The Vatican says Pope Francis is suffering from a cold, not coronavirus.

Key points: Pope Francis was seen coughing during his traditional Sunday blessing

Pope Francis was seen coughing during his traditional Sunday blessing He has cancelled several events, including a week-long spiritual retreat

He has cancelled several events, including a week-long spiritual retreat The Vatican says he has a cold which is "running its course, without symptoms linked to other pathologies."

The pontiff came down with the illness last week and skipped several official audiences.

Then this week a coughing Pope Francis told pilgrims gathered for the traditional Sunday blessing he would cancel his participation in a week-long spiritual retreat in the Roman countryside.

It is the first time in his seven-year papacy he will miss spiritual exercises he initiated early in his pontificate to mark the start of each Lenten season.

On Tuesday, Rome daily newspaper Il Messaggero reported the pontiff had tested negative for COVID-19.

Pope Francis, seen here on a visit to Bari last month, cancelled this week's spiritual retreat in the Roman countryside. ( AP: Gregorio Borgia )

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni did not confirm or deny the report, but repeated that Pope Francis had been diagnosed with a cold.

Mr Bruni said that the Pope's cold was "running its course, without symptoms linked to other pathologies".

The 83-year-old generally has good health, but he lost part of a lung to a respiratory illness when he was a young man.

Italy is in the midst of a coronavirus emergency, with more than 2,500 positive cases and 79 deaths, the most in Europe.

The Italian civil protection agency said 27 people have died over the past 24 hours, mostly in the Lombardy and Veneto regions, more than 500 kilometres from Vatican City.

The Pope's weekly appearance on Sunday from a window high above St Peter's Square was the first time he had been seen publicly since Ash Wednesday, when coughed and blew his nose during mass.

Some worshippers at St Peter's Square have been wearing face masks even though Italy's worst outbreaks are more than 500km away. ( AP: Alessandra Tarantino )

On Sunday, Pope Francis paused twice to cough while addressing the crowd.

At the end, he asked for prayers for the spiritual retreat, saying "unfortunately a cold prevents me from participating this year".

"I will be following the meditation from here," the Pope said, explaining his decision not to travel to the Roman countryside.

Last week, the Pope cancelled two planned official audiences. They were formal affairs in the Apostolic Palace where he would have delivered a speech and greeted people.

Those were to include an audience with an international bioethics organisation and with members of the Legion of Christ religious order.

The pontiff has never previously cancelled so many official audiences or events in his seven-year papacy.

Pope Francis paused twice to cough on Sunday during his weekly appearance at St Peter's Square. ( AP: Andrew Medichin )

The Vatican press office said he would continue to work from his residence at the Vatican's Santa Marta hotel and he was receiving people in private.

The Vatican initially described the Pope's condition as "a slight illness", without giving other details.

Pope Francis has previously shown concern about the spread of germs during his private and public meetings.

During the traditional New Year's mass in January, the Pope apologised for slapping a woman's arm when she grabbed hold of his hand and yanked him towards her as he walked through the square in Vatican City.

The Vatican later stated the pontiff was merely trying to be mindful of hygiene and wanted to "avoid the risk of contagion for the people, not for him".

AP/Reuters