Billionaire Bill Gates has revealed he tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Microsoft co-founder shared his diagnosis on Twitter late afternoon on Tuesday, May 10, 2022.
‘I’ve tested positive for COVID,’ wrote Gates, 66. ‘I’m experiencing mild symptoms and am following the experts’ advice by isolating until I’m healthy again.’
I've tested positive for COVID. I'm experiencing mild symptoms and am following the experts' advice by isolating until I'm healthy again.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 10, 2022
The philanthropist added: ‘I’m fortunate to be vaccinated and boosted and have access to testing and great medical care.’
Gates then brought up his nonprofit that fights poverty, disease, and inequity worldwide. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation met on Tuesday for the first time in two years, he said.
‘I am lucky to be on Teams to see everyone and thank them for their hard work,’ said Gates, referring to Microsoft’s video conferencing platform.
‘We will continue working with partners and do all we can to ensure none of us have to deal with a pandemic again,’ Gates tweeted.
Gates has been heavily involved in coronavirus and disease discussions since leaving the tech industry. In his book How to Prevent the Next Pandemic, released earlier this month, he explains why he believes Covid-19 can be the last global pandemic. He details lessons learned from the coronavirus and specific steps to stop possible future pandemics.
‘This is something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, and COVID has only made it clearer that the world needs to prioritize eliminating pandemics as a threat to humanity,’ Gates writes.
Around the same time, however, Gates warned that ‘we haven’t even seen the worst of’ the coronavirus yet.
‘We’re still at risk of this pandemic generating a variant that would be even more transmissive and even more fatal,’ he told the Financial Times.
His foundation has pledged $150 million to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation for its fight against the coronavirus and any future pandemics. The coalition funded the development of the Modern and AstraZeneca vaccines and takes part in the initiative to distribute jabs across the globe.