104-year-old grandmother and WWII veteran recover from COVID-19 after having beaten 1918 Spanish flu
Italian grandmother Ada Zanusso created history when she became one in a very small group of people to have survived two pandemics in their lifetime. In her lifetime, Zanusso survived both the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 and the coronavirus pandemic this year.
The 104-year-old fell ill at her nursing home, where 20 fellow residents succumbed to the disease, in Biella in northern Italy on March 17, eight days after the government imposed a lockdown on the country. She tested positive for COVID-19 after experiencing a relentless bout of vomiting, fever, and difficulty with breathing.
According to The Sun, doctors hailed her recovery as “great joy and sign of good hope”. Zanusso's son Giampiero also spoke to the publication, saying, "I suspected it was coronavirus because of the number of cases at the care home. They have sadly had a few fatalities there. But she has now recovered well and the doctors think she is the oldest person in the world to recover."
Zanusso's doctor, Carla Furno Marchese, told the outlet, “She is up and about and not lying in bed and she can walk to her chair. She has lost none of her lucidity and intelligence. Her recovery is a great joy for us and a sign of good hope for all that are suffering in these difficult days.”
Earlier this week, it was reported that a 104-year-old World War II veteran living in Oregon, United States, had recovered from the deadly virus. William "Bill" Lapschies was also a survivor of the Spanish flu pandemic. His family told OPB that he came down with symptoms on March 5 and was isolated in his room. Nearly a week later, his test for COVID-19 came back positive. The nursing home where Lapschies resides has seen 16 coronavirus cases among residents and two deaths.
Lapschies doctors said he only had a mild case of coronavirus and did not develop respiratory symptoms that might have required the use of a ventilator. He reportedly recovered just in time for his 104th birthday. Asked how he survived, Lapschies told the outlet with a laugh: “I don’t know. ... It just went away. Sit out here and you can get rid of anything.” When his granddaughter asked him how it felt to turn 104 years old, he replied, “Pretty good, I made it.”
Zhang Guangfen, a 103-year-old grandmother in China, recovered after six days of treatment in Wuhan. She is believed to be the oldest surviving coronavirus patient in China. In Genoa, Italy, Italica Grondona, 102, was nicknamed 'Highlander' in homage to the fictional immortal character after she recovered following a 20-day stay in hospital. A 103-year-old woman in Iran also recovered after being hospitalized for a week. In South Korea, the oldest survivor is a 96-year-old woman from Cheongdo County.
According to the World Health Organization's (WHO) report released on April 5, there are 1,133,758 confirmed coronavirus cases and 62,784 deaths worldwide. In Italy, there are 124,632 confirmed cases and 15,362 deaths from the virus.