MILAN, Sept 6 — Italy’s former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is responding well to treatment after he was taken to hospital with coronavirus, his doctor said on Sunday, but warned his condition was "delicate”.

The 83-year-old media tycoon is being treated for a lung infection at San Raffaele hospital in Milan where he was admitted on Thursday night.

"The patient is calm and is responding optimally to treatments,” his doctor Alberto Zangrillo said.

"I am cautiously optimistic, which I reiterate, we must not claim victory since (Berlusconi) belongs in the category defined as the most fragile.” 

Berlusconi tested positive for coronavirus earlier this week after returning from a holiday at his luxury villa in Sardinia. 

Two of his children—daughter Barbara, 36, and son Luigi, 31 — have also contracted the virus, as has his companion Marta Fascina.

Following a check-up on Thursday evening at his home, Zangrillo insisted that Berlusconi go to the hospital the same night.

On Friday, the doctor said that the billionaire was "a patient at risk because of his age and previous illnesses”, including open-heart surgery.

Zangrillo said Berlusconi had a lung infection that had been diagnosed early but was not on a ventilator.

Berlusconi had insisted on Wednesday that he would continue his political activities despite the positive test.

Regional elections are due to take place in Italy in two weeks as well as a referendum on reducing the number of Italian parliamentarians. — AFP