In the midst of the rising number of COVID-19 in a number of countries, Bill Gates saw the possibility that after the Omicron, COVID-19 could be treated like the seasonal flu. He wrote his opinion on QnA with Devi Sridhar Chair of Global Public Health University of Edinburgh.
Gates said health systems would face major challenges in countries hit by the Omicron wave. Most severe cases, Gates said, were people who were not vaccinated.
"After Omicron hits the country, for the rest of the year there will be a small number of cases. So COVID can be treated like a seasonal flu," said the founder of Microsoft, reported by CNBC, Friday (14/1/2022).
Gates has answered several questions about predictions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, Omicron will create a lot of immunity at least next year. However, this must also be in line with vaccinations that continue to be carried out so that the pandemic transitions to become endemic.
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Then, once COVID-19 becomes endemic, it is likely that the COVID-19 vaccine will be carried out annually like flu shots.
Symptoms of Omicron include:
Fever or chills
Cough
Difficult to breathe
Fatigue
Muscle ache
Vomiting or nausea
Nasal congestion
Have a cold
Sore throat
Headache
Lack of appetite
skin rash
Sweat at night
Loss of sense of smell or taste
Diarrhea