Pope Francis III remains in a precarious condition as he continues receiving treatment for double pneumonia, one of his doctors stated on Friday. However, his medical team reassured that he is expected to recover.
Francis was hospitalized at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on February 14 after experiencing breathing difficulties for several days.
“If the question is whether he is out of danger, the answer is no. But if you’re asking whether he is currently in life-threatening danger, the answer is also no,” Dr. Sergio Alfieri said during a press conference.
According to doctors, double pneumonia is a serious condition that causes both lungs to become scarred and inflamed, making breathing difficult.
Meanwhile, the Vatican has described the Pope’s infection as “complex” due to its polymicrobial nature, meaning it is caused by two or more micro-organisms.
Pope Francis to be in the hospital for the coming week
Pope Francis III has been able to get out of bed, sit in an armchair to do some work, and even visit the chapel within his private hospital apartment, according to his medical team.
However, doctors anticipate that he will remain at the facility “at least” through the coming week.
Dr. Sergio Alfieri, a member of the medical staff at Gemelli, noted that given the Pope’s age of 88 and his previous health issues, he is naturally a fragile patient.
Addressing concerns, Alfieri assured reporters that the Pope does not have sepsis, a life-threatening condition where the body’s response to an infection damages its own tissues and organs.
However, he cautioned that there is still a risk of the infection spreading. “If, unfortunately, one of these germs were to enter the bloodstream, any patient would develop sepsis, and sepsis, combined with his respiratory condition and age, could be very difficult to overcome,” Alfieri stated.