A 116-year-old French nun who is believed to be the world’s second-oldest person has survived Covid-19 and is looking forward to celebrating her 117th birthday on Thursday.
The Gerontology Research Group, which validates details of people thought to be 110 or older, lists Frenchwoman Lucile Randon – whose religious order name is Sister Andre – as the second-oldest living person.
Sister Andre tested positive for the coronavirus in mid-January in the southern French city of Toulon, French media report.
But only three weeks later, she is considered to have recovered.
"I didn't even realise I had it," Sister Andre told French newspaper Var-Matin.
Sister Andre, who is blind and uses a wheelchair, did not even worry when she received the diagnosis.
“She didn’t ask me about her health but about her habits,” said David Tavella, communications manager for the care home where the nun lives.
“She wanted to know if meal or bedtime schedules would change. She showed no fear of the disease.
"On the other hand, she was very concerned about the other residents.”
Not all of the home’s residents shared Sister Andre’s luck. In January, 81 of the 88 residents tested positive for the virus and about 10 of them died.
Once doctors declared the disease had run its course, Sister Andre was allowed to attend mass.
