Bill Gates: "Korea and Australia Balanced Health and Economy Well in COVID-19 Response"

Based on the 2002 SARS Experience, Preparedness Was Well Established
"Normalization of Daily Life Expected by the End of Next Year"

Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft (MS)
[Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft (MS), named South Korea and Australia as the countries that best balanced health and the economy during the response to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

According to CNBC and others on the 6th (local time), Gates answered "South Korea, Australia" when asked at the online 'Wall Street Journal (WSJ) CEO Council Summit' which countries managed to balance health and the economy best.

Gates explained that South Korea, Australia, and other countries had experience dealing with the 2002 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak, which made them better prepared to respond to the pandemic. He said, "This (COVID-19) is an exponentially growing event, so a little information early on makes a big difference."

Gates said, "I really think that we have learned and innovated this time, so we will do better if such a situation occurs again," but added, "However, we are still struggling with the mistakes made in February and March." He predicted that the normalization of daily life after COVID-19 would be "at best around the end of next year."

However, Gates noted, "We still do not know if these (clinical trial stage) vaccines will succeed," and said, "Increasing production capacity will take time, so allocation of vaccines within the U.S. and between the U.S. and other countries will be the biggest point of contention."

Gates is conducting welfare projects through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation while focusing on vaccine development amid the COVID-19 crisis. Last month, he signed agreements with 16 global pharmaceutical companies to mass-produce COVID-19 vaccines at an unprecedented speed and distribute them as widely and as early as possible once approved.

He also said he is in discussions with Russia and China, which announced the world's first COVID-19 vaccines, but noted, "None of their vaccines have entered Phase 3 clinical trials." He pointed out that although the vaccines from Russia and China are scientifically valid projects, the fact that they have not undergone Phase 3 clinical trials that would earn recognition may limit the appeal of these vaccines outside those countries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.