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101-Year-Old Woman Who Survived The Spanish Flu Also Recovers From COVID-19

Updated September 8, 2021

Although it's since become clear that COVID-19 can potentially have fatal consequences for anyone, an understood reality of the disease from the beginning held that advanced age is a serious risk factor for the virus's worst effects.

So when we hear about care homes with confirmed cases of the disease, it's natural to worry about our loved ones who may live in such facilities. Even when this circumstance doesn't apply, it's hard not to feel particular concern for elderly relatives.

But no matter how scary a particular case can be, there's always some hope that those who contract coronavirus can pull through with immediate treatment.

And one very special case is helping to renew that hope.

Information about the coronavirus pandemic is rapidly changing and Diply is committed to providing the most recent data as it becomes available. Some of the information in this story may have changed since publication, and we encourage readers to use online resources from CDC and WHO to stay up to date on the latest information surrounding COVID-19

As soon as her life began, Angelina Friedman of New York found herself in a life-threatening position.

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As CBS46 reported, she was born in 1918 on a passenger ship transporting Italian immigrants to the United States.

At the time, the world was in the midst of the second wave of a Spanish Flu pandemic that infected a third of the world's population and killed 50 million people.

Although her mother would not survive the birthing process, Friedman's two older sisters would end up caring for her.

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In the 101 years since then, however, she has outlived all 10 of her siblings, as well as her husband.

As her daughter Joanne Merola said, "My mother is a survivor. She's survived miscarriages, internal bleeding, and cancer."

While this may already sound like enough to overcome in a lifetime, Friedman would go on to have a worrying brush with an all-new pandemic this year.

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As CBS46 reported, she tested positive for COVID-19 on March 21 after visiting a hospital for an unrelated procedure.

As she is nearly deaf, Friedman hasn't been able to speak to Merola on the phone and her daughter hasn't been able to visit her since February.

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But after weeks of quarantine, the nurses at North Westchester Restorative Therapy and Nursing Center had a very encouraging update on Friedman's status.

On April 20, she would test negative for the virus.

As far as Merola is concerned, her mother's incredible endurance comes down to "Superhuman DNA."

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As she said, "They tell me she’s doing great. She’s up and about as much as possible. If my mother could see this, I’d tell her, ‘You keep going, Ma. You’re gonna outlive us all.’"

h/t: CBS46

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