TJ Manotoc

Pope Francis stops using oxygen mask, Vatican says

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<p>Pope Francis has suspended the use of an oxygen mask, the Vatican said on Wednesday, adding that the 88-year-old&#x27;s clinical conditions were &quot;improving&quot; after more than one month in hospital.</p><p>The Argentine pope has been in Rome&#x27;s Gemelli hospital since February 14 suffering from pneumonia in both lungs, but the Vatican has reported recent progress after earlier worries that his life could be at risk.</p><p>&quot;The Holy Father&#x27;s clinical conditions are confirmed to be improving,&quot; wrote the Vatican in a medical bulletin, which it is now publishing only sporadically, instead of daily, due to his improved health.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:777px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-2&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1902423630967161030&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-03-19T18%3A23%3A09.207189%3A6711dabb-8d2b-4028-b9c9-8c30d022d979%26action%3Dview&amp;sessionId=70d2b2db3d555653759ba105494e19e791546e08&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="1902423630967161030"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>He has &quot;suspended non-invasive mechanical ventilation and also reduced the need for high-flow oxygen therapy&quot;, it said, adding that there was progress in the pope&#x27;s motor and respiratory physiotherapy.</p><p>After a series of breathing attacks earlier in the pope&#x27;s hospital stay, his breathing has improved over the past week, with the Vatican on Monday saying he was spending short moments breathing on his own.</p><p>During the day he has relied on a cannula -- a plastic tube tucked into his nostrils -- to deliver high-flow oxygen, which doctors are now reducing.</p><p>Until this week, Francis had worn an oxygen mask but on Tuesday the Vatican said he had managed without one for the first time.</p><p>Francis is prone to respiratory illnesses and had part of one lung removed as a young man.</p><p>Despite his recent improvements, the Vatican has yet to say when he could be released from the hospital.</p><p>At the weekend, it said the Jesuit still required therapies to be administered from the hospital.</p>

<p>Pope Francis has suspended the use of an oxygen mask, the Vatican said on Wednesday, adding that the 88-year-old's clinical conditions were "improving" after more than one month in hospital.</p>

Pope Francis has suspended the use of an oxygen mask, the Vatican said on Wednesday, adding that the 88-year-old's clinical conditions were "improving" after more than one month in hospital.