George Michael is past the worst of his battle with severe pneumonia, according to his doctors. In a statement today, physicians at Vienna's AKH hospital said that the 48-year-old is 'improving steadily' a week after falling ill. They confirmed that despite some recent speculation, the singer is not suffering from any other health issues.
Doctors said he had been in intensive care because of the 'severity and extension' of the illness. They made clear that he will need a period of 'complete rest' to recover from the illness but emphasised he had no further underlying health problems. In a statement, Professors Gottfried Locker and Christoph Zielinski said: 'The latest development in Mr Michael's case, which has evolved from a severe pneumococcal infection, necessitated intensive care due to its severity and extension.
'We are happy to announce that Mr Michael is improving steadily with an impressive regression of pneumonic symptoms and follows a steady rate of improvement as hoped. There are no other health issues with regards to the patient other than the underlying pneumonic disorder, and no further measures had to be taken.' They continued: 'Mr Michael is receiving precisely the same treatment as any ordinary patient in Austria would receive at the hospital for this disease.' The medics said 'complete rest and peace and quiet are mandatory' for his recovery.'
The news will come as relief to the singer's family, who rushed to be at his side this week, and his boyfriend Fadi Fawaz, who was pictured looking strained as he left the hospital yesterday. Hair stylist Fawaz has been a constant presence at the singer's side throughout his ordeal. Talking about visiting Michael, Fawaz said: 'I have been seeing him each day and he is getting stronger all the time. George is trying to stay upbeat. He is smiling through it all and everyone is just willing him to get better.' He has been joined by his 75-year-old father Kyriacos Panayiotou – known as Jack Panos – as well as older sisters Melanie, 49 and Yioda, 53.
His former boyfriend, art dealer Kenny Goss is also due to join the group gathered at the former Wham! star’s side. A close friend last night told the Mail: ‘His whole family are with him. They are very close knit all of them. The family are around him. They are such a close family I can’t tell you. They all love each other. George is just such a lucky man in that sense. He’s so adored.’ The friend went on: ‘The family are very private. The most important thing is that George gets better.’ Goss, 53 - who split from Michael in 2009 - will jet to Vienna from the US, where he has galleries in both Dallas and New York. A friend said: ‘Kenny of course is very concerned. Kenny has been very supportive throughout this. He is planning to come. He’s been in touch every single day. They are very close still. Kenny and George will always be the best of friends.’
The AKH is Europe’s largest hospital with 1,600 doctors, including world experts in pneumonia treatment. Experts say that pneumonia is especially difficult to treat because it is hard to diagnose, meaning that immediate specialist care is often vital in severe cases such as Michael’s. As the Mail revealed last week, it was the decision by the specialists at AKH to bring in the futuristic Triadyne Proventa bed - which helps breathing pneumonia patients in a critical condition - which is believed to have saved the singer’s life. And friends have also told how Michael was fortunate to be taken ill in Vienna, where he was able to be admitted to a hospital which is renowned for its ‘pioneering, amazing’ work with regards to the potentially fatal illness. Fans of the singer from across Europe have also visited the hospital in the Austrian capital to wish him well. The star was rushed to hospital last week after he fell ill just hours before he was due on stage in the city. As a result, on Friday, the rest of the Symphonica tour – which was due to go on until Christmas – was called off.
