COVID-19: 107-year-old Turkish woman makes miracle recovery

Isolation, remaining indoors, social distancing, best treatment, says chief physician of Istanbul hospital

ISTANBUL: A 107-year-old Turkish woman on Tuesday recovered from the novel coronavirus which has claimed thousands of lives worldwide since it emerged in China last December.

Havahan Karadeniz was admitted to a hospital last week with symptoms of high fever and cough, and tested positive for the virus.

After receiving treatment for coronavirus, Karadeniz was discharged with applauds from the hospital and taken to her home for isolation.



The best treatment for this virus is "isolation, staying at home and maintaining social distance," Dr Ozgur Yigit, the chief physician of Istanbul Education and Research Hospital, told Anadolu Agency.

"Treatment for this disease is possible when you initiate appropriate treatments with the correct diagnoses," Yigit said.

He added that the elderly patient was discharged from the hospital but she has to comply with the isolation conditions at home.

Melih Cirag, the great-grandchild of Karadeniz, told Anadolu Agency that his great-grandmother was registered as 98 years old, but her actual age is 107.



Cirag thanked the hospital staff and the Health Ministry for their efforts, and urged all public to stay at home.

Karadeniz also expressed her gratitude to the hospital personnel, and said: "The hospital was good and so was the personnel."

Turkey on Monday confirmed 98 more deaths from coronavirus over the past 24 hours, bringing the country's death toll to 1,296. The total number of registered coronavirus cases surged to 61,049.

After originating in Wuhan, China last December, the virus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread to at least 185 countries and regions across the world, with its epicentre shifting to Europe.

The virus has infected more than 1.92 million people worldwide, with the death toll exceeding 119,800, while over 458,500 have recovered from the disease, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.