Europe’s oldest person survives Covid-19 to mark her 117th birthday

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Europe’s oldest person survives Covid-19 to celebrate her 117th birthday as French nun insists she ‘wasn’t scared to die’

  • Lucile Randon, also known as Sister Andre, is turning 117 years old this Thursday
  • She tested positive for COVID-19 last month but has displayed no symptoms  
  • Born in 1904, the French nun is the world’s second-oldest living person 
  • Tanaka from Japan, aged 118, is currently the world’s longevity record-holder

By Emilia Jiang For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Europe’s oldest person, French nun Sister Andre, is celebrating her 117th birthday this week after beating COVID-19.

Lucile Randon, who took the name of Sister Andre when she joined a Catholic charitable order in 1944, tested positive for the coronavirus in January but displayed no symptoms.

The supercentenarian living in Toulon of southern France said that she was not afraid of the virus as she ‘wasn’t scared to die’. 

Lucile Randon, who took the name of Sister Andre when she joined a Catholic charitable order in 1944, tested positive for the coronavirus in January but displayed no symptoms. She is seen celebrating her 116th birthday last year in Toulon, southern France

Sister Andre, who was born on February 11, 1904, is the world’s second-oldest living person according to the Gerontology Research Group’s (GRG) World Supercentenarian Rankings List. 

On January 16, Sister Andre tested positive for the virus in her retirement home. She was isolated from other residents, but displayed no symptoms.

David Tavella, spokesman for the Sainte Catherine Labouré retirement home, said she was doing well.

‘We consider her to be cured. She is very calm and she is looking forward to celebrating her 117th birthday on Thursday.’  

‘She has been very lucky,’ he added. 

Sister Andre, who was born on February 11, 1904, is the world's second-oldest living person according to the Gerontology Research Group's (GRG) World Supercentenarian Rankings List

Sister Andre, who was born on February 11, 1904, is the world’s second-oldest living person according to the Gerontology Research Group’s (GRG) World Supercentenarian Rankings List

Asked if she was scared to have COVID, Sister Andre told France’s BFM television that she had no fears about death.

‘No, I wasn’t scared because I wasn’t scared to die… I’m happy to be with you,’ the nun said. ‘but I would wish to be somewhere else join my big brother and my grandfather and my grandmother.’

Sister Andre, who is blind but very spirited, will celebrate her birthday with a smaller group of residents than usual due to coronavirus infection risk, her caregivers said.  

The world’s oldest person of all time is a French woman named Jeanne Louise Calment, who died in 1997 at the age of 122. 

Kane Tanaka from Japan is the oldest living person in the world. She turned 118 on January 2.

The world’s 20 oldest people in the GRG list are all female.

The world’s oldest super-centenarians of all time

Jeanne Louise Calment, aged 122, France

Born in 1875, Calmet was a French supercentenarian from Arles, and the oldest human whose age is well-documented, with a lifespan of 122 years and 164 days. She died in 1997.

Sarah Knauss, aged 119, United States

Knauss is the oldest person ever from the United States, and the second-oldest fully documented person ever. She was born in 1880 and died in 1999.

Kana Tanaka, aged 118, Japan

Tanaka is a Japanese supercentenarian, who is the world’s oldest verified living person as well as the oldest verified Japanese person ever. She was born in 1903.

Nabi Tajima, aged 117, Japan

Tajima, who was born in 1990 and died in 2018, was once the oldest living person for 7 months. She is the second oldest Japanese person ever at the age of 117 years and 260 days.

Marie-Louise Meilleur, aged 117, Canada

The Canadian supercentenarian is the verified Canadian longevity record-holder at the age of 117 years and 230 days. After the death of Jeanne Calment, Marie-Louise had become the oldest living person of the world. She died in 1998.

Source: Gerontology Research Group