POPE’S HOSPITAL STAY EXTENDED AFTER NEW DIAGNOSIS

Tue 18 February 2025:

Pope Francis will remain in the hospital for an extended period due to a new diagnosis announced by the Vatican on Monday, following his bout with bronchitis last week.

The 88-year-old leader of the Catholic Church has been diagnosed with a “polymicrobial respiratory infection,” prompting doctors to adjust his treatment for the second time since his hospitalization on Friday, the Vatican stated Monday evening.

“His condition is stable,” the Holy See’s press office said, adding that the pontiff had spent the day working and reading.

__________________________________________________________________________

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22

__________________________________________________________________________

Polymicrobial infections are caused by combinations of viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites according to the science journal The Lancet. Such infections in the respiratory tract are difficult to treat.

“All tests carried out to date are indicative of a complex clinical picture that will require appropriate hospitalization,” the Vatican said in a statement posted on its Vatican News website earlier on Monday.

The head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics has been hospitalized at the Gemelli Hospital in the west of Rome since Friday and was, according to the Vatican at the time, suffering from bronchitis.

Initially, it was reported from Francis’ entourage that his stay could last until the middle of next week. Doctors have ordered “absolute rest,” the Vatican said.

Concerns about the pope’s health have grown over the past week, as his voice repeatedly faltered during public appearances and he rarely left his Vatican residence. Doctors had been recommending that he go to hospital for treatment for some time, according to media reports.

Part of the native Argentinian’s right lung has been missing since his youth, which is an aggravating factor for his condition. He has frequently complained of respiratory problems.

All of Francis’ planned appointments have been cancelled for the rest of the week. At 88, Francis is the second-oldest pope in history. He has been in office since March 2013, succeeding Benedict XVI. Polymicrobial respiratory infections can affect the nose, throat and lungs.

During prolonged acute bronchitis, an inflammation of the large and medium-sized airways in the lungs which is usually caused by a viral infection, a bacterial infection is often superimposed on the earlier infection, resulting in a so-called superinfection.

Jens Becker, a German-based specialist in lung and bronchial medicine, said of the diagnosis released by the Vatican: “That’s a vague term. It could be anything from superficial bronchitis to a severe lung infection.” He added that that the term does not provide any information about the severity of the illness.

A spokesman for the Vatican, Matteo Bruni, told journalists on Monday that the pope was “in good spirits,” according to Vatican News.

It’s the fourth time since 2021 that Francis has been hospitalized at a special wing reserved for the pontiff at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

__________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22