Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been diagnosed with early stages of bilateral pneumonia after testing positive for the coronavirus, the Rainews24 broadcaster reported on Friday.
Berlusconi was hospitalised in Milan earlier on Friday.
Bilateral interstitial pneumonia is a serious infection that can inflame and scar the lungs.
It is one of many types of interstitial lung diseases, which affect the tissue around the tiny air sacs in the lungs.
One can get this type of pneumonia which affect both lungs as a result of COVID-19.
The 83-year-old is in San Raffaele hospital as a precaution. He is currently not in any danger, according to the press service.
According to the politician’s doctor, Alberto Zangrillo, Berlusconi’s condition is not a cause for concern.
“At the moment, the clinical picture of Berlusconi looks mild and encouraging,” Zangrillo said, as broadcast by the national TV, adding that the former prime minister was not intubated and is breathing normally.
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Berlusconi is staying in a ward that meets the COVID-19 regulations, the doctor added.
He also noted that the politician would stay in the hospital for the next few days.
“The hospitalisation is expected to last for several days, also because medical protocols are requiring this,” Zangrillo said.
The doctor added that the infection was identified at the right time.
Zangrillo has previously said that Berlusconi’s hospitalisation was needed due to his age and past illnesses, which made him a high-risk COVID-19 patient.
The former Italian prime minister tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday, after which he self-isolated at home.
Sputnik/NAN