Health
Pope Francis Has Bilateral Pneumonia
Pope Francis, who remains hospitalized, has bilateral pneumonia, the Vatican said on Tuesday.
The term simply means pneumonia in both lungs, said Dr. James Musser, director of the center for infectious diseases at the Houston Methodist Research Institute. He added that, without examining a patient, he could not say anything specific about his condition.
In general, pneumonia is an infection of the small airways of the lungs. As the body mounts an inflammatory response, small pockets in the lungs fill with immune cells; symptoms can include fever, cough and shaking chills. To diagnose the illness, a doctor typically asks the patient to say a long “e,” as if the person were singing. Through a stethoscope, the “e” of a pneumonia patient sounds like an “a,” said Dr. Paul Pottinger, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Washington.
Most people with pneumonia recover well at home and do not need to be hospitalized. But for older people, pneumonia can be “a deadly situation,” infectious disease experts said.
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, professor of medicine and infectious diseases at the University of California, San Francisco, added that “the mortality rate goes up after age 85.” The pope is 88, and is missing part of one lung after pulmonary surgery in 1957.
The most likely cause of pneumonia is an infection caused by a bacterium, Streptococcus pneumoniae, according to Dr. Chin-Hong. “The No. 1, 2 and 3 cause of pneumonia is strep pneumonia,” he said.
The illness can respond to antibiotics, but bacteria can sometimes spill out of the lungs and into the rest of the body, resulting in sepsis, a dangerous situation. A vaccine can help mitigate this sepsis risk but does not prevent the condition, Dr. Chin-Hong said.
Dr. Pottinger noted that, although strep pneumonia can involve both lungs, it usually is confined to one lobe of one lung. Most bilateral pneumonia, he said, is caused by viruses, including influenza, or other bacteria. Other causes include respiratory syncytial virus, or R.S.V., Legionella, mycoplasma and chlamydia, Dr. Pottinger said.
He agreed with Dr. Chin-Hong about the likely gravity of the pope’s condition.
“It is a very scary situation,” Dr. Pottinger said.
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Anyone living in the Maldives born after Jan. 1, 2007, may be affected by the first-ever generational smoking ban.
On Nov. 1, a new law — proposed by the country’s President Mohamed Muizzu earlier this year — took effect in the country, banning an entire generation from smoking, purchasing or using tobacco.
In a press release, the Ministry of Health called it a “historic milestone in the nation’s efforts to protect public health and promote a tobacco-free generation.”
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The ban applies to all forms of tobacco, and retailers are required to verify the age of users prior to any sale.
The Maldives also maintains a complete ban on the import, sale, distribution, possession and use of electronic cigarettes and vaping products, regardless of age.
Authorities in the Maldives say the measure marks a “historic milestone” for public health. (iStock)
“The Generational Ban on Tobacco reflects the Government’s strong commitment to protecting young people from the harms of tobacco,” the Ministry added in the statement.
The World Health Organization has called tobacco use an “epidemic” and “one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced.”
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The WHO’s data shows that tobacco use is responsible for over seven million deaths annually, as well as disability and long-term suffering from tobacco-related diseases.
The new law bars anyone born after Jan. 1, 2007, from buying or using tobacco products. (iStock)
“All forms of tobacco use are harmful, and there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco,” the agency states.
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The organization added that cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use worldwide.
The law complements existing restrictions on e-cigarettes and vaping products. (iStock)
The Maldives is the first country to see a generational smoking ban come to fruition, although New Zealand proposed a ban that would have outlawed tobacco sales to those born after Jan. 1, 2009, starting in 2024.
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Before the ban could take effect, however, it was struck down in 2023.
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Britain is currently considering a similar law, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which, if passed, would prohibit anyone born after Jan. 1, 2009, from buying tobacco products or vapes.
Health
She Lost 160 Pounds With Social Walking—Here’s How Strolls With Friends Can Boost Your Health
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