The second oldest living person in the world survived a fight against the coronavirus just in time for its 117th birthday.
Reuters reports French nun Lucile Randon, 116, whose religious name is Sister André, tested positive for the virus in mid-January at her nursing home in the city of Toulon, in southern France. She was quarantined by other residents and showed no symptoms of the virus.
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Sister André, who is blind, told the newspaper Var-Matin that she didn’t even realize she was infected with the coronavirus and was not worried when she received the positive diagnosis.
“No, I was not afraid because I was not afraid to die … I am happy to be with you, but I would like to be somewhere else – to join my older brother, my grandfather and my grandmother”, she told French television BFM.
David Tavella, a spokesman for the asylum Sainte Catherine Labouré, said Sister André is considered cured of the virus and will celebrate her birthday this week.
“She is very calm and looks forward to celebrating her 117th birthday on Thursday,” said Tavella, according to Reuters.
Sister André was born on February 11, 1904 and is the second oldest person in the world, behind only 118-year-old Kane Tanaka, according to the Gerontology Research Group. She will spend her birthday with a smaller group of residents than usual due to COVID-19.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the risk of serious COVID-19 diseases increases with age, with older adults being at higher risk. The highest risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19 is among people aged 85 and over.
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