Bill Gates contracts COVID-19

Bill Gates, the American business magnate and co-founder of Microsoft, has tested positive for the virulent COVID-19 virus.

Gates announced this on Twitter on Tuesday, adding that he is experiencing mild symptoms.

“I’m fortunate to be vaccinated and boosted and have access to testing and great medical care.

“The Gates Foundation is coming together today for the first time in two years, and I am lucky to be on Teams to see everyone and thank them for their hard work.

“We will continue working with partners and do all we can to ensure none of us have to deal with a pandemic again.”

Gates has been a vocal supporter of pandemic-fighting measures, particularly access to vaccines and medication for poorer countries.

Gates expressed concern about the unfair distribution of vaccines in his end-of-year message for 2021, adding that with the emergence of new variants and challenges with vaccination, the world is not as close to the end of the pandemic as he had hoped.

“I am hopeful, though, that the end is finally in sight. It might be foolish to make another prediction, but I think the acute phase of the pandemic will come to a close some time in 2022,” he said.