An underappreciated lesson of covid: How fast the world can mitigate a problem when it becomes the world's *number one problem*.
How fast the world can mitigate a problem when it becomes the world's number one problem
In terms of covid mortality, getting vaccinated is the equivalent of getting 20–30 years younger: twitter.com/davidzweig/sta…
One lesson here, though, is that the existence of a vaccine for a disease is not binary. Each vaccine can be more or less effective, and they go through a long pipeline of development, testing, and approval. So any announcement is always more nuanced than “vaccine now exists!”
It’s great to see India’s leadership in scientific innovation and vaccine manufacturing capability as the world works to end the COVID-19 pandemic @PMOIndia b-gat.es/3hFKNBL
One of the benefits of being 65 is that I’m eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. I got my first dose this week, and I feel great. Thank you to all of the scientists, trial participants, regulators, and frontline healthcare workers who got us to this point. pic.twitter.com/67SIfrG1Yd
This has been a year unlike any other in our lifetimes. In our new Annual Letter, Melinda and I talk about how we can turn the hard-won lessons of the pandemic into a healthier, more equal future for all. gatesnot.es/3qTC3v9
COVID-19 has cost lives, sickened millions, and thrust the global economy into a devastating recession. But hope is on the horizon: gatesnot.es/2YmQ6gv pic.twitter.com/sNl4kT9bE3
When it comes to preventing pandemics, scientific tools alone aren’t enough. We also need new capabilities, including a global alert system and infectious disease first responders (or what I like to call a pandemic fire squad): gatesnot.es/3arvuZZ pic.twitter.com/rTmM7STl6U
In 2020, global health went local. COVID-19 has shown us that what happens in one part of the world matters to the rest of it. If we make sure that the pandemic response reaches everyone, everywhere, we can create a world that’s healthier, more equal, and more resilient. pic.twitter.com/uhS6vt6qo8
Bill Gates on Climate Change, Covid and Whether He Has Too Much Influence wapo.st/3puLIXU
Thanks @JudyWoodruff and @NewsHour for having me on the show to talk about climate change and COVID-19 – two urgent global issues that need global collaboration. b-gat.es/2ZKsgMz
Delivering vaccines to those who need them most, no matter where they live or how much money they have, is the only way to end the pandemic and begin the recovery. This is an important milestone. twitter.com/GaviSeth/statu…
Here are five things you should know if you want to understand how variants are (and aren’t) complicating the pandemic. gatesnot.es/3cDPJGa
The best way to prevent new variants from emerging is by stopping transmission of the virus altogether: gatesnot.es/3cGNP7U pic.twitter.com/5Vhfsjew3D
Dr. Stephaun Wallace (@imstephaunelite) has spent the last year helping make COVID-19 vaccines work for everybody. Stephaun and his colleagues at @FredHutch are working to reach the people who are usually left behind. gatesnot.es/3rYP2f7
In February, Ghana became the first African country to receive vaccines through #COVAX. Meet one of the nurses spearheading the vaccination effort: bityl.co/6ApS
Communities of color have been hit hard by COVID-19. One of the reasons why parts of the medical system often fail Black and brown people is because it’s not designed with them in mind. Dr. Stephaun Wallace wants to change that. youtube.com/watch?v=knBQcY…
Against the odds, @MohamedBailorB8 became a doctor and is helping his country recover from civil war, Ebola, and now COVID-19. This doctor’s life story is almost as remarkable as his work. b-gat.es/3z7SZTr
Polio tools and infrastructure are also critical to combatting other public health emergencies, like COVID-19. It is more important than ever that donors and countries commit to the new GPEI strategy to #endpolio and continue improving health for all. b-gat.es/3gnIt27
The @G7’s commitment to share 870M COVID-19 vaccine doses over the next year is welcome news - but time is not on our side. Vaccines must be delivered now to help control the pandemic everywhere and not disrupt the progress we've made. b-gat.es/2RQLPCk
This book gave me a deeper, more nuanced appreciation for the system that is at the core of humanity’s fight against COVID-19 and everything our foundation’s Global Health program is trying to do. gatesnot.es/2SsWaVD
COVID-19 has highlighted how digital tools can save lives. I’m encouraged by @ExemplarsHealth research highlighting how technologies in Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Burkina Faso, Uganda, South Africa, and Vietnam can be scaled to detect and respond to pandemics. b-gat.es/3AQkpym
Getting an early start on my weekend reading: this article does a good job explaining immunity and what may happen with COVID-19 in the future. b-gat.es/3BDxuLx
The COVID pandemic is a powerful reminder of the urgent work needed to contain and treat deadly pathogens. I’m optimistic about the progress being made on another crisis: safe sanitation: gatesnot.es/3yjxizi pic.twitter.com/h5HCSyQxO4
This map from @OurWorldInData shows the progress we’ve made–but also highlights how much work we have left to do. b-gat.es/3rKtqF1
The COVID-19 pandemic reminds us why eradicating malaria is essential. Many of the building blocks we need to fight malaria and prevent the next pandemic are the same. #MosquitoWeek gatesnot.es/3sQYbZ6
Congratulations, India, on reaching this tremendous milestone. The collective efforts of the government, R&D community, vaccine manufacturers, and millions of health workers have made this feat possible. @PMOIndia @MoHFW_INDIA b-gat.es/3jlbBcX
Where you live shouldn’t determine whether or not you have access to a Covid-19 vaccine, health supplies, or a diagnostic test: b-gat.es/3Chr1W8 pic.twitter.com/eeH7Ezn0Fb
When the pandemic hit, many feared the worst when it came to maintaining progress on fighting other diseases. But all over the world people stepped up to avert the worst-case scenarios. One example is malaria: b-gat.es/2VQxgkn pic.twitter.com/aM5mszTtWR
As we’ve seen this past year, new variants of a disease can emerge over time. In order to develop new tools to fight the disease, we need to identify those variants quickly. Dr. Senjuti Saha is one expert working to sequence SARS-CoV-2: b-gat.es/3kjGgYx pic.twitter.com/cEbA3TuEos