Billionaire Bill Gates announced on Twitter he is canceling most of his holiday plans because people he knows have been infected with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and "we could be entering the worst part of the pandemic."
Gates continued by saying "Omicron is spreading faster than any virus in history" and will soon be found in every country. He further called for wearing masks more and "avoiding big indoor gatherings."
Omicron is spreading faster than any virus in history. It will soon be in every country in the world.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) December 21, 2021
In the meantime, we all have to look out for each other, especially the most vulnerable, whether they live down the street or in another country. That means wearing masks, avoiding big indoor gatherings, and getting vaccinated. Getting a booster gives the best protection.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) December 21, 2021
Gates ended his warning by saying, "I know it’s frustrating to go into another holiday season with COVID looming over us. But it won’t be like this forever. Someday the pandemic will end."
I know it’s frustrating to go into another holiday season with COVID looming over us. But it won’t be like this forever. Someday the pandemic will end, and the better we look after each other, the sooner that time will come.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) December 21, 2021
Gates' doom and gloom is not backed up by the data so far from South Africa, where the first cases of Omicron were detected. Dr. Angelique Coetzee, one of the first doctors in South Africa to treat patients with Omicron said on Monday they have seen a decrease in COVID cases in the region where the Omicron variant was first found.
"We don’t see a high death rate with Omicron. And we presume that most of the people most probably has omicron in ICU. Again, we’re not sure, because we don’t distinguish between Omicron and delta. That still needs to be addressed," Coetzee said.
Still, there are some who have gone overboard with the panic to Omicron.
Okay, it’s official.
— Chely Wright (Vaxxed) (@chelywright) December 20, 2021
Our household is on lockdown. No one leaves and no one enters.
We are all vaccinated to the hilt, yes, but we will not be part of contracting or spreading another variant. #NYC #lockdown