New Jersey woman beats COVID-19 at 105, attributes health to prayer and gin-soaked raisins

A 105-year-old New Jersey woman who beat COVID-19 shared her secrets for a long life, and at least one of them may be unexpected.

Lucia DeClerck, who is the oldest patient at the Mystic Meadows Rehab and Nursing Center in Little Egg Harbor Township, said she prays and avoids junk food, FOX 10 Phoenix reported. And one other thing: she loves raisins soaked in gin.

"You put them in a [mason] jar and keep them for nine days," she said. "After nine days, eat nine a day. It tastes like candy."

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With her habits, did DeClerk expect to live to be 105?

"Hell no," she told a reporter.

DeClerck tested positive for the coronavirus on Jan. 25, the same day she turned 105, according to the report. Michael Neiman, the administrator at the nursing center, told FOX 10 that DeClerk had just received her second COVID-19 vaccine dose the day earlier.

She experienced only mild symptoms and had a low-grade fever for one day, according to the report.

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"I think people are fascinated by her story because they see that you can be 105 years old and still recover from this dreaded virus," Nieman told FOX 10. "And you can get your vaccine, even at an old age, and still be fine."

DeClerck's diet and prayer might not be the only things that have kept her living so long. Neiman told FOX 10 that she’s also "a very positive person."

"Anytime we have visitors in the building, they all stop by her room," he said, according to the report.

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DeClerck may be the oldest person to beat a case of COVID-19 in the U.S., but she doesn’t hold the world record, the report noted. A 117-year-old French nun also recovered after testing positive for the virus in January.