'What are these like?': Bill Gates compares people who avoid face masks to 'nudists'

Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates recently questioned the logic behind some peoples refusal to wear masks to protect against the spread of coronavirus. On the first episode of ‘Bill Gates and Rashida Jones Ask Big Questions’ podcast, Gates and the actress-comedian discussed the politicisation of masks in America and what a “weird thing” that is. The 65-year-old American business magnet jokingly compared the people who refuse to wear a mask to “nudists” as well. 

“I mean what are these, like, nudists?” asked Gates. He added, “We ask you to wear pants and, you know, no American says — or very few Americans say — that that’s, like, some terrible thing”. 

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During the interview, Gates, who has donated millions of dollars for research of a COVID vaccine, explained how the view changed from not needing masks to needing them. He said that earlier health experts would compare COVID-19 with another common cold, including flu, fever, etc. However, now the deadly virus has turned out to be very different from how the other viruses spread. 

When asked why there was ever a time when people thought masks were not effective, Gates responded saying that the evidence showing that a simple mask for the masses was available as early as April. He added that now its “overwhelmingly clear” that the upside is gigantic. He went on to explain that research showed a projection that if everybody wore masks, over 100,000 deaths would be avoided. 

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Gates unclear about post-COVID world 

Further, Gates and Jones also spoke with Dr Anthony Fauci, who is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. Fauci stressed that straightforward measures, like mask-wearing and social distancing, are what will be needed in moving towards a post-coronavirus world. Fauci said, “Wearing a mask, keeping a distance, avoiding crowds, being outdoors as much as you possibly can — weather permitted — and washing your hands. We have seen what happens when you don’t do that by the very unfortunate experiences that have become very public now in the United States”. 

In his blog, Gates also said, “Dr. Fauci and I are both optimistic that a vaccine will bring an end to the pandemic at some point in the near future. But what the world looks like after that is a lot less clear”. 

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