Coronavirus: Bill Gates predicts ‘substantial’ reduction in death rate by end of year
- Gates sees antivirals and various antibodies under development as the most likely drivers in lowering death rates
- Fatality ratios for most hard-hit countries range from 15 per cent to 1 per cent
Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates said antiviral medications and antibody therapies meant to counter Covid-19 will likely bring about a “substantial death rate reduction” by the end of this year.
“There's a good chance we'll have substantial death rate reduction by the end of the year with the combination of those new tools, several of which are [for] when you start to have serious symptoms,” and could be used to treat Covid-19 before a person needs to go into intensive care, Gates said in a CNBC interview broadcast on Tuesday.
The observed coronavirus case-fatality ratio in the 20 most infected countries ranges from 15.2 per cent in Britain to 1 per cent in Saudi Arabia, with most countries showing 4 per cent or below, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The antiviral drug remdesivir, produced by Gilead Sciences, is one that may be developed into a form patients can take closer to the onset of symptoms, Gates said.
Under an “emergency use authorisation” granted by the US Food and Drug Administration for the experimental antiviral medication in May, hospitals can administer remdesivir intravenously to patients on ventilators or requiring supplemental oxygen.