Pope Francis, who has been seen in public in recent days coughing and sneezing, has tested negative for coronavirus, according to Italian media reports.

Il Messagero newspaper said the Pope had been subjected to a swab but it had resulted in a negative result, without citing sources.

The Vatican’s spokesman, Matteo Bruni, declined to confirm or deny that the Pope had been tested.

But in a statement released late on Tuesday, he said: "The cold that the Holy Father has had in the past few days is taking its course and there are no symptoms ascribable to any other pathologies."

The Pope has had the symptoms of a heavy cold for some days and on Sunday had to cancel a week-long Lent spiritual retreat, the first time that has happened during his papacy.

He has also had to cancel a number of audiences and official engagements in the past few days.

The Vatican canceled another major event on Tuesday – a meeting of international political and religious leaders who were to sign “A Global Compact on Education” in May. It was postponed until October.

Organisers said participants might have difficulty in traveling to Italy because of flight bans linked to the coronavirus crisis.

The Pope’s next public appearance is scheduled for Sunday.

Although physically robust, he had part of one lung removed when he was a young man in Buenos Aires.

At 83, his age also makes him vulnerable to illness. Many of the Italians who have died from coronavirus have been in their eighties.

Within the Vatican there is also concern for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who is 92 and lives in a former monastery within the tiny city state.

Italy is the country worst affected in Europe by the coronavirus outbreak. The country reported a spike in the number of deaths from the virus to 79, with more than 2,500 people infected.

The civil protection agency said 27 people had died since Monday. Most of the deaths have been recorded in the northern Lombardy region around Milan.