John Prine Is Now ‘Stable’ After Contracting Coronavirus, Wife Fiona Has Recovered
Folk legend John Prine is now in stable condition after being hospitalized with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The singer-songwriter's wife, Fiona Prine, offered an update on Monday (March 30), after previously sharing that her husband's "situation [was] critical" one day before.
"We are humbled by the outpouring of love for me and John and our precious family," Fiona Prine, who contracted and has recovered from the coronavirus, says in a tweet. "Please continue to send your amazing love and prayers. Sing his songs. Stay home and wash hands. John loves you. I love you."
In a second tweet later on Monday, Prine clarifies: "[Stable] is not the same as improving. There is no cure for COVID-19. He needs our prayers and love -- as do the thousands of others who are critically ill. Stay at home. Wash your hands. We love you."
A Sunday (March 29) tweet from the Prine family on John Prine's official account reported that the music icon experienced "a sudden onset of COVID-19 symptoms" and was hospitalized on Thursday (March 26). He was intubated on Saturday evening (March 28) and is still receiving care.
Fiona Prine revealed on March 17 that she had been diagnosed with the coronavirus. At the time, John Prine was tested, too, but his test came back "indeterminate;" therefore, the couple immediately isolated themselves from each other and others.
John Prine, who is 73, is at higher risk for the coronavirus because of his older age and past medical issues. In 1999, he was diagnosed with cancer and had a large area of diseased tissue removed from his neck, which caused a permanent alteration to the sound of his voice. Doctors also found cancer in his left lung in 2013, and it, too, was successfully removed. In February, he was forced to cancel tour dates after injuring his hip.
At the time she revealed her coronavirus diagnosis, Fiona Prine urged fans -- and the American public as a whole -- to stay home and help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. To date, there are 122,653 recorded cases of the novel coronavirus in the United States; 2,112 people have died of the disease in the U.S. alone.
"I'm asking you to please stay at home. That's all," Prine said at the time. "The government can help, and I think they are really starting to really figure out that this is serious, this is life and death for God knows how many Americans. They can help, but, honestly, it is truly in our hands. It is up to us Americans to make an individual decision for our families and say, 'You know what? This is scary as hell. I may not get a paycheck next week. I don't know what I'm gonna do with the kids' ...
"Just stay home. Please, stay home," Prine added. "I think we'll get through this if we do it together."
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