The gradually stable state of Pope Francis’ health and his blood tests showing slight improvement of indices of inflammation were reported by the Vatican after he was said to have been suffering from pneumonia and a complex bronchial infection on account of which he had been kept in the hospital for the past six days.
Pope Francis received a 20-minute visit by Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in hospital on Wednesday, and she is reported to say the Pope is “alert and responsive” somehow in good spirits.
From the outside, Meloni is the first to visit the Pope since he’s been hospitalized in Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where popes have a special suite on the tenth floor, after his secretaries or medical team.
Double Pneumonia is more serious than other types of infections
The Vatican announced that a day after being diagnosed with double pneumonia affecting his lungs and asthmatic bronchitis, the Pope had gotten up from bed, was eating, and doing much better. According to doctors, Pope Francis was suffering from a polymicrobial respiratory tract infection mixed infection with viruses, bacteria, and possibly other organisms colonizing his respiratory tract, The Associated Press reported.
Pope Francis, 88, remains very vulnerable to complications, being that he has multiple co-morbid conditions. His position age, wheelchair use, and little physical activity made it hard for him to clear secretion building up in his lungs.
Dr. Meredith McCormack, a director of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins University, says it will be essential to see how the Pope responds to therapy, which includes physiotherapy; to help him in clearing the lungs. “Lack of worsening is an encouraging sign,” Dr. McCormack tells the Associated Press.
Italy’s PM Meloni visits Pope Francis in the hospital to assess the progress of his health
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni visited Pope Francis for twenty minutes in the hospital on Wednesday and reported that he was “alert and responsive” with a good sense of humor, even in the face of pneumonia and an uncommon bronchial infection that has rendered incapacitating the 88-year-old pontiff for six days he has spent in bed.
The Vatican has said that Francis’ overall condition remains unchanged and blood tests indicate “slight improvement” in key inflammatory parameters. In the afternoon, the pope worked with his collaborators, said the Vatican in a late statement.
Meloni expressed her wishes on behalf of the government and the people for the pope’s recovery. “We joked like we used to. He has not lost his legendary sense of humor,” she said in a statement issued by her office.
