Talk radio host skeptical of COVID vaccine dies after virus diagnosis, station says
Nashville radio host Phil Valentine has died, reports SuperTalk 99.7 WTN on social media.
“We are extremely saddened to report that our host and friend Phil Valentine has passed away. Please keep the Valentine family in your thoughts and prayers,” 99.7 posted Saturday. “We love you Phil, we will mis(s) you.”
The station reported in a broadcast that Valentine died around 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
“This is, unfortunately, one of those moments that we’ve all been dreading,” 99.7 WTN radio host Dan Mandis said during the on-air announcement of Valentine’s death.
Valentine confirmed his COVID-19 diagnosis on July 11 and was hospitalized in “very serious condition” two weeks later.
The 62-year-old, whose syndicated talk show aired on 30 stations across the U.S., had been outspoken about the vaccine and questioned its necessity among those with the lowest risk of catching COVID-19, including children.
But, after his diagnosis, the radio host “regrets not being more vehemently ‘Pro-Vaccine’, and looks forward to being able to more vigorously advocate that position,” according to a post by a relative, Mark Valentine.
AUG. 18 UPDATE
Friends and family of Phil Valentine say the conservative radio host is “in grave condition” more than a month after being hospitalized with the coronavirus.
Dan Mandis, a colleague of Valentine’s at SuperTalk 99.7 WTN in Nashville, shared an update with listeners on his Facebook page Monday.
“Update from Phil’s family: Phil remains in grave condition. Please continue to pray!!” he wrote.
Valentine first confirmed his COVID-19 diagnosis on July 11 and was hospitalized in “very serious condition” two weeks later.
AUG. 2 UPDATE:
Conservative talk radio host Phil Valentine is in “critical but stable” condition after a week in the hospital with COVID-19, according to family members.
Valentine’s brother, Mark Valentine, has been keeping listeners posted on his sibling’s condition via Facebook.
“Phil has stabilized, kidney function is fine, HR & BP are good as well,” he wrote in a Facebook post Sunday. “Keep the prayers coming please!”
Phil Valentine, who hosts a syndicated talk show on Nashville’s SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, had previously expressed doubts about the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy individuals but is now urging everyone to get the jab.
JULY 29 UPDATE:
Conservative talk radio host Phil Valentine is now on a ventilator after being hospitalized with COVID-19 last week.
Nashville’s SuperTalk 99.7 WTN confirmed the news Thursday in a Twitter post, saying Valentine made the decision “out of an abundance of caution” and to give his body a rest.
“We are confident he will pull through,” the tweet reads, “& thank you for your continued prayers.”
ORIGINAL STORY:
A talk radio host in Tennessee is expressing regrets about his stance on the coronavirus vaccine after falling seriously ill with the virus, his family says.
Two weeks after Phil Valentine’s positive COVID-19 test result, relatives of the Nashville SuperTalk 99.7 WTN host say he’s “fighting for his life.”
He “is in very serious condition,” the broadcaster’s brother, Mark Valentine, wrote in a Facebook post Thursday, revealing his brother is suffering from pneumonia brought on by COVID-19. “He is in the hospital in the critical care unit breathing with assistance but is NOT on a ventilator.”
The 62-year-old, whose syndicated talk show is aired on 30 stations across the U.S., has been outspoken about the vaccine and questioned its necessity among those with the lowest risk of catching COVID-19, including children. In a Facebook post dated June 24, Valentine blasted Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as “public health nuisances” for censoring COVID misinformation and, in a follow up comment, said giving the vaccine to kids was “tantamount to child abuse.”
Valentine confirmed his COVID-19 diagnosis on July 11 and described it as an “interesting experience.” He said he hoped to be back on the air in a day or two, according to his Facebook post, and would only take time off as a precaution.
Since then, his health has continued to decline as he battles the virus, family members told The Tennessean.
“He is positive, and he is scared,” Mark Valentine said, according to the newspaper. “He knows he is very, very sick. ... He has not turned the corner.”
Relatives of the conservative radio host said Phil now regrets his skepticism toward the vaccine and is encouraging everyone to get it.
“Phil would like for his listeners to know that while he has never been an ‘anti-vaxer,’ “ Mark Valentine wrote, “he regrets not being more vehemently ‘Pro-Vaccine’, and looks forward to being able to more vigorously advocate that position as soon as he is back on the air, which we all hope will be soon.”
As of August 17, 61.8% of U.S. adults are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Just over 72% of adults have received at least one dose.
This story was originally published July 25, 2021 at 2:04 PM with the headline "Talk radio host skeptical of COVID vaccine dies after virus diagnosis, station says."