Over the last few months, we’ve all learned a lot about COVID-19, or coronavirus, the virus that’s caused a pandemic across the globe.

One of the biggest takeaways is that the virus tends to have more dire effects on the elderly and people with preexisting health conditions. It turns out that this group of people not only typically experiences the virus with worse symptoms than others that can last a long time, they’re also the most likely to die from the illness.

While COVID-19 can certainly still affect healthy, young people, the older, unwell population seems to be the demographic it’s affecting most. That’s why it’s so important that we continue to limit the spread of the virus, especially to those it can affect harder.

However, that’s not to say coronavirus fatally affects every elderly person it comes into contact with. While we hear a lot about the death tolls of those over 70, there’s also been plenty of older people who’ve recovered as well.

Take Maria Branyas for example. She’s the oldest person living in Spain. And at 113 years old, it might seem obvious that getting diagnosed with any kind of illness could have serious effects on her. So when she was diagnosed with COVID-19 in March in her hometown of Spain after being on lockdown, everyone was extremely worried.

But a crazy, wonderful thing happened: Maria only experienced mild symptoms of the virus—like those you’d expect from your typical cold—and recovered with flying colors.

“She survived the disease and is doing fine,” said a spokeswoman for the Santa Maria del Tura care home, where Maria currently resides. “She feels good now, she took a test last week and the result was negative.”

When she was sick, she remained isolated in her room for weeks, with only one person from the home able to check on her (decked out in protective gear, of course). During that time, Spain became one of the hardest-hit countries of COVID-19, with nearly 27,000 deaths from the virus.

Maria has quite the history. She was born in 1907 in Mexico before moving to California and ultimately to Spain with her family during World War I. That’s where she actually lived through another infamous pandemic: The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. She also lived through Spain’s civil war that began in 1936.

Maria is the mom to three children and a grandmother to 11 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren. She certainly has lived—and is continuing to live—a full life!

Her secret? She’s lucky to be in “good health,” she says. She certainly is!

Can you believe that a 113-year-old survived COVID-19 and only experienced mild symptoms? Does this give you some hope about who the virus can affect the most?

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