PARIS (AP) – A 116-year-old French nun who is believed to be the second oldest person in the world has survived COVID-19 and is looking forward to celebrating her 117th birthday on Thursday.
The Gerontology Research Group, which validates details of people aged 110 and over, lists the French Lucile Randon – sister André’s birth name – as the second oldest living person known in the world.
French media reports that Sister André tested positive for the virus in mid-January in the city of Toulon, in the south of France. But just three weeks later, the nun is considered to be recovered.
“I didn’t even know I had it,” she told the French newspaper Var-Matin.
Sister André, who is blind and in a wheelchair, did not even bother to receive the diagnosis.
“She did not ask me about her health, but about her habits,” David Tavella, the communications manager for the asylum where the nun, told the newspaper. “For example, she wanted to know if mealtimes or bedtime would change. She showed no fear of the disease. On the other hand, she was very concerned about the other residents. “
Not all residents of the house shared Sister André’s luck. In January, 81 of the 88 residents tested positive for the virus and about 10 died, according to Var-Matin.
As soon as the doctors declared that the nun was no longer infected, she was allowed to attend mass.