According to the Vatican, Pope Francis, who was sent to the hospital for bronchitis treatment, is in stable condition despite having a respiratory infection, reports RTE.
About eight hours after the pope was brought to the Gemelli hospital in Rome, a statement was released stating, “The Holy Father… has undergone specialist examinations and has started hospital drug therapy.”
“The initial tests showed a respiratory tract infection,” it stated. “His clinical condition is fair; he has a slight fever,” reports RTE.
According to Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni, the pope had read a few newspapers and was calm and cheerful.
For almost a week, Francis, 88, has been afflicted with bronchitis.
The pope will miss a number of scheduled public activities over the next three days as he recovers in the hospital, the Vatican previously said, reports RTE.
Over the past two years, Francis, who has been pope since 2013, has experienced many bouts of influenza and other health issues.
He suffered from pleurisy as a young adult, had a portion of his lungs removed, and has recently become more susceptible to lung infections.
Francis informed pilgrims during a weekly gathering earlier this month that he had a “strong cold,” which the Vatican subsequently said was bronchitis, reports RTE.
Before entering the hospital, the pope attended a number of meetings. One was with CNN news channel CEO Mark Thompson.
According to a subsequent CNN story, the pope was “mentally alert but struggling to speak for extended periods due to breathing difficulties,” reports RTE.
The pope also met with Cardinal Luis Tagle, a senior Vatican official, Robert Fico, the prime minister of Slovakia, and a Puerto Rican Catholic charitable organisation.
Francis was shown smiling and chatting softly while seated at a desk in his Vatican apartment in the video of the pope’s meeting with Mr. Fico, reports RTE.
Francis has had breathing problems since the middle of December.
During a number of his public appearances in January and February, he asked aides to read his prepared remarks instead of reading statements, reports RTE.
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