Bill Gates calls Coronavirus outbreak 'once-in-a-century' pathogen

The former chairman and chief executive of Microsoft Corp, Bill Gates said that the deadly Coronavirus outbreak has started behaving a lot like the 'once-in-a-century pathogen'. He further urged wealthy nations to help low and middle-income countries strengthen their health systems in hopes of slowing the spread of COVID-19.

In an article published in The New England Journal of Medicine, Gates further wrote, “By helping countries in Africa and South Asia get ready now, we can save lives and also slow the global circulation of this virus”. 

The unprecedented outbreak of the novel Coronavirus has now infected at least 83,000 people globally and has caused more than 2,800 deaths in China, the epicentre of the deadly disease. The virus has also spread to almost 46 countries and the World Health Organisation on Friday had reportedly warned that the spread of the virus is 'getting bigger'. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has also pledged USD 100 million to fight the outbreak. 

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According to Gates, Coronavirus poses a serious threat to the world as it is far more deadly and contagious than many other deadly viruses.

Gates wrote, “First, it can kill healthy adults in addition to elderly people with existing health problems”.

He further added, “Second, Covid-19 is transmitted quite efficiently. The average infected person spreads the disease to two or three others — an exponential rate of increase”. 

In the article, Gates also said that the national, state and local governments and public health agencies have to take steps to slow the virus's spread. He further said that the world needs to invest in disease surveillance and better technology to accelerate the development of safe and effective vaccines and drugs.

He further called for better diplomatic efforts to drive international collaboration and data sharing, and increased government spending on drugs and vaccines that would give private companies incentives to take up such efforts. 

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'Shouldn't be too eager to declare pandemic'

However, WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has also said that the officials 'should not be too eager to declare a pandemic' in the absence of 'clear-minded analysis of the facts'. Nevertheless, the UN health agency has still declared its highest level of alarm which is a public health emergency of international concern. Using the word 'pandemic' could give people a signal that the Coronavirus can no longer be contained, but Ghebreyesus said that it is not true.

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