The world's 2nd-oldest person, a 116-year-old French nun, caught and recovered from COVID-19

Advertisement
The world's 2nd-oldest person, a 116-year-old French nun, caught and recovered from COVID-19
Sister Andre at an event ahead of her 117th birthday in Toulon, southern France on February 9, 2021.Gerard Julien/AFP via Getty Images
  • A French nun, the world's second-oldest person, recovered from COVID-19 this week.
  • Lucile Randon, known as Sister Andrée's had an asymptomatic case.
  • Her recovery was confirmed this week, just before her 117th birthday on February 11.
Advertisement

The world's second-oldest person, a French nun from the south of France, has recovered from the coronavirus days before her 117th birthday.

Lucile Randon, who took the name Sister Andrée, tested positive for the coronavirus last month after it swept through her nursing home near the city of Toulon.

The virus killed 10 of the 88 residents. Sister Andrée is blind and uses a wheelchair. Her case of COVID-19 was asymptomatic, and she told local media she "didn't even realize" she had it, according to the Guardian.

Read more: What's coming next for COVID-19 vaccines? Here's the latest on 11 leading programs.

Nonetheless, she was isolated in her room while she was infected, according to David Tavella, a spokesman for the Sainte Catherine Labouré retirement home who spoke to reporters on Tuesday.

Advertisement

As a result, she couldn't see the other resident, or attend Mass.

Despite this, her only complaint had been the "solitude," according to the spokesman.

"She didn't ask me about her health, but about her habits. For example, she wanted to know if meal or bedtime schedules would change," Tavella said, according to the BBC.

"She showed no fear of the disease. On the other hand, she was very concerned about the other residents," he added.

Sister Andrée plans to celebrate her 117th birthday with a small group of residents on Thursday February 11.

Advertisement

The nun was born on February 11, 1904. She has lived through both World Wars and the Spanish Flu.

As well as being the world's second-oldest person, she is also Europe's oldest living person, according to the Gerontology Research Group's (GRG) World Supercentenarian Rankings List. The oldest person in the world is Japan's Kane Tanaka, who turned 118 on January 2.

Last year, when asked by a French radio station how she had lived so long, she said: "I've no idea what the secret is. Only God can answer that question," according to the Guardian.

{{}}