The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will commit $5 million to help public health agencies in the greater Seattle region enhance their capacity to detect novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in King County, Snohomish County, and other surrounding communities.
“Early detection plays an essential role in helping public health authorities identify and treat people with COVID-19, take steps to safely isolate them, and reduce transmission within the community,” says Gates Foundation Chief Executive Officer Mark Suzman. “The Gates Foundation deeply appreciates the efforts that local, state, and federal public health authorities have invested in responding to this outbreak, and we are eager to contribute our knowledge and resources to the effort.”
The foundation will work in coordination with Public Health-Seattle and King County, the Washington State Department of Health, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help them enhance their capacity to detect and treat COVID-19 and guide public health efforts to reduce transmission. Part of this effort will explore how the resources of the Seattle Flu Study could be pivoted toward emergency efforts to monitor and respond to COVID-19.
To read more, visit the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
