One American who survived WW2 and the Spanish Flu is believed to be the oldest survivor of the virus after he recovered miraculously.
Bill Lapschies, a 104-year-old veteran displayed symptoms linked with the condition on the 5th of March and was placed in isolation at the Edward C. Allworth Veterans’ Home in Lebanon, Oregon where he lives.
Lapschies was one of the first residents of the home who was positive to the virus. The other victim is a 90-year-old who has since died.
This senior home reported 16 cases of the virus until now, from which 8 patients have recovered, 1 is without symptoms, 2 are critical, and 2 have died. Other 3 are stable.
The Story of the 104-Year-Old American Who Recovered from Corona
Lapschies developed symptoms around the period when Oregon had the first case in Marion County.
He had moderate coronavirus, claims Dr. Rob Richardson, his physician. Luckily, he didn’t develop severe breathing complications.
His physician also explained that Lapschies would likely have been transferred to a hospital if he hadn’t been a resident of the veterans’ home.
The home insisted to screen visitors whose visits were limited back in February; however, this measure didn’t avert the infections.
By early March, the residents started to enter isolation and his physician suspected some of the residents had the virus.
Two of the nurses who were in contact with the veteran and the other resident who got infected first and later died experienced the same symptoms.
The nurses were told to get tested by the home; however, were turned away with milder symptoms and they resumed work for a whole week before being tested positive.
Recovers from Corona & Celebrates Birthday
Four days ago, Lapschies celebrated his 104th birthday with his family, 25 days after he showed the first symptoms of the virus.
The family brought balloons and cake and they kept a social distance of 6 feet.
When his granddaughter asked him how he managed to fight the disease, he replied that he doesn’t know and says it just went away.
He also survived the 1918 Spanish Flu which took the lives of 50 to 100 million people globally and he went through the 30s Great Depression.
In 1939, he got married and had two daughters. His wife died back in 2001. He also fought in WW2 at the Aleutian Islands from where he dispatched trucks and equipment for the war.
His daughter Carolee Brown said of her father that he’s a wonderful family man.
COVID-19 is particularly dangerous for elderly people, especially for those who have other chronic health issues.
In the US, around 80 percent of the deaths are of older citizens, according to the CDC.
But, this isn’t the only elderly who has beaten the disease, there are others too. Zhang Guangfen is a 103-year-old grandma from China who got treatment for 6 days in Wuhan and recovered.
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