1million.
Gates said: “Some of the policies were a mistake. Opening up bars – the economic benefit versus the infection risk – a lot of policies like that made it a mistake.”
The Microsoft mogul emphasized that social distancing, wearing masks and developing a vaccine are now key in beating Covid-19.
He conceded however some of the “serious mistakes” were made because of a lacking of understanding of the virus.
