Retired Microsoft co-founder and WHO mega-donor Bill Gates said on Tuesday that he tested positive for Covid-19, and will be isolating until he recovers. The announcement came as Gates was gearing up his foundation to advocate for more pandemic prevention measures, and published a book on the subject.
“I’ve tested positive for COVID. I’m experiencing mild symptoms and am following the experts’ advice by isolating until I’m healthy again,” Gates tweeted on Tuesday, adding, “I’m fortunate to be vaccinated and boosted and have access to testing and great medical care.”
He pointed out that the Gates Foundation was meeting today “for the first time in two years,” but that he will use a Microsoft-owned video chat platform 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 added.
Gates has been a vocal champion of coronavirus restrictions since the start of the pandemic – from lockdowns and social distancing to masking and even vaccine mandates. Though not a doctor, his opinions have gained traction because the Gates Foundation is a major donor to the World Health Organization (WHO). It also invests billions in the development and distribution of vaccines.
The college dropout turned-software mogul also attracted scrutiny over his 2015 TED Talk in which he warned of an “inevitable” global pandemic, and the fact that his foundation sponsored the Event 201 exercise in 2019, which closely resembled what became the global response to Covid-19.
Gates has dismissed his critics as “crazy” conspiracy theorists. Earlier this month, he published a book titled ‘How to Prevent the Next Pandemic’, which was praised by WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He is also pushing for the creation of GERM (Global Epidemic Response and Mobilization), an outfit with an annual budget of at least $1 billion that would plan for future pandemics.