Pope Francis has been in the Gemelli Clinic in Rome for nine days, receiving treatment for a double pneumonia. The Vatican has been regularly updating the public on the pontiff’s health. On Saturday evening, Vatican News reported that the Pope’s condition remained critical.
As previously stated in a press conference at the Gemelli Clinic on Friday, Pope Francis is not out of danger, Vatican News reported. On Saturday, the Pope experienced a persistent asthmatic respiratory crisis, requiring high-flow oxygen support. Additionally, a thrombocytopenia, or a blood disorder, was diagnosed, necessitating blood transfusions.
Although the Pope was reportedly awake during the day and spent the day in a chair, the prognosis for his recovery is currently uncertain. The Vatican Press Office released a brief statement on Sunday morning, stating that the Pope had a restful night at the Gemelli Clinic and had slept peacefully.
On Friday evening, the two treating doctors, Dr. Sergio Alfieri and Dr. Luigi Carbone, spoke at a press conference about the Pope’s health. According to Vatican News, the doctors predicted that the 88-year-old patient would likely remain in the hospital for at least the next week and is not in immediate danger of death, but also not completely out of danger.