Almost 800,000 people around the world have already died from
COVID-19, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University
and Microsoft
MSFT,
Emerging markets, where health-care systems and economies are already struggling, is where the pain will be most pronounced, he explained in a recent interview in the Economist.
But the U.S. is dealing with its own unique set of issues, as politics and conspiracy theories have contributed to what he said has been a disappointing response. Why? In the name of freedom.
‘We believe in freedom, individual freedom. We optimize for individual rights.’
According to Gates, Trump supporters have wielded “freedom” to make a political statement that continues to complicate the U.S. response to the pandemic. Refusing to wear a mask, for instance, is one way for them to signal their anger and resistance.
Read: No mask? This video might change your mind
Will that change if Joe Biden wins the presidency? Don’t count on it.
“I don’t think a change in administrations will get people to wear masks,” Gates said. “It’s hard to see how we build that trust network and improved behavior. It’ll mostly be incremental.”
Read:The ‘Oligarchic Dozen’ just reached a ‘disturbing milestone’
It’s more than that, though. Gates explained that the U.S. was unprepared from the beginning, as testing efforts were slow to make an impact once the virus began to spread.
