Sturgill Simpson revealed on Saturday that he tested positive for COVID-19 – but had to fight to get medical treatment.
The country singer-songwriter shared a photo he said was taken on March 13 that shows him laying in a hospital bed with a mask and blood pressure cuff. “My wife took me to our local hospital ER due to chest pains, fever, and pre-stroke blood pressure levels,” he explained in the caption.
Simpson said he pulled the plug on his tour the day before due to the COVID-19 outbreak. He had spent the previous two months performing in Western Europe and on the U.S. east coast.
The 41-year-old said he was denied a COVID-19 test because he did not meet the criteria.
On April 6, Simpson was tested at a drive-thru installation. On Friday, the singer was notified by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that he is positive. He said he has been symptom-free for almost a month.
“All I know is I first felt symptoms a month ago yet Im still positive and contagious and now on quarantine in the dojo until April 19th,” he wrote.
View this post on InstagramOk since they are in short supply these days here are some facts... We were on tour in Western Europe for two weeks late Jan /early Feb..then up and down the southeast/eastern US playing arena shows mid Feb to early March. We played Charleston, SC on March 10 and they pulled the plug on our tour March 12 and I returned home. This photo was taken at 9am on March 13th when my wife took me to our local hospital ER due to chest pains, fever, and pre-stroke blood pressure levels. I spent an hour listening to a (highly condescending) Doctor refuse to test me because I “did not fit testing criteria” and tell me why it was impossible that I had contracted the virus due to its extreme rarity and that it was not in western Europe yet during that same period (which we now know is incorrect) even though I was told by two nurses that I was the first person their hospital had walk in requesting to be tested. Almost one month later on April 6th my wife and I were both tested after finally finding a free drive-thru testing facility outside a National Guard depot. Yesterday on Friday April 10th, after almost one month without any symptoms, I received a call from the Nashville CDC stating that my test resulted in a positive detection for Covid-19. My wife (who has been by my side since Europe) tested negative. I should also add that the CDC nurse I spoke to yesterday told me that it reacts differently in a case by case basis and the White House briefings and the information they are providing is basically pure speculation causing fear and that the only thing anybody knows is that we don’t really know much yet. All I know is I first felt symptoms a month ago yet Im still positive and contagious and now on quarantine in the dojo until April 19th and really wishing Id taken my wife’s advice and put a bathroom in the floor plans..live and learn. But hey, at least our Government appointed task force headed by a man who does not believe in science is against mass testing and we now have a second task force in the works to “open America back up for business”! Dick Daddy out.
Last week, country-folk singer John Prine died of complications from COVID-19, which also claimed the life of country singer Joe Diffie, singer-songwriter Alan Merrill and former Fountains of Wayne frontman Adam Schlesinger. Marianne Faithfull was hospitalized with symptoms and singers P!nk, Sara Bareilles and Christopher Cross said they recovered from the virus, as did Duran Duran bassist John Taylor.
