I beat bug with bubbly says Jane, 104
A 104-YEAR-OLD woman who survived coronavirus has cred- ited her amazing resilience to enjoying a glass of champagne.
Jane Collins fought off the virus in just 10 days, despite being one of the oldest people to contract Covid-19 in the UK.
She is now back at The Gables care home in Derby, where she is enjoying cake and bubbly.
Jane said: “I’m doing very well after surviving the virus.
“I’m still tired but I’m enjoying the cake and a little bit of champagne.”
In late April Jane, who has been widowed for 50 years, was admitted to the Royal Derby
Hospital, where it was confirmed she had coronavirus.
Her great niece Sarah Balmforth, 53, said: “When she was admitted to hospital, we were told to expect the worst due to her age and frailty.
“She went into hospital with extreme lethargy and 24 hours later it was confirmed she had coronavirus.
“She was given superb care and she got stronger and stronger each day.
“It was worrying because you wonder if a 104-year-old still has enough in her to survive, but she absolutely did. She had an iron constitution and she was strong willed.
“She loved red wine and a glass of champagne. That’s her secret.”
Jane has been living at The Gables for 18 months, but lived alone until she was 102.
The fiercely independent centenarian did not stop driving until she was 101.
She grew up in Cheshire and worked in healthcare for most of her life, and even had a stint at the Royal Derby Hospital during the 1950s.
Sarah, who has been a nurse for 36 years, said Jane had always been a character and it was unsurprising that she had survived two world wars, Spanish flu and now the coronavirus pandemic.
She said: “She’s always been a strong-willed woman. She’s as sharp as she’s ever been and still has her wits about her.
“It’s not surprising at all that she has survived everything that she has.
“Jane was always a character. She used to tell me she would wait for everyone to get into church so she could make an entrance.
“And even today, her nails and hair are always immaculate.”