Pope Francis participates in the weekly general audience at the Vatican, February 12, 2025. (Image credit: Massimo Valicchia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Pope Francis is being treated in hospital for double pneumonia, also known as double pneumonia, according to information released by the Holy See press office on Tuesday (Feb. 18). The Vatican released details of the announcement the same day.
The statement said Pope Francis, 88, was hospitalized on Friday (Feb. 14) after several days with bronchitis symptoms. A statement on Tuesday described his condition as a “complex picture.”
It also said he had a “polymicrobial infection,” meaning an infection caused by several microorganisms. The infection was due to one chronic and one acute lung disease, known as bronchiectasis and asthmatic bronchitis. The statement also said the Pope was in “good spirits” and was spending his time alternating between “rest, prayer and reading.”
On Wednesday (February 19), the Holy See's press office issued an update on Vatican News, saying: “The Holy Father's clinical condition is stable. The results of the blood tests assessed by the medical staff show a slight improvement, especially in the indicators of inflammatory processes.”
Here's what you need to know about Dad's double pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses.
What is bilateral pneumonia?
Pneumonia usually occurs when bacteria, viruses, or fungi infect the lungs, causing the body to overreact to the infection. This leads to inflammation, swelling, and fluid buildup in the small sacs of the lungs called alveoli.
There are many different germs that can cause the condition, including those that cause colds, flu, and COVID-19. (Pneumonia can also be caused by inhaling food or drink into the lungs, causing “aspiration pneumonia.”) Bacterial pneumonia is more common and usually more severe than viral pneumonia, which often causes mild symptoms that resolve on their own, according to the nonprofit Cleveland Clinic.
Common symptoms of pneumonia include chest pain, difficulty breathing, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, and a persistent cough. If the condition becomes severe, it can lead to life-threatening complications such as heart damage, death of lung tissue, respiratory failure, or acute respiratory distress, which prevents the lungs from filling with air normally.
Notably, the Pope has a polymicrobial infection, meaning it is caused by several different microorganisms and may therefore require more complex treatment.
Double, or bilateral, pneumonia means the infection has affected both of Dad's lungs. He is currently receiving antibiotics to fight bacterial infections and corticosteroids to help reduce inflammation, according to a statement Tuesday.
Severe pneumonia is also often treated with oxygen therapy or a ventilator, but the statement did not specify whether the pope received such respiratory support.
Who is at risk for pneumonia?
Anyone can develop pneumonia, but some groups of people are more susceptible to the disease.
Those most at risk include older adults and young children; people with chronic lung or heart disease; people with neurological conditions that make swallowing difficult; hospital patients or people living in nursing homes; smokers; pregnant women; and people with weakened immune systems.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 41,000 people in the United States will die from pneumonia in 2023, and 1.4 million emergency room visits in 2021 were mostly related
Sourse: www.livescience.com
