Dec 22: As the holiday cancellations pile up globally in the wake of emerging concerns over the Omicron variant, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates took Twitter to share that he has cancelled his holiday plans amid surging omicron variant cases, stating that it could usher in “the worst part of the pandemic.”
Bill Gates, whose foundation has focused efforts to fight the Covid-19 virus, tweeted, “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.”
Just when it seemed like life would return to normal, we could be entering the worst part of the pandemic. Omicron will hit home for all of us. Close friends of mine now have it, and I’ve canceled most of my holiday plans.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) December 21, 2021
In a multiple-tweets, Bill Gates said that “if there’s good news here, it’s that omicron moves so quickly that once it becomes dominant in a country, the wave there should last less than 3 months. Those few months could be bad, but I still believe if we take the right steps, the pandemic can be over in 2022.”
Highlighting that the Omicron variant is spreading faster than any virus in history and may soon be in every country in the world, he said “the big unknown is how sick omicron makes 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.”
Also Read: Omicron: Covid-19 third wave projected to hit India by February, says IIT scientist
“In the meantime, we all have to look out for each other, especially the most vulnerable, whether they live down the street or in another country. That means wearing masks, avoiding big indoor gatherings, and getting vaccinated. Getting a booster gives the best protection,” he said.
He added, “if there’s good news here, it’s that omicron moves so quickly that once it becomes dominant in a country, the wave there should last less than 3 months. Those few months could be bad, but I still believe if we take the right steps, the pandemic can be over in 2022.”
