105-year-old woman wins COVID-19 with raisin diet soaked in gin

LITTLE EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, NJ – Lucia DeClerck never thought she would survive COVID-19 and live 105 years on earth, but she credits her spiritual life – and her diet – to her longevity.

“I have no secret but to pray, pray, pray … and not eat any junk food,” she told FOX television stations on Wednesday.

She also highlighted her special love for raisins soaked in gin.

“You put them in a [mason] pot and keep them for nine days. After nine days, eat nine a day, “she continued.” It tastes like candy. “

DeClerck held on to that baseline for most of his life. Her family told the New York Times that it is one of the many habits of her life, including drinking aloe vera juice and brushing her teeth with baking soda, making sure she didn’t have her first tooth decay until she was 99.

DeClerck is currently the oldest patient at the Mystic Meadows Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Little Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey.

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She tested positive for coronavirus on January 25, her 105th birthday. Michael Neiman, the center’s administrator, said he received the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine the day before.

Neiman said that after DeClerck contracted the virus, she had mild symptoms and had a low-grade fever for a day.

DeClerck may be the oldest person to beat the coronavirus in the United States, but not in the world. A 117-year-old French nun tested positive for coronavirus in January and recovered.

“I think people are fascinated with her story because they see that you can be 105 years old and still recover from this dreaded virus,” Neiman told FOX television stations. “And you can get the vaccine, even in old age, and still be fine.”

“Of course not,” DeClerck replied when asked if she thought she would live that long and planned to live another 105 years.

“She is the epitome of perseverance,” DeClerck’s granddaughter, Shawn Laws O’Neil, told the New York Times. “Her mind is so sharp. She will remember things when I was a child that I don’t even remember.”

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“She is a very positive person. Whenever we have visitors in the building, everyone passes by her room,” added Neiman.

Since the pandemic began nearly a year ago, nearly 690,000 people in New Jersey have tested positive for the virus and more than 20,000 people have died. More than 566,000 people have been fully vaccinated. Across the country, more than 28 million people contracted the virus.

The number of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. has exceeded 500,000 this week, and the vaccination campaign has been slower than expected, hampered by logistical and weather delays.

To date, about 44.5 million Americans have received at least one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, and nearly 20 million of them have received the second dose needed for total protection.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.