Phil Valentine, an outspoken conservative talk radio host in Nashville died Saturday from complications due to the novel coronavirus, radio station SuperTalk 99.7 WTN announced in a Twitter post.
"We are saddened to report that our host and friend Phil Valentine has passed away," the station posted. "Please keep the Valentine family in your thoughts and prayers."
Valentine, 61, had been hospitalized for more than a month while battling COVID-19. His family in late July revealed that he was in "very serious" condition and suffering from "covid pneumonia" along with other side effects.
He was placed on a ventilator days later.
Valentine previously expressed disagreement with mask mandates and the COVID-19 vaccine, writing in a blog post last December that he wasn't an anti-vaxxer but following logic in not getting vaccinated.
“I’m not an anti-vaxxer,” he wrote. “I’m just using common sense. What are my odds of getting Covid? They’re pretty low. What are my odds of dying from Covid if I do get it? Probably way less than 1 percent. I’m doing what everyone should do and that’s my own personal health risk assessment. If you have underlying health issues, you probably need to get the vaccine. If you’re not at high risk of dying from Covid then you’re probably safer not getting it.”
Valentine was diagnosed with COVID-19 on July 11. Days later he was admitted to the hospital. His brother, Mark Valentine, during an appearance on WWTN-FM in Nashville said his brother was regretful that he wasn't a more vocal advocate for getting vaccinated.
“For those listening, I know if he were able to tell you this, he would tell you, ‘Go get vaccinated. Quit worrying about the politics. Quit worrying about all the conspiracy theories,’” he said.
Mark Valentine insisted that while his brother had not been anti-vax, “he got this one wrong.”
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