The United States ranks "quite low compared to other countries" in its response to the coronavirus pandemic, including on testing and on being clear on practices such as wearing masks and social distancing, according to Microsoft founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates.
"Most governments take advantage of their scientists and listen to them. They don’t undermine them and attack them,” Gates told CNBC Squawk Box co-host Becky Quick in an interview airing Wednesday. “Mask compliance in the United States is quite poor. And yet the cost of the mask and the productivity lost from [not wearing] the mask, it’s quite an intervention.”
Wearing a mask, he also said, is much like being told to wear clothes and is not an "ultra-important freedom thing."
Gates added that he does not think the United States is better prepared for looking at a very tough fall and winter season, because officials are not willing to admit they've done certain things wrong.
"We need to be willing to say, okay, what's working, what's not working, and prioritize which activities are valuable like school versus others that cause even more infection like certain public gatherings," said Gates. "It's sort of every state for themselves without having a strong voice that they've been trained to provide."
Gates did not mention President Donald Trump by name, but pointed out that many other countries have done "very, very well" when it comes to encouraging measures needed to slow the spread of COVID until “therapeutics or vaccines get out there in big numbers.”
He further noted that his push for a coronavirus vaccine has been highly criticized and has resulted in a "lot of conspiracy theories" with the two most targeted being himself and Dr. Anthony Fauci "in terms of do we have some malign reason to think vaccines are important."
"That's unfortunate, particularly if it undermines the mask wearing or if it undermines as the vaccine gets approved," said Gates. "Are we able to have people protect themselves, their loved ones, the community by participating in something that's been proven to be safe?"
He said he has spoken with Fauci about antibody studies, and said the Gates Foundation scientific team often speaks with the doctor about innovations and antibody treatments.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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