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By Crispian Balmer
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican said on Saturday that Pope Francis' health had deteriorated over the past 24 hours and for the first time described his condition as "critical", reporting he had needed supplemental oxygen and blood transfusions.
The pope was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on February 14 after experiencing difficulty breathing for several days, and was subsequently diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.
In a statement on Saturday evening, the Vatican said the 88-year-old Francis had suffered a "prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis" during the morning that had required the administration of "high-flow oxygen".
"The Holy Father's condition remains critical," the statement said. "The Pope is not out of danger."
It added: "The Holy Father remains alert and has spent the day in a chair, though he is suffering more than yesterday. At the moment, the prognosis remains guarded."
Besides the additional oxygen, the Vatican said he had also needed blood transfusions because tests showed he had a low platelet count, which is associated with anaemia.
A U.S.-based doctor said the Gemelli team was probably using the transfusions to raise the pope's levels of both red blood cells and platelets, which are small cell fragments in the blood that help form clots and stop or prevent bleeding.
Dr. Andrea Vicini, a Jesuit priest and professor at Boston College, stressed he only knew of the pope's case through the Vatican's public statements. "It seems it is under control, but his body is showing signs of difficulty to overcome (the) situation," he said.
OUT OF SIGHT
The Vatican announced earlier on Saturday that the pope would not appear in public on Sunday to lead prayer with pilgrims, the second consecutive week he will have missed the event.
It is believed to be the first time he has missed two consecutive Angelus prayers for health reasons. After undergoing intestinal surgery in 2021, he led the Angelus just one week later, and skipped one public Sunday prayer in 2023 following another operation.
Double pneumonia is a serious infection that can inflame and scar both lungs, making it difficult to breathe. The Vatican has described the pope's infection as "complex," saying it is being caused by two or more micro-organisms.
In a briefing on Friday, two of his doctors said the pope was highly vulnerable due to his age and frailty.
Dr. Sergio Alfieri, a senior member of the Gemelli staff, said there was a risk the lung infection could spread to his bloodstream and develop into sepsis, which "could be very difficult to overcome".
Francis, who has been pope since 2013, has suffered bouts of ill health in the past two years. He is particularly prone to lung infections because he developed pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed.
(Additional reporting by Joshua McElwee; Editing by Sharon Singleton, Bernadette Baum, Cynthia Osterman and Paul Simao)
