Berlusconi suffers from double pneumonia at an early stage
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was diagnosed in hospital after testing positive for the Coronavirus, in the early stages of double pneumonia.
Double or bilateral pneumonia affects both lungs and can make breathing difficult. It has been seen in many cases of patients hospitalized with Covid-19.
Berlusconi, 83, went to a hospital in Milan as a “precaution” on Thursday evening, two days after he was diagnosed with the Coronavirus, but his condition is not serious, according to Forza Italia today.
The media mogul was in seclusion at his home in the northern Milanese town of Arcore.
Forza Italia said he is now in San Rafael Hospital “as a precaution.”
Berlusconi had spoken via a video link to a supporter of Forza Italia on Thursday and said that his fever had passed.
“I no longer have a fever or pain. I want to reassure everyone that I am in good health,” he said.
His personal doctor said Mr Berlusconi decided to test for Covid-19 after spending a vacation in Sardinia.
The Mediterranean island witnessed a sharp increase in cases in August as tourists descended on its beaches.
Flavio Briatore, a friend of Berlusconi’s and the owner of the billionaire nightclub in Sardinia, was also tested positive last month.
Italy, which had one of the worst outbreaks of the virus in Europe with more than 270,000 confirmed cases and 35,500 deaths, contained the spread after the peak of deaths and infections in March and April.
But the number of new cases soared in August, as experts blamed crowds associated with the holidays and nightlife.
“I have never overlooked the importance of the Covid-19 virus, nor the risks associated with it,” Berlusconi said on Twitter yesterday.
