COVID-19: 104-year-old man celebrates birthday after recovering from deadly virus

A Second World War veteran, on April 1, celebrated his 104th birthday after overcoming the deadly coronavirus which has claimed more than 53,000 lives around the world. According to international media reports, Bill Lapschies first presented symptoms of COVID-19 almost 25 days back, however, it has been almost 19 days since he last had fever. On his birthday, he was reportedly wheeled out of Edward C. Allworth Veterans’ Home in Lebanon, US and he celebrated his day with socially distant friends and family, who came to visit bearing gifts, plaques and balloons. 

READ: Crowded In Camps, Rohingya Refugees Vulnerable To Coronavirus Spread

While speaking to an international media outlet, Bill said that he still doesn’t know how he survived the deadly virus. When asked how he felt about turning 104, he reportedly said, ‘pretty good’. Bill’s doctor, Rob Richardson, said that the 140-year-old had a moderate case of the virus and didn’t develop any respiratory issues. He further, however, added that he probably would have been hospitalised if he wasn’t at the veterans’ home. 

Richardson told the media outlet that Bill’s case could have easily gone another way as there is not a lot of interventions that could be done. The doctor also informed that coronavirus has also ready claimed two lives in the veterans’ home itself. As per reports, Bill was born in Oregon in 1916 and he has survived that Spanish flu, The Great Depression and his time in the US Army during the Second World War. 

READ: Coronavirus Claims 53,218 Lives Worldwide, Total Cases Cross 1 Million

96-year-old recovers 

As coronavirus is particularly dangerous for the elderly, Bill is not the first senior citizen to recover from the deadly disease. Last month, a 96-year-old South Korean woman reportedly infected with the novel coronavirus was fully recovered and had been released from quarantine, city officials reportedly confirmed. The patient was a resident at a nursing hospital in the southeastern city of Gyeongsan and was discharged from the Seoul hospital. The city is located nearby Daegu, an epicentre of the outbreak. 

Meanwhile, coronavirus, which originated in China in December 2019, has now claimed over 53,000 lives worldwide as of April 3. According to the tally by international news agency, the pandemic has now spread to 204 countries and has infected more than one million people. Out of the total infections, 213,135 have been recovered but the easily spread virus is continuing to disrupt many lives. Major cities have been put under lockdown in almost all countries including Spain, and the economy is struggling. 

READ: Coronavirus Hospital Set-up Near The Maracana Stadium

READ: China To Observe April 4 As Mourning Day For Coronavirus Victims