The Vatican confirms that the Pope suffers from a respiratory infection, but excludes COVID-19

ROMA, 29 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Vatican Press Office has confirmed that the Pope - who was admitted this afternoon to the Roma Gemelli hospital - is suffering from a respiratory infection, but has ruled out that it is caused by COVID-19.

In a press release, the Vatican has confirmed that the medical checks that Francis has undergone have revealed "a respiratory infection (excluding the Covid 19 infection) that will require a few days of appropriate hospital medical treatment."

In addition, it has been reported that the Pontiff had "complained" in recent hours "of some respiratory difficulties" for which he has been transferred to the A. Gemelli Polyclinic to undergo some medical check-ups.

Vatican sources have confirmed to Europa Press that all the commitments on his agenda scheduled for Thursday and Friday have been cancelled. In a first statement, in which the Vatican reported the Pope's admission to the hospital, it had been specified that these were "pre-scheduled checks", therefore ruling out unforeseen discomfort.

As reported by the newspaper 'La Nación', upon returning to the Santa Marta residence, after presiding over the Wednesday general audience in Saint Peter's Square, as every Wednesday, the Pope began to feel pangs in his chest. For this reason, his personal health assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti, has advised him to go immediately for check-ups at the Gemelli hospital, where he has arrived by ambulance.

For its part, the Italian newspaper 'Il Corriere della Sera' cited sources from the Gemelli hospital that reported that the Pope "suffered heart problems at the end of the morning and that for safety reasons he was taken for check-ups in the cardiology department". Although these same sources appreciated that the situation "was not worrisome." "The computed tomography of the chest would have turned out well and this element is evaluated with general relief by the Pope's entourage, starting with Professor Andrea Arcangeli, director of Health and Hygiene of the Vatican Govenatorate, who is on the Pontiff's side," according to These sources have reported to the Italian newspaper.