A conservative radio host named Phil Valentine died on Saturday at 61-years-old from COVID-19, having been hospitalized for over a month with Covid-related pneumonia.
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The Nashville-based SuperTalk 99.7 WTN personality did not strictly identify as an anti-vaxxer, according to CNN, but he did make a number of statements on his program that he supposedly came to regret, per a statement released by his brother Mark Valentine in late July while Phil was in the hospital being treated for virus complications.
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“Phil would like for his listeners to know that while he has never been an ‘anti-vax,’” Mark shared on Facebook through the radio’s page, “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. Phil & his family would like for all of you to know that he loves y’all and appreciates your concern, thoughts & prayers more than you will ever know. Please continue to pray for his recovery and PLEASE GO GET VACCINATED!”
On his program, Valentine had shared misinformation, like saying people who have already had COBID-19 do not need the vaccine, which is in opposition to the recommendation of health officials. He wrote on his blog in December of 2020 that he believed the odds of dying from Covid-19 for him were “probably way less than one percent.”
“I’m not an anti-vaxxer,” he claimed. “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 one 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. That evokes shrieks of horror from many, but it’s true. I’m weighing the known versus the unknown.”
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Though understanding of the vaccine’s efficacy and the new Delta variant have changed quite a bit about the assumptions Valentine might make now, had he not gotten sick, even in late last year this was a very naive statement about the potential danger of rejecting a vaccine. Many of his conservative followers are mourning Valentine:
But may his final message to his fans reach them: get vaccinated.
*First Published: August 23, 2021, 6:44 am
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