Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Feb 21, 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

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Concerns Mount Over Potential Saudi Uranium Enrichment in Prospective US Nuclear Accord
Trump Directs Government to Release UFO and Alien Information
Trump Signs Global 10% Tariffs on Imports
Investability Emerges as the Defining Test of Saudi Arabia’s Next Market Phase
Saudi Arabia’s Packaging Market Accelerates as Sustainability and E-Commerce Drive Transformation
Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Minerals Drive Offers Lessons for Europe’s Supply Chain Ambitions
Saudi Arabia Unveils $32 Billion Push Into Theme Parks and Global Entertainment
Saudi Crude Exports to India Climb Sharply, Closing Gap With Russia
Saudi Arabia’s Halal Cosmetics Market Expands as Faith and Ethical Beauty Drive Growth
United Kingdom Denies U.S. Access to Military Base for Potential Iran Strike
ImmunityBio Secures Saudi Partnerships to Launch Flagship Cancer Therapy
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Launch Expanded Renewable Energy Partnership
US Supreme Court Voids Trump’s Emergency Tariff Plan, Reshaping Trade Power and Fiscal Risk
UK Intensifies Efforts to Secure Saudi Investment in Next-Generation Fighter Jet Programme
Saudi Arabia Tops Middle East Green Building Rankings with Record Growth in 2025
Qatar and Saudi Arabia Each Commit One Billion Dollars to President Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Initiative
Ramadan 2026 Prayer Times Set as Fasting Begins in Saudi Arabia and Egypt Announces Dates
Saudi Arabia Launches Ramadan 2026 Hotel Campaign to Boost Religious and Leisure Tourism
Saudi Arabia Seeks Reroute of Greece-Bound Fibre-Optic Cable Through Syria Instead of Israel
Saudi-Backed Scopely Acquires Majority Stake in Turkey’s Loom Games to Expand Mobile Portfolio
Zodiac Milpro Launches Zid Marine Joint Venture in Saudi Arabia to Expand Regional Shipbuilding
Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Reform Path Amid Claims of Ideological Reversal
Calls Grow for Saudi Arabia and UAE to Settle Differences Through Direct Dialogue
Jensen Huang just told the story of how Elon Musk became NVIDIA’s very first customer for their powerful AI supercomputer
British couple sentenced to 10 years in Iran for espionage
Former British Prince Andrew Arrested on Suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office
Unitree Robotics founder Wang Xingxing showcases future robot deployment during Spring Festival Gala.
Prince William Holds Talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman During Saudi Visit
Saudi Arabia’s Humain Commits $3 Billion Investment to Elon Musk’s xAI
SCOPA Executive Unveils Ambitious Relaunch Strategy for Saudi Production Company
Saudi Arabia Sees Rise in Business Visa Rejections Amid Tighter Compliance Checks
Saudi PIF Transfers Take-Two Stake to Savvy Games Group in Strategic Gaming Push
Jimmy Carr Says He ‘Loved’ Saudi Arabia Show Amid Debate Over Performing in the Kingdom
Sotheby’s ‘Origins II’ Auction Signals Saudi Collectors’ Shift Toward Cultural Legacy
EY and Microsoft Deepen Saudi Arabia Partnership with Launch of EY Studio+
Google Pay Launches Support for Mastercard Cards in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Bolsters Maritime Surveillance Fleet with Four C-27J Patrol Aircraft
Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia Deepen Strategic Partnership with New Investment and Energy Agreements
Saudi Crown Prince Receives Written Message from Kazakhstan’s President Amid Expanding Strategic Ties
ImmunityBio Shares Rise After Saudi Arabia BCG Manufacturing Update Spurs Investor Optimism
Global Music Star Tyla Confirmed as Headliner at 2026 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Entertainment Lineup
Somalia and Saudi Arabia Forge New Military Partnership Amid Regional Power Shifts
Saudi Arabia and Several Nations Criticize Israeli West Bank Land Measures as Diplomatic Tensions Rise
Saudi Public Investment Fund Transfers Stake in Take-Two Interactive as Portfolio Strategy Evolves
Saudi Arabia’s Flagship Defense Expo Highlights Industrial Ambitions and Expanding Arms Portfolio
Strategic Divergence Deepens as Saudi Arabia and UAE Recalibrate Gulf Partnership
Saudi Arabia Confirms Start of Ramadan as Crescent Moon Sighted, While Other Nations Begin a Day Later
Rubio Calls for Sweeping U.N. Reform, Saying It Has Failed to End Wars in Gaza and Ukraine
10,000 Condoms Distributed at Winter Olympics 2026 Athlete Village Depleted Within 72 Hours
Prince William Meets Saudi Crown Prince as Epstein-Andrew Fallout Casts Shadow
×