Bill Gates questioned the possibility of a more contagious strain of COVID-19 in 2022

"The emergence of a more contagious strain is unlikely, but during the pandemic, we have experienced many surprises," - wrote Gates on his Twitter.

A more transmissive variant is not likely but we have been surprised a lot during this pandemic.

Omicron will create a lot of immunity at least for the next year.

@trvrb tracks the genetics really well.

We may have to take yearly shots for Covid for some time.

- Bill Gates (@BillGates) January 11, 2022

According to him, the omicron strain will allow many to gain immunity "for at least a year."

He added that perhaps for a while, a coronavirus vaccine will be needed annually.

On November 18, 2021, Bill Gates announced that the number of severe cases of coronavirus and the death rate from COVID-19 should plummet by the summer of 2022.