‘I wasn’t scared to die’: Europe’s oldest person survives coronavirus ahead of her 117th birthday

“I wasn’t scared because I wasn’t scared to die. I’m happy to be with you but I wish to be somewhere else to join my brother, grandfather and  grandmother.”

This was the response from Europe’s oldest person and Covid-19 survivor, French nun Sister Andre, when asked whether she felt scared after testing positive for the deadly coronavirus in January.

According to Al Jazeera, the woman, born Lucile Randon, tested positive for the virus in her retirement home in Toulon, southern France, on January 16. She will celebrate her 117th birthday there on Thursday.

The Guardian reported that 81 of 88 residents tested positive and 10 succumbed to the virus.

Sister Andre showed no symptoms of Covid-19 and didn’t know she had tested positive for the virus. The nursing staff told the media her only complaint was being in isolation and she worried about other residents.

David Tavella, spokesperson for the nursing home, said: “She didn’t ask me about her health but about her routine. She wanted to know, for example, if the meals and bedtimes were going to change. She showed no fear of the illness. In fact, she was more worried about the other residents.” 

Sister Andre is the second oldest person in the world, according to the Gerontology Research Group. Japan’s Kane Tanaka, born in 1903, is 118.