A right-wing radio host in Tennessee, who had questioned the need for Covid-19 vaccines while promoting 'alternatives,' is 'fighting for his life' against the virus in a critical care unit.
Phil Valentine, who hosts a show on SuperTalk 99.7 WTN in Nashville, is battling 'Covid pneumonia and the attendant side effects,' his brother, Mark, said in a statement Thursday.
'Please continue to pray for his recovery and PLEASE GO GET VACCINATED!' Mark Valentine implored.
Phil Valentine, 61, appeared to be in high spirits July 12 when he told his followers in a Facebook post that he had the coronavirus.
'Unfortunately for the haters out there, it looks like I'm going to make it,' he joked.
He went back on air two days later according to his Facebook profile, striking a more grateful tone but still promoting 'alternatives.'
'Thanks for all the prayers and well-wishes,' he said. 'The good news is there are some very effective alternatives to the vaccine.
In a July 12 Facebook post, Valentine announced he had contracted the coronavirus
Two days later, he went back to hosting his radio show and promoted 'very effective alternatives to the vaccine' on Facebook
Valentine is now in a critical care unit battling Covid-related pneumonia and breathing with assistance, his family says. Above, medical staff in Airdrie, Scotland, attend to a Covid patient
'If you're high risk of dying from COVID I still strongly suggest you consider the vaccine, but this it totally your choice,' he said in a post. 'Just make sure you're prepared if you decide against the vaccine.'
Things took a turn for the worse since then.
The radio host is breathing with assistance in a critical care unit, but he is not on a ventilator, according to a family statement published by Newsweek.
Valentine repeatedly questioned the safety of vaccines and the way they are administered
Valentine's social media accounts are littered with posts questioning the safety and necessity of the vaccines.
'Ah, but I'm sure their vaccine is perfectly safe. Don't worry about it,' he tweeted on July 16, four days after announcing he had contracted the virus, above a link to an article about vaccine maker Johnson & Johnson pulling their sunscreens from shelves over cancer concerns.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly urges people to get vaccinated with one of the vaccines produced by Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson.
'They went through all the required stages of clinical trials,' the federal agency says on its website. 'Extensive testing and monitoring have shown that these vaccines are safe and effective'
The U.S. continues to lead the world with nearly 34.3 million confirmed COVID-19 infections and over 610,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Johnson also questioned the efficacy of masks, calling face-covering mandates an 'overreach.'
Mask mandates were also a target of skepticism in Valentine's radio show and social media
'Phil would like for his listeners to know that while he has never been an "anti-vaxxer" he regrets not being more vehemently "Pro-Vaccine,"' his brother Mark said.
Some have reacted with schadenfreude at the news of Valentine's illness.
'I got their vaccine. And I am NOT currently in the hospital getting assistance with breathing,' replied one person under Valentine's tweet slamming Johnson & Johnson.
Some have reacted with schadenfreude at the news of Valentine's serious illness
'Ah, but I'm sure you'll be fine. Don't worry about it.'
Another person asked for thoughts and prayers.
'My thoughts are vaccines work,' they continued. 'My prayers are that anyone that follows you learns a lesson from your ignorance.'
Valentine is the son of Tim Valentine, a former six-term Democratic congressman from North Carolina who died in 2015.
In 2012, Phil Valentine wrote and released the documentary An Inconsistent Truth. In the film, he tried to debunk facts presented in former Vice President Al Gore's 2006 climate-change documentary An Inconvenient Truth.
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