Comedian and actor Chris Rock revealed Sunday that he has tested positive for Covid-19, and he is using the opportunity to urge others to get vaccinated against the virus.
On his verified Twitter account, Rock posted, “Hey guys I just found out I have COVID, trust me you don’t want this. Get vaccinated.”
The former “Saturday Night Live” cast member didn’t comment on his condition, and his representatives did not immediately return a request from CNN for further comment.
Rock told Jimmy Fallon on an episode of “The Tonight Show” in May that he received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and joked that he used his star status and “skipped the line” in getting it.
“I used my celebrity, Jimmy,” Rock said. “I didn’t care. I was like, ‘Hey, step aside Betty White, step aside old people, Judge Judy.’”
People who are fully vaccinated can still get Covid-19 – these are called breakthrough cases – but being immunized greatly reduces the risk of hospitalization or death, health experts say.
In fact, people who are not vaccinated against Covid-19 were 11 times more likely to die of the disease and 10 times more likely to be hospitalized with the disease, a study published earlier this month by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.
“Please have a swift and mild case and a full recovery. Hurry, we need you,” tweeted Larry Charles, the “Seinfield” producer and writer.
CNN’s Theresa Waldrop contributed to this report.