Entertainment TV Jimmy Fallon Reveals He Tested Positive for COVID: 'I Was Vaccinated and Boostered' The Tonight Show host said he only experienced "mild symptoms" while infected with the virus By Joelle Goldstein Joelle Goldstein Joelle Goldstein is a Senior News Editor on the TV team for PEOPLE Digital. She has been with the brand since 2017, working as an intern, digital news writer and Human Interest writer-reporter before joining the TV team to help oversee and edit digital coverage. Her work has previously appeared in The Hollywood Reporter. People Editorial Guidelines Published on January 3, 2022 09:06PM EST Jimmy Fallon recently tested positive for COVID-19. The Tonight Show host, 47, announced his diagnosis in a post on Instagram Monday, explaining that he received the positive results right before Christmas, despite being fully vaccinated. "Hey guys, on the first day of our holiday break I tested positive for Covid. I was vaccinated and boostered which made me lucky enough to only have mild symptoms," he wrote beside a photo that showed him sitting alone inside a testing room wearing a mask. "Thank you to the doctors and nurses who work so hard around the clock to get everyone vaxxed," he continued. "Thank you to NBC for taking the testing protocols so seriously and doing a great job." For more on what you need to know about the spike in COVID cases, listen below to our daily podcast on PEOPLE Every Day. "And also thanks for putting me in the 'What 'chu talkin' about Willis?' isolation room when they told me the news," Fallon jokingly added, referencing Gary Coleman's iconic line from the sitcom, Diff'rent Strokes. Jimmy Fallon inside a COVID-19 testing room. Jimmy Fallon/instagram US Breaks COVID Record at Nearly Half a Million Cases in a Single Day When asked by a fan in the comments section if he will be filming new shows or if a guest would be filling in, Fallon responded: "The positive came back on 12/18. Back at work today and feeling 100%!" Reese Witherspoon also left a comment, writing "hope you had a speedy recovery!" Fallon thanked the actress and said, "Back to 100%!" Fallon is the latest celebrity to reveal that he contracted the virus amid the rising cases of coronavirus sweeping the country, due mostly in part to the highly contagious omicron variant. Jimmy Fallon. Charles Sykes/Invision/AP/Shutterstock Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Other stars who've recently tested positive include Hugh Jackman, Whoopi Goldberg, Debra Messing, LL Cool J, and Jessie J. Weeks before he tested positive for COVID, Fallon teamed up with Megan Thee Stallion and Ariana Grande to release a COVID-friendly holiday tune titled, "It Was A… (Masked Christmas)". RELATED VIDEO: Jimmy Fallon Makes Emotional Return to Tonight Show Studio: 'Any Type of Normalcy Feels Great' Fallon teased the music video on Instagram several times, including once where he showed himself and Grande wearing animated masks featuring each other's mouths singing the lyrics, "It was a masked Christmas, we're stuck in the house, we covered our nose, we covered our mouth" and "this Christmastime, we'll be in line for a booster." Stallion was also seen in the clip, rocking a nurse's uniform and vaccine syringes on her fingers. As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from the CDC, WHO and local public health departments. PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMe to raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, click here.