The Microsoft co-founder estimates the disease will affect the developing world even longer.

Bill Gates says there should be a widespread vaccine by the end of 2021.

"The innovation pipeline on scaling up diagnostics, on new therapeutics, on vaccines is actually quite impressive," Gates told Wired magazine in an interview published Friday.

"It's because of innovation that you don't have to contemplate an even sadder statement, which is this thing will be raging for five years until natural immunity is our only hope," Gates said.

As far as treatment for those who already have the disease, Gates spoke highly of the antiviral medication remdesivir and the corticosteroid dexamethasone.