Despite the identification of the coronavirus vaccines, to return to normal life led up to last February we will have to wait at least another year and a half. This is the grim prediction made by Bill Gates who, together with his wife Melinda, announced the donation of another 250 million dollars to support research, development and the equitable distribution of all life-saving tools against Covid-19.
The Gates have so far donated $ 1.75 billion to the medical cause but the battle against the invisible enemy, by their own admission, still seems long. “By the summer of 2021 – explained the founder of Microsoft – rich countries will have the largest coverage of vaccine, more than any other, so they can return to normal, but the virus will remain in a large part of the planet “. For this reason, according to Gates, people will be forced to wear the mask of protection because “there is always a risk of new infection”. If there are no unexpected events, the Microsoft founder speculates that “we will only be able to really get rid of the virus by mid-2022 “.
The most difficult phase in the fight against the pandemic has just begun. The global production and distribution of the drug is an unprecedented logistical challenge. The operation will be successful only if all countries, even the poor ones, have access to vaccines. For this Gates asked the states that are part of the vaccine alliance, Gavi Covax, more contributions to ensure sufficient doses for developing nations. “Thanks to the ingenuity of the global scientific community – Bill Gates said- we have achieved the major breakthroughs needed to end the pandemic. We have more drugs and potential vaccines than we could anticipate at the beginning of the year. But these innovations will only save lives if they go everywhere. ” The real knot now, said his wife Melinda, is the commitment “of world leaders to make tests, treatments and vaccines available to all those who need them, regardless of where they live and regardless of income “.
Al Sole 24 Ore Mark Suzman, chief executive of the Gates Foundation, explained that the next stage in the fight against the coronavirus will be “More expensive than the initial vaccine development. Our commitment today is only a fraction of what is needed. International organizations, national governments, businesses and philanthropists all need to make sure that testing, treatment and vaccines reach as many people as possible.” For the manager in 2021 the world will focus on the production and distribution of doses, a job that must be “efficient, low cost and fair “.
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