'Immortal at This Age?' 102-Year-Old Grandmother Overcomes Spanish Flu, Cancer, and COVID-19 Twice

Born in 1918, the year the Spanish Flu outbreak occurred

Ms. Angelina Friedman, who was infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) last March and has since recovered / Photo by Facebook Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Attention is focused on an American elderly woman who avoided the Spanish flu at the age of 1 and contracted the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) twice at the age of 102, recovering fully both times.

US media outlet CNN reported on the so-called 'Invincible Grandma' who was infected with COVID-19 twice and recovered both times on the 3rd (local time).

According to the media, Angelina Friedman (102) was born in 1918, when the Spanish flu was rampant. The Spanish flu is considered one of the worst infectious diseases in human history, claiming about 50 million lives worldwide from that year until 1920.

Friedman was born on a ship heading to New York, USA, from Italy during the Spanish flu pandemic, and fortunately, she escaped the disease.

Later, she lived in Brooklyn, New York City, built a family with her husband, but suffered a long battle with cancer. Friedman overcame cancer, but her husband, who was diagnosed with cancer around the same time, passed away earlier.

Friedman currently resides in a nursing home in Westchester County, New York. She contracted COVID-19 for the first time in March at the age of 101 but recovered, and was diagnosed with COVID-19 again in October, receiving another recovery confirmation on the 17th of last month.

Although Friedman’s vision and hearing have significantly declined, she is still known to be lively.

Joan Merola, Friedman’s daughter, told CNN, "Our mother is invincible," adding, "She is the last surviving member among 11 siblings and is probably the oldest person to have contracted and overcome COVID-19 twice."