Pope Francis is responding well to treatment in hospital and his doctors have decided his prognosis is no longer guarded, the Vatican said on Monday, in a sign of progress as the 88-year-old pontiff battles double pneumonia. Francis has been in Rome's Gemelli hospital for more than three weeks. He was admitted on February 14 with a severe respiratory infection that has required evolving treatment. "The clinical conditions of the Holy Father continue to be stable," said the latest detailed medical update. "The improvements recorded in previous days have further consolidated, as confirmed by both blood tests and clinical assessments, as well as a good response to his drug treatments," it said. As a result, the pope's doctors, have decided to lift their earlier "guarded" prognosis the Vatican said, but they expect Francis "to continue medical drug treatment in a hospital setting for further days." No exact time frame was given for his discharge.