In a series of tweets, business tycoon Bill Gates raised concern over the rapid spread of Omicron.
With Omicron cases rising rapidly across the world, billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has now alerted the public against the high transmissible nature of the virus through a series of tweets. He believed that the world is entering the worst part of the pandemic.
In the tweet, he mentioned how close friends of his have contracted the virus leading him to cancel most of his holiday plans.
“Omicron is spreading faster than any virus in history. It will soon be in every country in the world,” he continued.
In a subsequent tweet, he said that the big unknown was how sick the variant can make you. “We need to take it seriously until we know more about it. Even if it’s only half as severe as delta, it will be the worst surge we have seen so far because it’s so infectious,” he added.
Meanwhile, Gates implored people to look out for each other, especially the most vulnerable, whether they live down the street or in another country. He also urged that the masses around follow the Covid-19 norms and guidelines strictly.
“That means wearing masks, avoiding big indoor gatherings, and getting vaccinated. Getting a booster gives the best protection,” he said.
He further added that the Omicron wave should last less than three months, but warned that those few months could be bad. However, he said, “But I still believe if we take the right steps, the pandemic can be over in 2022.”
“I know it’s frustrating to go into another holiday season with COVID looming over us. But it won’t be like this forever. Someday the pandemic will end, and the better we look after each other, the sooner that time will come.”
Omicron infections are multiplying rapidly across Europe, the United States and Asia.
Omicron has raced ahead of other variants and is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the U.S., accounting for 73% of new infections last week, federal health officials said Monday, reports AP.