Sturgill Simpson has tested positive for coronavirus

Country musician Sturgill Simpson has revealed he’s tested positive for coronavirus, sharing a post to his Instagram account yesterday (April 11).

Simpson says that he sought out medical care on March 13 after experiencing chest pains, fever and pre-stroke blood pressure levels but was refused testing by doctors because he was told he did not fit the criteria.

The Nashville-based artist says he was unable to obtain testing until nearly a month later on April 6. He says he received the news on April 10 from the CDC stating his test had resulted in a positive detection for COVID-19.

View this post on Instagram

Ok 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.

A post shared by Sturgill Simpson (@sturgillsimpson) on Apr 11, 2020 at 10:57am PDT

Simpson had previously been on tour in Western Europe in late January and early February, followed by a run of arena shows US from mid-February before being forced to cancel the remaining dates and return home mid-March due to the outbreak.

• Read more: Sturgill Simpson live in Hamburg: Not quite the sleazy ‘Sound & Fury’ set you were expecting

In his Instagram post, Simpson called out the White House briefings and the information they’re sharing for “causing fear” through speculation.

“All I know is I first felt symptoms a month ago yet I’m still positive and contagious and now on quarantine in the dojo until April 19th,” Simpson wrote in the post.

“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”!”

Simpson’s last album was 2019’s ‘Sound & Fury’. In February, the singer revealed he was no longer working with his record label, Elektra.

“I’m not going to give them anything ever again, so I guess I’m done,” the musician said. “I can go back to just doing it myself better than they do.”