"World could be entering worst part of pandemic": Bill Gates on rising Omicron cases

Microsoft co-founder and billionaire Bill Gates on Tuesday, December 21, said that the world could be entering the worst part of the pandemic due to COVID's Omicron variant.

Gates, in a series of tweets, aimed to alert the public to the current COVID-19 variant spread and said that it was worrisome.

Gates also informed that his close friends have begun testing positive for the virus and that he has since cancelled his holiday plans.

Bill Gates said that the Omicron spread was increasing faster than any other variant. Reiterating that this could be the “worst part of the pandemic”, Gates raised concern over the reinfection rate of the new variant of the coronavirus.

"Just when it seemed like life would return to normal, we could be entering the worst part of the pandemic," Gates tweeted on Tuesday. "Omicron will hit home for all of us. Close friends of mine now have it, and I’ve cancelled most of my holiday plans," he added.

Continuing on his thread about the variant’s spread, he said that the Omicron could be the worst variant yet. “Omicron is spreading faster than any virus in history. It will soon be in every country in the world,” Gates said.

The big unknown is how sick omicron makes you. We need to take it seriously until we know more about it.

Even if it’s only half as severe as delta, it will be the worst surge we have seen so far because it’s so infectious,” he wrote

Furthermore, Gates said that the people must look after each other and take precautionary measures to stop the further spreading of the virus.

He also pushed the public to take booster vaccines. “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.