Bill Gates Unhappy With US Handling of COVID-19 Crisis, Cites 'Politicisation' of Face Masks Among Reasons

Washington, July 23: Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has questioned the US handling of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Bill Gates told CBS News on Wednesday that "by almost every measure, the US is one of the worst." He also described the COVID-19 crisis in the United States as "ugly picture" and cited "politicisation" face masks as one of the reasons behind it. US Leading the World in COVID-19 Testing with 50 Million, India Second, Says Donald Trump During Coronavirus Briefing.

"By almost every measure, the US is one of the worst, and I think we can change that but it’s an ugly picture," Gates said. The Microsoft Co-founder made a veiled attack on US President Donald Trump who has been accused of mishandling the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adding that experts were being stopped from sharing their views. Bill Gates Says 'Black Lives Matter' Over Killings of George Floyd And Other African-Americans, Vows to Create More Equal Future.

"It’s really the CDC that’s been muzzled to a dramatic degree that’s holding us back from getting the benefit of their expertise. It is really unexpected that you wouldn’t let the experts share. The limiting of experts to share their opinion in public has also been a big reason why the US is doing badly," Gates said in the interview.

Gates also said people might have to take multiple doses of a potential COVID-19 vaccine to protect themselves from the disease. He said that "none of the vaccines at this point appear like they'll work with a single dose." Over 150 COVID-19 vaccines are currently at different stages of development, with a few now advancing to the late-stage clinical trial.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 23, 2020 07:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).