WASHINGTON — Sylvia Goldsholl very well may be the oldest coronavirus survivor in America.
The New Jersey resident was born in 1911 and has lived through the 1918 flu pandemic and the current coronavirus pandemic.
Goldsholl tested positive for COVID-19 in March but recovered within two weeks, News 12 New Jersey reported.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy celebrated Goldsholl's spirit at a news conference Thursday.
"A tremendous life, a tremendous spirit, and a tremendous show of strength. So, to you, Sylvia, we send you all our best for many more years to come," Murphy tweeted.
Born on Dec. 29, 1911, she was just seven years old when the 1918 flu pandemic hit.
“I survived everything because I was determined to survive,” Goldsholl told News 12 New Jersey recently.
Right now, it looks like she could be the country's oldest coronavirus survivor. Goldsholl is about two months older than a 108-year-old New Mexico man who has also survived COVID-19. Surprisingly, he also has a New Jersey connection, because that's where he grew up, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
So far, a 113-year-old woman in Spain is believed to be the world's oldest coronavirus survivor. Maria Branyas was diagnosed with COVID-19 shortly after her 113th birthday but has recovered and suffered only mild symptoms, according to Spanish publication La Vanguardia.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems -- including children -- it can cause more severe illness and death.