Bill Gates explains 3 steps the U.S. should take now to make up for lost time on COVID-19

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says there is "no question the United States missed the opportunity to get ahead of the novel coronavirus," and there are three steps that must be taken now in order to soften the blow to the economy and slow the number of deaths.

In an op-ed for The Washington Post published Tuesday, Gates said there has to be "a consistent nationwide approach to shutting down." In some states, restaurants are still serving diners and beaches are open, which is a "recipe for disaster," Gates said. "Because people can travel freely across state lines, so can the virus. The country's leaders need to be clear: Shutdown anywhere means shutdown everywhere." It could take at least 10 weeks to get the number of COVID-19 coronavirus cases down, he said, and until then, "no one can continue business as usual or relax the shutdown."

The federal government also needs to do more testing, with the results aggregated "so we can quickly identify potential volunteers for clinical trials and know with confidence when it's time to return to normal," Gates said. Health care workers and first responders should have priority, followed by "highly symptomatic people who are at most risk of becoming seriously ill and those who are likely to have been exposed."

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There has to be a "data-based approach to developing treatments and a vaccine," Gates said, and politicians need to stay quiet and stop spreading rumors about both. Once there is a safe and effective vaccine, billions of doses will need to be manufactured, he said, and facilities where they will be made can be built now. The country has "a long way to go," Gates said, but he still believes "if we make the right decisions now, informed by science, data, and the experience of medical professionals, we can save lives and get the country back to work."