Rumors continue to swirl as the motorsport legend recovers in hospital.
Michael Schumacher’s manager Sabine Kehm has rubbished claims that the former world champion is breathing without the aid of technology.
Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport said the 45-year-old had taken a big leap forward in his recovery from a skiing accident and was now breathing independently.
However, Kehm insists that Schumacher is still in the ‘wake-up’ phase of his recovery and is nowhere near being able to breath without assistance at this stage.
“Michael is still in the wake up phase,” Kehm said.
“The situation has not changed. Any medical information published which is not confirmed by the team of doctors treating Michael or his management has to be considered as not valid.”
Doctors and other experts in the brain injury field have told Michael Schumacher’s wife Corrina and others that “only a miracle” can save him now.
The seven-time world champion has been placed under a medically induced coma since suffering a skiing accident with his family at the French resort of Meribel on December 29 last year.
Schumacher was rushed to Grenoble University Hospital where he has been in the medical coma for more than 70 days.
Neurologists have twice operated on Schumacher to alleviate swelling inside of his skull and to remove blood clots formed after the impact with the right side of his head against the rock.
The medical team hoped that there would be signs Schumacher would start to be become aware of his surroundings via eye fluttering and his fingers moving, that can not be put down to a nerve twitching.
Experts said that the greatest risk of all facing Schumacher in his prone position is pneumonia.
The lack of a competent swallowing mechanism can make saliva run into the lungs and trigger the potentially lethal respiratory infection.
He has already had — and conquered — one lung infection.
Schumacher’s blood is also thinned to prevent thrombosis and he is regularly turned and even stood straight up at times to keep it flowing.
