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Howto Prevent the Next Pandemic

ByBill Gates, PenguinRandom House, $55

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Weare in a pandemic that has killed millions, but it hasn't been the worst (the Spanish Flu of 1918-20 killed more). Bill Gates saysweain't seen nothing yet. There's worse to come, according to the expert on everything.

He has studied pandemics, and warned the world years ago in a TEDTalk thatwewere about to be in the grip of one— and he was right. Now is the time to plan for the next, which he says will be even worse.

Gates has been involved in pouringmoney into his Gates Foundation to fight Covid-19, so he has a fewclues.

His theory is that weneed to do more, faster and better. Weneed to be able to identify whatever pathogen it is sooner, and develop vaccines quicker. Hewants to hold regular pandemic exercises and fund a team of global pandemic firefighters— Germ, Global Epidemic Response and Mobilisation.

He's right that while the world identified gaps in its pandemic response well before Covid-19 arrived, it didn't do anything about them. Too little PPE, too few masks, not enough organisation.

Gates points out these flaws and has a few suggestions to prevent us being overwhelmed again.

Heavoids the problem of vaccine misinformation, saying “the truth will outlive the lies”. Good luck with that. —