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Larry King, fighting COVID-19, moved out of ICU

King, 87, was moved to the ICU on New Year's Eve and was receiving oxygen but is now breathing on his own, a spokesman said.

LOS ANGELES — Veteran talk show host Larry King, suffering from COVID-19, has been moved out of the intensive care unit at a Los Angeles hospital and is breathing on his own, a spokesman said on Monday.

King was moved to the ICU on New Year's Eve and was receiving oxygen but is now breathing on his own, said David Theall, a spokesman for Ora Media, a production company formed by King.

The 87-year-old broadcasting legend shared a video phone call with his three sons, Theall said.

He has had medical issues in recent decades, including heart attacks and diagnoses of diabetes and lung cancer. His age and medical history puts him in the higher-risk category for complications from COVID-19. While the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms in most people, it can be deadly for the elderly and people with other, serious health problems.

The Peabody Award-winning broadcaster was among America's most prominent interviewers of celebrities, presidents and other newsmakers during a half-century career that included 25 years with a nightly show on CNN.

King became the host of "Larry King Now," in 2012 with on demand network Ora TV, which airs three times a week. King co-founded the digital network with Mexican telecommunications mogul Carlos Slim, Forbes reported.

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Credit: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
Larry King attends the Friars Club Entertainment Icon Award ceremony honoring Billy Crystal at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on Monday, Nov. 12, 2018, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

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