People News

George Michael very sick with pneumonia, cancels tour

By April MacIntyre Nov 26, 2011, 4:01 GMT

British singer George Michael performs on stage at the Hallenstadion in Zurich, Switzerland, 14 October 2011. George Michael is currently on a European tour. EPA/ALESSANDRO DELLA BELLA

George Michael has canceled his tour due to severe illness.

The dailymail.com reports that George Michael, 48, "dramatically abandoned" his tour because of a ‘severe’ form of pneumonia.

A statement from his publicist last night stressed that he has pneumonia and said any other speculation regarding his illness was ‘unfounded and untrue’.

Professor Dr Christoph Zielinski of the Medical University of Vienna, and Professor Dr Thomas Staudinger, specialist in internal medicine and intensive care medicine, said: ‘George Michael has severe community acquired pneumonia and is being treated as an inpatient...His condition has stabilised and he is responding to treatment...From the current point of view, the time until recovery cannot be estimated, but he will not be able to perform the rest of the tour. Besides medical treatment, complete rest and peace and quiet are mandatory.’

Michael reportedly is placed in a high-tech rotating bed used to help patients breathe in serious cases of pneumonia. The rotations help to prevent complications caused by immobility.

He is admitted to Vienna’s AKH hospital, which has the advanced specialist facilities to treat his illness.