Sturgill Simpson says he's tested positive for COVID-19 nearly a month after experiencing symptoms

The country singer/songwriter has revealed in a new Instagram post that he tested positive for the virus almost a month after attempting to get a test in hospital when he was experiencing symptoms.

He reveals on his Instagram post that he toured Western Europe before returning to the US, where his tour got cancelled on 12 March. The next morning he went to hospital with "chest pains, fever, and pre-stroke blood pressure levels."

Simpson adds, "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."

He goes on to reveal that a month on, he and his wife found a "free drive-thru testing facility", and on 10 April Simpson received the results - he tested positive and his wife tested negative.

The country singer writes, "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."

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