Pele contracted Covid-19 three weeks before being hospitalized with a respiratory infection.

Former Brazilian footballer Pelé has developed a lung infection that has kept him hospitalized since November 29 after contracting COVID-19, his daughter Kelly Nascimento announced on Monday.

“Three weeks ago he had covid-19. He is vaccinated with all doses against this disease, but because of the chemotherapy he is undergoing for colon cancer, he is fragile and contracted a lung infection, so he ended up in the hospital, ”said the daughter of the former football player of the Brazilian Globo TV channel.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pele, was admitted to the Israelita Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo last Tuesday for a re-evaluation of a treatment for colon cancer discovered in September 2021, but ended up suffering a respiratory infection that was “treated with antibiotics,” explained medical team.

According to the latest clinical bulletin published on Saturday, Pele, 82, “responded well to treatment for the respiratory infection and the clinical condition has not worsened in the past 24 hours.”

Several Brazilian media outlets speculate that the health of the three-time world champion has deteriorated, despite the fact that Pelé’s children have been assuring in recent days that their father’s situation is not serious.

“He’s not in intensive care, he’s in a regular ward and he’s not in danger, he’s undergoing treatment,” his daughter Flavia Arantes told Globo, adding: “It’s very unfair that they say he’s in the hospital.” terminal state and receiving palliative care”.

Pele’s health has deteriorated in recent years for other reasons, such as spinal, hip and knee problems that reduced his mobility and forced him to undergo surgery, in addition to suffering a kidney crisis that drastically reduced his public appearances, although he remains active in in social networks.