Pope Francis suffering from 'bilateral pneumonia', several events cancelled

The Vatican said Tuesday (Feb 18) that Pope Francis is suffering from pneumonia in both lungs and the 88-year-old's clinical situation remains "complex". The Holy See has cancelled his events until the end of the weekend.

Francis, who has been pontiff since 2013, was admitted to the Gemelli hospital in Rome with bronchitis last week. He was suffering from breathing difficulties.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

In a statement, the Vatican said the "laboratory tests, chest X-ray, and the Holy Father's clinical condition continue to present a complex picture" as a "polymicrobial infection" which has come on top of "bronchiectasis and asthmatic bronchitis.

This required the use of cortisone antibiotic therapy, making therapeutic treatment "more complex", it added.

"The follow-up chest CT scan which the Holy Father underwent this afternoon... demonstrated the onset of bilateral pneumonia, which required additional drug therapy," it said.

"Nevertheless, Pope Francis is in good spirits," said the Vatican, adding that Francis spent his fifth day in the hospital alternating rest with prayer and reading texts.

"He gives thanks for the closeness he feels at this time and asks, with a grateful heart, that we continue to pray for him", it added.

Francis has had influenza and other health problems several times over the past two years.

What is the polymicrobial infection and what do the experts say?

Massimo Andreoni, who is a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Rome Tor Vergata and scientific director of the Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, said that to have a better idea of the response to treatment, it will be necessary to wait 24 or 48 hours.

Speaking to the news agency Reuters, Andreoni said, "In this case, we have bronchitis that is complicated in pneumonia, and this happened due to a polymicrobial infection. So we have a lot of different bacteria that infect the patients, and we need different drugs to cure this case."

"And also, another important point is that in this case, it's an older patient more than 88 years old, and so in these cases, the progression of the disease and the necessity of the therapy is more difficult than in patients who are more young," he added.

Andreoni said that the terminology used in this case is basically linked to an infection of the lower respiratory tract that is evolving possibly into pneumonia, which means involvement of the lung, not just the bronchi and upper respiratory tract.

'Polymicrobial', the other term that has been used, is the fact that different germs have been isolated, so it's not an infection due to one germ, but multiple germs are competing in this infection.

(With inputs from agencies)