Europe’s oldest person, a French nun, has survived Covid-19 and will celebrate her 117th birthday tomorrow, her caregivers have said.
Lucile Randon, who took the name Sr Andre when she took her vows in 1944, tested positive for Covid-19 on 16th January. She was isolated from other residents in her retirement home in Toulon, southern France but displayed no symptoms and told local media that she “didn’t even realise I had it”.
When asked if she was scared of the virus, Sr Andre, who is blind and uses a wheelchair, told French broadcaster BFM: “No, I wasn’t scared, because I wasn’t scared to die.”
David Tavella, spokesman for the Sainte Catherine Labouré retirement home, said Sr Andre has been “very lucky”.
“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,” he told Var Matin newspaper.
“She showed no fear of the disease. On the other hand, she was very concerned about the other residents.”