Melinda Gates gives S. Korea and Germany ‘A’ for COVID-19 response

Melinda Gates, the wife of Microsoft founder Bill Gates and co-founder of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has chosen South Korea and Germany as the countries that best handled COVID-19.

When asked during an interview with CNBC on Tuesday (local time) if there is a country that deserves an A for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Melinda Gates said it is South Korea and Germany. During an interview with Politico last Monday, she gave the Trump administration a D-minus for its poor response of the coronavirus. She also criticized a lack of national response by the federal government, saying governors were coming up with “50 different homegrown state solutions,” which led to further confusion.

Melinda Gates was skeptical about the possibility of a vaccine being produced within the year. She said a vaccine may be developed by the end of the year “if we’re lucky.” She said developing a vaccine that would not create more harm to our bodies requires extensive study and time, adding, “This is not a quick nor swift process.” The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has donated 100 million dollars for the development of COVID-19 vaccine and treatment.


abro@donga.com