Pope Francis coughs as he leads the weekly Angelus prayer in St Peter's Square at the Vatican, March 1, 2020.
Reports about Pope Francis getting sick has worried Catholic devouts around the globe for fear that the pontiff might contracted coronavirus, which has infected thousands in Italy. It is known that he has been suffering colds and coughs, which is the cause of his absense in some events and gatherings. For everyone's peace of mind, the pope was tested for COVID-19 to ensure that he is safe from said disease.
It turns out that Pope Francis tested negative for the novel coronavirus. However, the Vatican said that the pope is still ill and suffering from a cold but is not exhibiting other symptoms.
According to a report by Italian newspaper Messaggero, the 83-year-old pontiff has been tested for the virus as a precaution after the Vatican sovereign canceled events since last week due to "slight indisposition."
Matteo Bruni, Vatican spokesman did not directly confirm the statement the pope was tested for COVID19 but said that the cold diagnosed in the pope was still running its course and that the pope is not exhibiting any other symptoms that can be attributed to other pathologies.
For the first time in the duration of his papacy, Pope Francis canceled a Lent retreat last Sunday, following previous cancellations of meetings and appearances. The pope retreated to the confines of his Vatican residence for the duration of the past week.While reciting the Angelus Prayer last Sunday, the pontiff suffered two coughing fits and later on apologized to the Saint Peter's Square crowd saying that a cold has forced him to skip this year's Lent retreat.
COVID-19 caused by a new strain of coronavirus which first emerged in China and has spread worldwide, among the worst affected is Italy which has recorded 2,500 cases and 79 deaths.
Amid the issues surrounding the health of the Pope, the Vatican has been projecting a calm image and released a recorded video of the pope last Tuesday saying that he will still deliver his Angelus Prayer on Sunday. However, the usual throng of people who crowd Saint Peter's Square and the long queues in front of Vatican museums are gone.
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Due to the pope's current health condition, his planned appearances at the end of the month including a meeting with 2,000 youngsters coming from 115 counties in Assisi have been postponed until November due to the looming feat of the coronavirus contagion. Another even with students around the world was supposed to be scheduled in May but is moved in October for the same reason.
Aside from the pope's health, the Vatican has also encountered a coronavirus-related scare as offices of a French priest who is working a the Ministry of Communication in the Vatican were disinfected. This is after a community of almost 20 priests have been in contact with a priest who returned to Paris in mid-February and was confirmed positive for the virus last week.
Aside from losing part of his lung in his younger years and suffering sciatica which causes his difficulty in walking, the pope has enjoyed good health since. He rarely cancels his appointment and even makes extra effort and time to mingle with the faithful.
According to Vatican experts, fear over the virus within the city state is particularly acute due to the fact that many of its residents are elderly, including 92-year-old ex-pope Benedict the XVI who dwells in a small former monastery inside the city.
The novel coronavirus which is the causative agent for the deadly COVID-19, has infected more than 95,000 worldwide and has taken at least 3,200 lives since its first emergence in Wuhan.
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