John Prine’s Wife Fiona Offers a Health Update After COVID-19 Diagnosis: ‘He Is Very Ill, Yet I Remain Hopeful’
John Prine is still in the ICU after contracting the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). He is "very ill," and has contracted pneumonia, but his family is holding out hope, the folk legend's wife, Fiona Prine, shared on Thursday night (April 2).
April 2 marks John Prine's eighth day in the ICU, Fiona shares on social media.
"He is receiving excellent medical care and being treated with kindness and compassion by the entire team looking after him day and night," she explains. "He still needs quite a bit of help with his breathing. Like many patients currently in ICU beds all around the world, John has pneumonia in both lungs. He has also developed some peripheral issues that are being treated with meds, including antibiotics."
Fiona and the rest of John Prine's family are not able to be with him because of how easily the coronavirus spreads, "which makes this nightmare all the more distressing for me," she admits. "He is very ill, and yet I remain hopeful that he can continue to fight this devastating virus and come home where we can care for him."
"I don’t have the words to adequately thank you all for the outpouring of love and prayers that John and our family has received this last week. It means the world to us to have your love and support at this difficult time," Fiona Prine conclues. "On behalf of me and our boys — Jody Jack and Tommy — please know that we are keeping you all in our hearts with a prayer that you stay safe and healthy. Please continue to send love, prayers and positive energy to John. He needs us now more than ever."
Prine was admitted to the hospital after experiencing "a sudden onset of COVID-19 symptoms" on Thursday (March 26). He was intubated on Saturday (March 28) and, as of Sunday (March 29), the "situation [was] critical." On Monday (March 30), Fiona Prine shared that her husband was "stable," but still not out of the woods.
"[Stable] is not the same as improving," she explained. "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."
Fiona Prine revealed on March 17 that she had been diagnosed with the coronavirus (she has since recovered). 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," she 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," Fiona Prine added. "I think we'll get through this if we do it together."