108-year-old American woman survives COVID-19

After living through the 1918 flu pandemic, Sylvia Goldsholl, an aged woman in the United States, has survived the battle against the COVID-19 disease at 108.

Phil Murphy, the governor of New Jersey, who broke the news on Thursday, said Goldsholl fully recovered from the disease after being diagnosed with it in April.

“Sylvia Goldscholl is 108 years old. Last month, she tested positive for COVID-19 and has beaten it,” the governor, who doubles as a financier, said.

“A tremendous life, a tremendous spirit, and a tremendous show of strength. So, to you, Sylvia, we send you all our best for many more years to come.”

Sylvia Goldscholl is 108 years old. Last month, she tested positive for #COVID19 and has beaten it.

A tremendous life, a tremendous spirit, and a tremendous show of strength. So, to you, Sylvia, we send you all our best for many more years to come. pic.twitter.com/Wds6NCc1qj

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) May 14, 2020

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Goldsholl, who was said to have been living at a nursing home in Allendale, New Jersey, when she became ill, is now reportedly the oldest person in her state to recover from the disease.

“I survived everything because I was determined to survive,” the American, who is also said to be only seven when the 1918 pandemic struck, was quoted by News 12 to have said last week.

Her case further stretches the list of aged people who have beaten COVID-19 across the world, even as they are widely believed to be at a higher risk of dying from the zoonotic disease.

Maria Branyas, a 113-year-old believed to be the oldest woman in Spain, had similarly recovered from COVID-19 after living through both the 1918 flu pandemic and the 1936 Spanish civil war.