MOHEGAN LAKE, N.Y. — A New York woman who was born during the Spanish Flu pandemic has survived COVID-19.
Angelina Friedman, who lives in a nursing home in Lake Mohegan, was taken to a hospital for a minor medical procedure on March 21. But her procedure was postponed after she tested positive for COVID-19.
After intermittently running a fever for several weeks, the 101-year-old cancer survivor tested negative for the virus on April 20, WPIX-TV reported Monday.
“My mother is a survivor,” said Joanne Merola, Friedman's daughter. “She has super-human DNA.”
Friedman was born on a passenger ship taking immigrants from Italy to New York City in 1918. Her mother died giving birth on the ship.
Friedman has outlived her husband, Harold, and her 10 siblings.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.
One of the best ways to prevent spread of the virus is washing your hands with soap and water. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends first washing with warm or cold water and then lathering soap for 20 seconds to get it on the backs of hands, between fingers and under fingernails before rinsing off.