Larry King now breathing on his own amid COVID-19 battle

Larry King is staying strong amid his COVID-19 battle. His representatives confirmed on Monday that he has been taken out of the intensive care unit at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

The talk show host is not out of the woods yet but his prognosis seems to be looking good. David Theall, the spokesman for King's Ora Media production company, revealed in a statement to the Associated Press that the 87-year old is able to breathe on his own now. He was even able to share a video call with his three sons.

King's representative Jason Rovou likewise confirmed that the talk show icon's health "continues to improve" amid his battle with COVID-19.

"He and his sons thank everyone for the outpouring of support and can't wait to get him home. They also thank the medical workers and staff at Cedars-Sinai and hospitals elsewhere who are providing care to so many people under extraordinary circumstances," Rovou said in a statement sent to USA Today.

King was moved to the ICU on New Year's Eve so he can get his much-needed oxygen. He has been in the hospital for over a week now. A source close to the family revealed that he contracted the virus from a healthcare worker who visited his home.

His sons and wife, Shawn King, have only been receiving updates about his health from medical staff and doctors monitoring his condition. They are not allowed to visit him per the health and safety restrictions of the hospital amid the pandemic.

The "Larry King Live" host has been through several health issues in the past. He survived a heart attack in 1987 and even had quintuple bypass surgery. He also had another surgery to remove a malignant lung tumor in 2017 when he was diagnosed with Stage 1 lung cancer.

He also suffered a near-fatal stroke in March 2019 and even woke up from a two-week coma following a procedure to insert stents in his heart in April 2019. He survived all these challenges, which gave fans and celebrity friends hope that he will also beat COVID-19.