(Reuters) - British billionaire Richard Branson said on Thursday he was recovering from a "mild" case of coronavirus along with his wife and other family members after they tested positive for the Omicron variant.

       "Friends & family, including myself and my wife Joan, recently caught omicron. Thanks to all being vaccinated and boosted, our symptoms have been mild," Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, said in a post on Twitter.

       Stressing the importance of vaccinations, Branson urged all eligible individuals to get their booster shots.

       Omicron appears to be far more easily transmitted than previous strains of the virus, though the World Health Organization has said that the evidence so far suggests the variant is causing less severe illness.

       Recently, countries including the United States and Britain have expanded their booster shot programmes, with numerous studies showing that an initial course of vaccines may not be enough to halt infection from Omicron, but a booster shot may help.

       For a FACTBOX on countries weighing need for COVID-19 booster shots, click here

       (Reporting by Akanksha Khushi and Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)