Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates released a blueprint Thursday for how he thinks the world can beat COVID-19.He sat down for a rare TV interview with our Chief National Investigative Correspondent Mark Albert to discuss the pandemic and a 13-page "urgent" call-to-action he has released about how to address it.The Microsoft co-founder predicted in 2015 there could be a highly infectious respiratory virus."The unfortunate fact is that we didn't use that time to get prepared," Gates said. "We could have gotten lucky. And, you know, gone another decade without this."Gates said the country could have prepared sooner and it's "very unfortunate that the nightmare scenario" is causing the trillions of dollars of damage that he was worried about. "Even though I talked about it and the need to get ready for it, every day I wake up, I'm like, 'Is this really happening?'" Gates said. "You know, it's so pervasive in terms of how it's affecting the economy now and will for years to come.Watch the full interview in the video below:Meanwhile, the foundation he runs with his wife, Melinda, has now committed more than $250 million just this year for COVID-19 related research, including for a vaccine."You know, this is a defining event for all of us," he said. "You know, a chance to step up, a chance for us to help our family, you know, get — get through it. A chance to back the scientists and the health workers who are doing the heroic work."

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates released a blueprint Thursday for how he thinks the world can beat COVID-19.

He sat down for a rare TV interview with our Chief National Investigative Correspondent Mark Albert to discuss the pandemic and a 13-page "urgent" call-to-action he has released about how to address it.


The Microsoft co-founder predicted in 2015 there could be a highly infectious respiratory virus.



"The unfortunate fact is that we didn't use that time to get prepared," Gates said. "We could have gotten lucky. And, you know, gone another decade without this."

Gates said the country could have prepared sooner and it's "very unfortunate that the nightmare scenario" is causing the trillions of dollars of damage that he was worried about.



"Even though I talked about it and the need to get ready for it, every day I wake up, I'm like, 'Is this really happening?'" Gates said. "You know, it's so pervasive in terms of how it's affecting the economy now and will for years to come.



Watch the full interview in the video below:

Meanwhile, the foundation he runs with his wife, Melinda, has now committed more than $250 million just this year for COVID-19 related research, including for a vaccine.

"You know, this is a defining event for all of us," he said. "You know, a chance to step up, a chance for us to help our family, you know, get — get through it. A chance to back the scientists and the health workers who are doing the heroic work."