World’s oldest person is a French nun who survived Covid last year

A French nun who survived Covid-19 last year has officially become the world’s oldest living person.

According to The Gerontology Research Group, which records details of anybody over 100 years of age, Lucile Randon, known as Sister Andre, is 118.

Now partially deaf and a wheelchair user, she took the name of Sister André in 1944, is the second-oldest French person and the third-oldest European person ever recorded.

Sister André has lived a full life and in her younger years worked as a teacher, a governess and looked after children during World War II.

At 118, Sister Andre, also known as Lucile Randon, is now the world's oldest person. (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP) (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images)

After the war, she spent 28 years working with orphans and elderly people at a hospital in Vichy, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region before becoming a Catholic nun. Spending most of her life dedicated to religious service, Sister André also holds the record for the oldest nun living and oldest nun ever.

She also holds the record for the oldest Covid survivor and shook off the virus after three weeks with no symptoms or side effects other than a little tiredness, in time to celebrate her 117th birthday.

Sister André, who has been blind for more than 75 years, has lived in her retirement home for the last 12 years.

She was named the world’s oldest person following the death reported on Tuesday in Japan of Kane Tanaka, who was 119, just months short of her goal of reaching 120.

The oldest person ever to have lived was French woman Jeanne Louise Calment who lived to 122 years and 164 days.

The oldest man ever is Jiroemon Kimura and passed away in Japan aged 116 years 54 days on June 12, 2013.