The doctors at the Policlinico Gemelli hospital in Rome, where Pope Francis has been admitted since Wednesday, already know what he is suffering from. The Pontiff suffers from bronchitis of infectious origin and is responding well to intravenous antibiotic treatment, so, according to “the expected evolution”, he “could be discharged in the coming days.”
This was announced this Thursday by the medical team that follows the Pope, who has noticed a “clear improvement in his state of health” since he was hospitalized in the apartment reserved for the popes on the tenth floor of this Roman health center, which is night had the lights on. It is an area that during the long stays of John Paul II became known as the “Vatican 3”, behind the summer residence of Castel Gandolfo.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio is dedicating his hospital admission to rest, but also to work, according to information sent by his spokesman, Matteo Bruni. The Pope spent a quiet first night and in the morning, after breakfast, he read some newspapers and went back to work. Before eating he went to the chapel of the private apartment – ??added the spokesman – where he prayed and received the Eucharist”. In the afternoon, the Bishop of Rome devoted himself to “resting, praying, and doing some business matters.”
The Italian news agency Ansa also published that the Gemelli nurses are “very optimistic” thinking that, barring any surprises, the Pope can be discharged before the imminent Holy Week celebrations begin with the Palm Sunday mass on the 2nd of April. They have carried out all kinds of tests, such as a chest CT, but the results do not raise fears of an alarming situation. Blood oxygen saturation is being checked at all times.
The health of Francisco, 86, has been a cause for concern since the Holy See reported on Wednesday that he was in the hospital for “pre-scheduled checks”, something that sparked all kinds of rumors in Rome. In the end, the Vatican had to explain that the Argentine pope had been having difficulty breathing for a few days and his doctors considered that it was best for him to be transferred to the hospital, where he would remain for a few days to receive “appropriate” medical treatment. His collaborators quickly cleared their schedule for this Thursday and this Friday and also canceled an interview with an Italian program for an Easter special.
The Pope arrived at the Gemelli in a medical vehicle after, after returning from the Wednesday audience, he felt unwell and his private nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, recommended hospital admission. This is the same toilet that Francisco said he “saved his life” because he convinced him to undergo colon surgery in 2021, at the same hospital, in which 33 centimeters of intestine were removed. The audience passed normally, but it did allow the Pope to be seen more tired and serious than usual and with swollen hands.
