Inductee John Prine speaks onstage during the Songwriters Hall of Fame 50th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner at The New York Marriott Marquis in New York City on June 13, 2019. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame )
Singer-songwriter John Prine has been hospitalized with CCP virus symptoms and is in stable condition after being placed on a ventilator, his wife, Fiona Whelan Prine said on March 30.
The Prine family said Sunday that he was critically ill. Fiona Prine’s message Monday on social media said he is in stable condition, but added that it’s not the same as improving and there is no cure for COVID-19, which is caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus. Prine remains hospitalized.
“Please continue to send your amazing love and prayers,” she said on Twitter. “Sing his songs. Stay home and wash hands. John loves you. I love you.”
Prine’s wife, Fiona Whelan Prine, previously revealed she had tested positive for the CCP virus after she and her husband returned from a European trip and that the couple were quarantining separately. In a video posted to Instagram on March 19, Fiona said she displayed some of the “typical symptoms,” such as a cough and breathlessness but did not have a high fever, while her husband’s results had come back “indeterminate.”
Fiona Whelan (L) and John Prine attend the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Jan. 26, 2020. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Prine has battled with a number of health issues over the years including cancer in the neck in the 199os and his left lung in 2013, for which he underwent surgery to remove a part of his lung. His wife noted that his underlying health conditions placed him in the category of those vulnerable to contracting the CCP virus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a number of preexisting health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, liver disease, and being on hemodialysis, may put people at additional risk of contracting CCP virus. Pregnant women should also be monitored as they are known to be at risk with severe viral illness, however data on COVID-19 has not shown increased risk.
Prine, who is considered one of the most influential songwriters of his generation, has won Grammy awards for best contemporary folk album in 1992 and 2006, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019. He is perhaps best known for his songs “In Spite of Ourselves,” “Sam Stone,” and “Angel From Montgomery.” Before contracting the CCP virus, he was scheduled to perform shows in May and had a summer tour planned.
