*Update on the Pope's health, Tuesday, February 18, 2010* Laboratory tests, chest x-ray and the Pope's clinical condition continue to present a complex picture. The polymicrobial infection, arising against a background of bronchiectasis and asthmatic bronchitis, and which has required the use of antibiotic therapy with cortisone, makes the therapeutic treatment more complex. The control chest CT scan that the Holy Father underwent this afternoon, prescribed by the Vatican health team and the medical team of the Gemelli Polyclinic Foundation, revealed the appearance of a bilateral pneumonia that required further pharmacological treatment. However, Pope Francis is in good spirits. On Tuesday morning the Pope received the Eucharist and, during the day, he alternated rest with prayer and reading texts. He is grateful for the closeness he feels at this time and asks, with a grateful heart, that we continue to pray for him. _Source: https://x.com/zenitenglish (with information from the Holy See Press Office)._