Europe’s oldest person, Sister Andre, aged 117 years, who is a nun. has survived the coronavirus, after living through two world wars, as well as the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic.
Born in 1904, the French nun had tested positive for the virus on Jan. 16, according to David Tavella, communications director at the Sainte Catherine Laboure nursing home in Toulon, southern France, where she lives.
The global news channel, CNN, has reported that Sister Andre, earlier known as Lucille Randon, became a nun in 1944 and shifted to the nursing home in Toulon in 2009. She had shown no symptoms of coronavirus, the CNN reported.
Speaking in an interview with CNN affiliate, BFMTV, she said, “I didn’t know I had it…No, I wasn’t scared because I wasn’t scared of dying.”
As today is her birthday, her meal will have all her favourites, that is, foie gras, baked Alaska and a glass of red wine.
“She drinks a glass of wine every lunchtime,” Tavella said.
He further said that although no visitors are allowed at the nursing home, she will receive video messages from her family and the local mayor, and will also take part in a video Mass.
“Sister Andre’s birthday is taking place at a good time.
“It couldn’t be a better time, because it will mark the beginning of big festivities that will be organised around this relaxing of our restrictions,” Tavella told BFMTV.