London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

'Superhuman' woman, 101, beats coronavirus after surviving Spanish flu pandemic

A New York woman who survived the Spanish influenza pandemic, cancer and sepsis, has beaten coronavirus at the age of 101.
Angelina Friedman’s family say they weren’t surprised when she overcame Covid-19 as she is a ‘survivor’ who has ‘superhuman DNA’.

The pensioner’s mother died giving birth to her on a passenger ship that was taking immigrants from Italy to New York City during the second wave of the Spanish flu in 1918.

One of 11 children, she was taken care of by two of her sisters and they eventually reunited with their father in Brooklyn, where she was raised.

She went on to marry and start a family with a man named Harold Friedman, but tragedy struck when they were both diagnosed with cancer.

Angelina’s husband sadly died, but she survived the illness and is now also the last of her siblings.

Her daughter Joanne Merola told Pix11: ‘My mother is a survivor. She survived miscarriages, internal bleeding and cancer.’

She added: ‘Everybody in the family lived until at least 95, except one uncle. My mother is a survivor. She is not human. She has superhuman DNA.’

The New Yorker, who now lives at the North Westchester Restorative Therapy and nursing Center in Lake Mohegan, was taken to hospital on March 21 for a minor medical procedure.

However, the procedure was cancelled when she tested positive for coronavirus, which has now taken 27,000 lives in the city.

Angelina returned to her nursing home to isolate and had an on-and-off fever for several weeks, but finally tested negative on April 20.

Merola hasn’t been able to visit her mum since February and says she is nearly deaf so they can’t talk on the phone.

But, regardless of the distance between them, she says she ‘marvels’ at her mother’s endurance.

She said: ‘If my mother could see this, I’d say, “Keep going, Ma. You’re going to outlive us all”.’

Angelina’s story comes after Keith Watson, 101, became one of the UK’s oldest people to survive Covid-19.

Barbara Briley, 86, who ‘survived Hitler, open-heart surgery, two replacement knees and two replacement hips’ also proved she is a fighter once again by beating coronavirus in March.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×