After more than a month hospitalized for pneumonia in both lungs, Pope Francis will be discharged this Sunday, as reported by the medical director of Gemelli Hospital, Dr. Sergio Alfieri.
The pontiff, 88 years old, will need at least two months of rest and rehabilitation as he continues his recovery at the Vatican.
Francisco was admitted to the Roman hospital on February 14th, after a bout of bronchitis that quickly escalated and led to a dangerous lung infection. According to his doctors, the Pope faced several respiratory crises that kept him in critical condition during part of his hospitalization.
This Saturday, in the first in-person press conference since February 21, doctors provided details on the complex clinical picture faced by the pontiff. Initially, he was diagnosed with a respiratory infection of bacterial, viral, and fungal origin, which progressed to pneumonia in both lungs. He also showed signs of anemia, decreased platelets, and early-stage renal failure, conditions that were reversed with two blood transfusions.
On February 28th, the Pope suffered a severe coughing fit that led to the inhalation of vomit, requiring the use of non-invasive mechanical ventilation. In the following days, he experienced two additional respiratory crises that required medical intervention to manually aspirate the buildup of mucus. Since then, he has started sleeping with the assistance of a device to help clear his lungs.
Despite the seriousness of his condition, he never lost consciousness and remained alert and cooperative, according to the medical team.
In the last two weeks, the Pope has shown signs of improvement and has reduced his dependence on supplementary oxygen during the day. He no longer needs to use the ventilation device at night.
The Vatican announced that Pope Francis will make his first live appearance this Sunday since entering the hospital, offering his Sunday blessing from the window of his suite on the tenth floor of Gemelli Hospital. Up to now, his public presence had been limited to an audio message broadcast on March 6 and a photo released on March 16.
This has been the longest hospitalization of Pope Francis since the beginning of his pontificate in 2013. His health condition has been a cause for concern, especially due to his medical history: he suffers from a chronic lung disease and lost part of a lung in his youth.