VATICAN (Agencies): At a press conference in Rome’s Gemelli hospital on the eventing of February 21, Rome time, members of the Pope Francis medical team say that he is not yet out of danger, and will be in hospital at least another week, Vatican News reported.
Speaking to journalists, Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the head of the team taking care of the pope, and Dr. Luigi Carbone, the vice-director of the Vatican’s healthcare service, said that they believed the pope would be hospitalised for “at least” the entirety of the next week.
Dr Alfieri emphasised that thePope Francis is does not need a ventilator, although he is still struggling with his breathing and consequently keeping his physical movements limited.
Nevertheless, Pope Francis is sitting upright in a chair, working, and joking as usual. When one of the doctors greeted the him by saying “Hello, Holy Father”, he replied with “Hello, Holy Son”.
Previously on February 20, it was reproted that Pope Francis’ condition had improved slightly and he has received the Eucharist did some work during the day.
It had also been reported that he had been resting well, getting up out of bed to have his meals, do some reading, and go about his work.
At present, his doctors main concern is to prevent germs in Pope Francis’ respiratory tract from entering his bloodstream, causing sepsis.
However, however, Dr. Alfieri said he was confident that Pope Francis would leave the hospital at some point and return to Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican – with the proviso that when he does so, his chronic respiratory issues will remain.
On the afternoon of February 19 the pope received a visit from prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, with whom he spent 20 minutes in private.”
Meloni said, “I am very pleased to have found him alert and responsive. We joked as always. He has not lost his well-known sense of humour.”
