Patients at Rome's "Agostino Gemelli" hospital on Thursday (March 20) expressed hopes that Pope Francis would continue to improve after the Vatican said he is no longer using mechanical ventilation to help him breath at night.

In the latest positive update on Wednesday (March 19), doctors said they believed the 88-year-old pontiff will continue to improve as he battles pneumonia.

Francis has been in Rome's Gemelli Hospital for nearly five weeks for a severe respiratory infection that has required evolving treatment.

The pope had been using non-invasive mechanical ventilation overnight during his hospital stay, which involved placing a mask over the face to help push air into the lungs.

Such ventilation had been "suspended," the statement said, adding the pope is still receiving oxygen via a small hose under his nose.

The pope's doctors believe his infection is under control, the Vatican press office said shortly after the release of the latest statement. The pope does not have a fever, and his blood tests are normal, it said.