Woman in Turkey recovers from COVID-19 at 116 years old

A woman from Turkey recovered from the coronavirus at 116 years old, making her the second-oldest person to survive the virus.

The woman’s son told the Demiroren news agency on Saturday that Ayse Karatay has been cleared of COVID-19 at Eskisehir City Hospital and has been moved to a normal ward, The Associated Press reported.

“My mother fell ill at the age of 116 and stayed in the intensive care unit for three weeks… Her health is very good now and she’s getting better,” Ibrahim told the outlet. 

It is unclear when exactly Ayse’s birthday is, as she was born during the Ottoman Empire, when birth records were not strictly kept, the AP noted. 

Ibrahim said his mother likely contracted the coronavirus from a family member.

She received one shot of the Chinese Sinovac vaccine before falling ill from the virus in August, according to Ibrahim.

A French nun is the oldest person alive to have survived the coronavirus, recovering right before her 117th birthday, according to the AP.

Elderly people are one of the most vulnerable groups to the coronavirus and were prioritized around the world when the vaccine became available. 

Turkey has confirmed almost 6.5 million COVID-19 cases throughout the pandemic along with 57,000 deaths, data from Johns Hopkins University shows.