John Prine’s Wife, Fiona, Diagnosed With Coronavirus
John Prine's wife, Fiona, has been diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19), and she's begging people to stay at home out of concern for others.
Fiona Prine shared the news of her diagnosis in a video she posted to social media on Tuesday (March 17), explaining that she and her husband both got tested "late last week" and that his test came back indeterminate.
"I have some of the typical symptoms. I didn't have a high fever, but I certainly had a cough and some breathlessness," she says, adding that she and her husband are taking all of the necessary precautions, including being quarantined away from each other and other members of their family.
"It's hard, I won't lie, but it's absolutely important," she says.
Prine adds that her husband is in a higher risk bracket for the virus because of his age and his medical history, which includes bouts with cancer in 1999 and 2013 and heart surgery in 2019. He recently canceled a show that was slated for April due to a hip injury, and Fiona Prine says they're taking every precaution to make sure the 73-year-old singer does not get exposed if he doesn't have the coronavirus already.
She's also urging everyone else to do the same to help limit the spread of the virus.
"I'm asking you to please stay at home. That's all," Prine says. "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.'"
"Just stay home. Please, stay home," Prine adds. "I think we'll get through this if we do it together."
The Nashville country music community has been deeply impacted by the coronavirus outbreak, which has caused virtually every major arena tour to be canceled or postponed, along with major festival events. The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic on March 11, and U.S. President Donald Trump has declared a national state of emergency as health officials warn everyone to practice social distancing and stay home as much as possible.
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