Pope has a mild flu, CT scan shows no pulmonary issues

By Vatican News

Pope Francis traveled to Rome's Gemelli hospital on the Tiberian Island on Saturday to undergo a CT scan on his lungs in connection with his flu-like symptoms.

According to the Holy See Press Office, the tests yielded negative results for any risk of pulmonary complications and he then returned to his Vatican residence at the Casa Santa Marta.

"In the early afternoon, Pope Francis underwent a CT scan at Gemelli Hospital on Isola in Rome to rule out the risk of pulmonary complications. The test yielded negative results, and the Pope returned to Casa Santa Marta," read the statement.

When he was 21-years-old, Pope Francis developed pleurisy, an inflammation of the tissues surrounding the lung, which led to surgery to remove three pulmonary cysts and a small part of his upper right lung.

Audiences cancelled

Earlier on Saturday, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, announced the Pope's audiences for the day would not take place.

"The audiences of the Holy Father scheduled for this morning are canceled due to a slight flu-like condition," read a communiqué to reporters accredited to the Holy See.

Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is accompanied by symptoms that include "an acute onset of fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, and fatigue," according to the World Health Organization (WHO).