John Prine Still ‘Very Ill,’ Battling Pneumonia in Both Lungs
John Prine’s wife Fiona reported that the veteran singer-songwriter was continuing to fight coronavirus in ICU, and added that he needed his fans “more than ever.”
The 73-year-old Prine has been in the hospital since March 26, and Fiona – who’s in recovery from the COVID-19 illness herself – previously reported that he was in a stable condition.
“This is John’s eighth day in ICU,” she tweeted. “He is receiving excellent medical care and being treated with kindness and compassion by the entire team looking after him day and night. I cannot be with him, which makes this nightmare all the more distressing.”
She noted that 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.”
Even though Prine is “very ill,” Fiona noted that she remains "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 have received this last week. Please continue to send love, prayers and positive energy to John. He needs us now more than ever.”
There are currently 1.03 million cases of COVID-19 confirmed worldwide, with 54,207 deaths and 219,924 recoveries. Of the 756,000 active cases, 95 percent are reported to be mild, with 38,178 listed as serious or critical. In the U.S., a total of 245,380 cases have been confirmed, with 6,095 death and 10,411 recoveries.