Richard Branson took to his Twitter account on Jan. 6 and to announce his COVID-19 diagnosis.
In another tweet shared a short time later, the billionaire also disclosed that he and his family have caught the omicron variant and are experiencing mild symptoms. Branson starts the conversation out by urging his followers to get vaccinated and boosted wherever possible.
The founder of Virgin Group said, “I’m currently recovering from a mild COVID case. Thankfully, I’m fully vaccinated & boosted (urge everyone – where available – to do the same) and feeling fine.”
Branson then informed his millions of followers that his wife, alongside friends and family, recently caught the variant without disclosing the date it may have possibly occurred. He wrote, “Friends & family, including myself and my wife Joan, recently caught omicron. Thanks to all being vaccinated and boosted, our symptoms have been mild. Can’t stress enough – if you’re eligible and in a country that offers boosters, get your booster now.”
Branson wrapped up his series of tweets by apologizing for his upcoming absence with the Virgin Orbit team to ring the bell at Nasdaq set to take place on Friday.
Although the Omicron variant is reportedly more easily transmitted than the previous coronavirus strains, the World Health Organization states that despite the rise in cases, the variant appears to cause less severe illness.