Sen. Cory Booker Reveals He Tested Positive for Breakthrough COVID-19: 'Relatively Mild'

Cory Booker
Cory Booker
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Paras Griffin/Getty Images Sen. Cory Booker

Cory Booker is the latest politician to reveal he has tested positive for COVID-19.

The Democratic New Jersey Senator, who is fully vaccinated, announced his diagnosis of breakthrough COVID on Twitter Sunday after feeling "relatively mild" symptoms a day prior.

"I learned today that I tested positive for COVID-19 after first feeling symptoms on Saturday. My symptoms are relatively mild," Booker, 52, wrote. "I'm beyond grateful to have received two doses of vaccine and, more recently, a booster — I'm certain that without them I would be doing much worse."

RELATED: Sen. Elizabeth Warren Announces She Has Tested Positive with Breakthrough Case of COVID-19

In a follow-up tweet, he added, "I encourage everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated and boosted," before adding a link to Vaccines.gov, where individuals can locate vaccination clinics.

That same day, 72-year-old Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren also revealed on Twitter that she had been diagnosed with COVI-19. Like Booker, she too is fully vaccinated.

"I regularly test for COVID & while I tested negative earlier this week, today I tested positive with a breakthrough case," the Democrat said in her statement.

"Thankfully, I am only experiencing mild symptoms & am grateful for the protection provided against serious illness that comes from being vaccinated & boosted," she added.

Warren issued a follow-up tweet encouraging everyone to get vaccinated. "As cases increase across the country, I urge everyone who has not already done so to get the vaccine and the booster as soon as possible — together, we can save lives," she shared.

Booker and Warren are among a number of past and present lawmakers who have come down with the coronavirus recently as the Omicron variant continues to surge.

Former U.S. Representative Katie Hill revealed over the weekend that she was also diagnosed with COVID-19. She is currently 8 months pregnant and expecting her first child — a boy — with partner Alex Thomas.

RELATED: Former U.S. Representative Katie Hill Diagnosed with COVID-19 While Nearly 8 Months Pregnant: 'Stay Safe'

"I'm boosted and got COVID and am now quarantined for Christmas while almost 8 months pregnant," Hill said in a tweet.

"Though my symptoms are mild I really wish I'd cancelled my plans for the couple weeks before this," she added. "So stay safe out there, folks."

Additionally, on Saturday, the family of 52-year-old Washington State Senator Doug Ericksen announced his death via a statement shared through Washington State's Republican Caucus. Though a cause of death was not shared at the time, Ericksen admitted he had been battling a bout of COVID-19 since November.

Breakthrough cases — COVID-19 infections that occur in people who have been fully vaccinated against the virus — are possible and expected, as the vaccines are not 100% effective in preventing infections. Still, vaccinated people who test positive will likely be asymptomatic or experience a far milder illness than if they were not vaccinated. The majority of deaths from COVID-19 — around 98 to 99% — are in unvaccinated people.