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Bill Gates has been warning the world about the need to prepare for a global pandemic for years. In 2015, he gave a TED Talk about it, describing a situation that’s eerily close to the one we’re facing now.

Back in February, when there was only one confirmed case of coronavirus in Africa, and before the virus was declared a pandemic, he remarked that if it reached Africa, the continent could be facing devastating consequences. 

Thankfully, our government acted quickly, and while the extension of the lockdown is daunting as we face an additional two weeks of isolation, it’s important to remember that we’re not out of the water yet, and need to stay the course to beat this thing.

Last night’s presentation by Professor Salim Abdool Karim is essential reading for those who want to know where South Africa is at with regards handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Back to Gates, and a recent interview with BBC Breakfast, where he once again weighed in on COVID-19.

(Please stop with the fake news about Bill Gates and testing a vaccine in Africa.)

Business Insider reports that he said that the world was entering into “uncharted territory”.

Gates… told BBC Breakfast on Sunday that the world should have invested more into mitigating a potential global health crisis.

He also pointed out that not many countries would be receiving a “gold star” for their handling of the situation.

As for what comes next, he had some words of hope – Gates reckons that economies will be rebuilt and life will eventually go back to normal.

You can watch the full interview below:

For more from Gates on the virus, watch his interview with Trevor Noah.

He also appeared on CNN (wearing the same outfit) for a panel discussion. Just keep in mind that with older interviews, the numbers quoted are relative, and have changed as the virus progresses.

Gates takes no joy in having predicted the pandemic. He says that he wakes up every morning struggling to wrap his head around the world as it is now.

I think we can all relate.

[source: businessinsider]