London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Apr 08, 2026

Great-great gran, 105, says she beat Covid by eating 'gin-soaked raisins'

Great-great gran, 105, says she beat Covid by eating 'gin-soaked raisins'

An 105-year-old nursing home resident says she managed to overcome Covid-19 by eating nine gin-soaked raisins per day and ‘no junk food’.

Lucia DeClerck tested positive for coronavirus on her birthday, just one day after her second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

Early data is showing the jab is 80-90% effective after the first shot and 95.8% after the second, meaning there was still a small window for her to catch the bug.

Despite being considered high risk due to her age, Lucia didn’t show any serious symptoms.

After two weeks of isolation she was back in her room, clutching her rosary beads and wearing her signature knitted hat and sunglasses.

Studies have shown that one shot of the Pfizer vaccine is 62% effective at preventing severe disease, with that number rising to 92% after two doses.

But Lucia, who lives at Mystic Meadows nursing home in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, has credited her long and healthy life to ‘prayer, prayer, prayer’ and ‘no junk food’.

Another one of her secrets of survival is the nine gin soaked raisins she eats every single morning.

The great-great grandmother of 11 tested positive for Covid-19 on her 105th birthday


She told the New York Times: ‘Fill a jar. Nine raisins a day after it sits for nine days.’

Her children and grandchildren describe her as a ‘health freak’ with a few other lifelong habits, including drinking a homemade concoction of aloe vera juice, apple cider vinegar, ginger, and ‘a little bit of gin’ every day.

Lucia claims she’s managed to keep all of her original teeth by brushing them with baking soda every day, and in fairness to her, she only had her first cavity at 99 years old.

Her 53-year-old granddaughter Shawn Laws O’Neil said: ‘We would just think, “Grandma, what are you doing? You’re crazy.”

‘Now the laugh is on us. She has beaten everything that’s come her way.

‘She is just the epitome of perseverance. Her mind is so sharp. She will remember things when I was a kid that I don’t even remember.’

Lucia was a ‘little scared’ about going into isolation but insisted ‘God will protect me’


Lucia was born in Maui, Hawaii, in 1916 to a Guatemalan mother and Spanish father.

She was just two years old when the Spanish Flu outbreak hit, meaning she has lived through two pandemics, two world wars and the deaths of three husbands and a son.

After her 90th birthday Lucia moved into an adult community in Manahawkin, along the Jersey Shore.

She remained incredibly active there until she suffered a fall on Christmas Day 2017 and moved to Mystic Meadows, where she is the oldest resident.

Lucia has survived lived through two world wars, two pandemics and the deaths of three husbands


Lucia is one of the nursing home’s 62 residents to contract Covid-19 – four of whom died including three who were receiving hospice care.

Mystic Meadows administrator Michael Neiman said Lucia – a devout Catholic – was a ‘little scared’ when she first had her diagnosis but insisted that ‘God will protect me’.

Now her two surviving sons, five grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great grandchildren have nicknamed her ‘The 105-year-old badass who kicked Covid.’

Lucia’s family say they are postponing her 105th birthday celebrations until the pandemic is over.

But in the meantime they are ‘rushing out and getting mason jars’ to fill with gin-soaked raisins to ‘catch-up’ with the health-conscious centenarian.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Denies Visa to Kanye West After Sponsors Withdraw from Wireless Festival
Trump-Era Forest Service Restructuring Leads to Closure of UK Lab Focused on Kentucky Woodland Health
Foreign Students in the UK Describe Harsh Living Conditions and Financial Pressures
Reform UK Proposes Visa Restrictions on Nations Pursuing Reparations Claims
Public Reaction Divides Over UK Decision to Bar Kanye West
Calls Grow for UK to Review US Base Access Following Concerns Over Escalating Rhetoric
UK Indicates It Will Not Permit Use of Its Bases for Potential US Strikes on Iran’s Energy Infrastructure
UK Prime Minister Defends Decision to Bar Kanye West, Questions Festival Booking
UK Accelerates Efforts to Harmonise Medical Technology Rules with United States
Wireless Festival Cancelled After Kanye West Denied Entry to the United Kingdom
Australia’s most decorated living soldier was arrested at Sydney Airport and charged with five counts of war-crime murder for the killing of unarmed Afghan civilians
The CIA’s Secret Technology That Can Find You by Your Heartbeat Successfully Locates Downed Airman
Operation Europe: Trump Deploys Vance to Hungary to Save the EU
King Charles Faces Criticism From Some UK Christians Over Absence of Easter Message
Former UK Defence Secretary Raises Concerns Over Ability to Counter Iran Missile Threat
UK Signals Non-Involvement in Iran Conflict as Trump Reasserts Firm Deterrence Stance
US and UK Strengthen Medical Device Cooperation Following Tariff Removal
Trump Backs Steve Hilton for California Governor, Highlighting Reform Agenda
UK Seeks Closer Ties With Anthropic as AI Policy Divergence Emerges Across Atlantic
Experts Warn of Evolving Extremism After Teens Arrested in UK Ambulance Arson Case
UK Convenes Talks to Safeguard Shipping Through Strait of Hormuz After Conflict Escalation
Trump Highlights Strong Leadership in Critique of UK Stance on Iran
UK Authorities Review Kanye West’s Entry Status Following Festival Backlash
UK Considers Deploying Aircraft Carrier for US Independence Day Celebrations Amid Renewed Transatlantic Focus
United Kingdom Moves to Attract AI Firm Anthropic Amid Tensions with US Defense Officials
RAF Intercepts Iranian Drones in Middle East to Defend Allied Security Interests
Labour Signals Shift on Foie Gras and Fur Restrictions to Advance EU Trade Talks
Seven Arrested Near RAF Base as UK Authorities Respond to Protest Activity
Economic Pressures Mount as Analysts Warn UK Growth Is Being Constrained by Policy Burdens
UK Green Party’s Push for Church-State Separation Sparks Debate Over National Identity
Strategic Island Emerges as Growing Challenge for United States and United Kingdom Defense Planning
Pepsi Pulls Sponsorship from UK Festival Following Backlash Linked to Kanye West
Signs Emerge of Declining Enthusiasm for Social Media in the United Kingdom
Security Alert Raised Ahead of Meghan Markle’s Planned Visit to Australia
UK Food Halls Defy Hospitality Slowdown, Emerging as Bright Spot in Challenging Market
UK Sets Firm Conditions for Military Action, Insisting on Legal Mandate and Clear Strategy
UK Medicines Regulator Launches Probe into Peptide Clinics Over Health Claims
New North Sea Drilling Unlikely to Significantly Cut UK Gas Imports, Analysis Finds
Woman Linked to UK’s First All-Female Terror Plot Faces Deportation
Downed US Aircraft Over Iran Linked to Operations from UK Airfield
Two Men and Teen Detained in UK Following Attack on Jewish Charity Ambulance
UK Police Launch Inquiry After Firearms Left Unattended Outside Mayor’s Residence
Giuffre Family Calls on King Charles to Meet Epstein Survivors During US Visit
Amber Wind Warning Issued as Storm Dave Approaches Parts of the United Kingdom
Prince Harry and Meghan’s Australia Visit Set to Draw Heightened Global Attention
UK Considers Entry Fees for Overseas Visitors at Major Museums Ahead of 2026 Travel Season
UK Prime Minister and Kuwait Crown Prince Coordinate Security Response After Regional Escalation
Calls Grow to Expand Fully Paid Maternity Leave for UK Teachers Amid Workforce Pressures
UK Secures Tariff-Free Access to US Market in Landmark Pharmaceuticals Agreement
Trump Projects Strength in Critique of UK Leadership and Naval Readiness
×