(Bloomberg) -- Pope Francis has tested negative for the coronavirus after suffering a slight cold which led him to cancel several public gatherings, newspaper Il Messaggero reported Tuesday.
The Rome paper said Francis, 83, underwent the test as he has been suffering from a cough, a slight temperature, a sore throat and chills. The illness sparked speculation in Italian media that he had contracted the virus.
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A spokesman for the Pope did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Francis was taken ill last week after leading a procession in Rome. He has been only slightly unwell and has maintained his private meetings, a Vatican official said last week.
To contact the reporter on this story: John Follain in Rome at jfollain2@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ben Sills at bsills@bloomberg.net, Alessandro Speciale
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