Coronavirus: 95-year-old Italian grandmother recovers from virus

Alma Clara Corsini has returned home after beating Covid-19 without antiviral treatment

A 95-year-old has become the oldest known woman in Italy to recover from coronavirus.

Alma Clara Corsini made a full recovery from Covid-19 without the need for antiviral treatment after her body showed a “great reaction” to the disease, doctors say.

The grandmother was taken to hospital on 5 March after showing signs of the illness but has already returned to her home in Fanano, Modena, after a remarkable recovery.

She told Gazzetta Di Modena from her hospital bed: “Yes, yes, I’m fine.

“They were good people who looked after me well.”

The Italian newspaper said Ms Corsini had been the “pride of staff” during her treatment at a hospital in Pavullo.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever or coughing.

However, for some older adults and people with existing health problems it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

Italy, the epicentre of the virus in Europe, has had more than 59,000 cases of Covid-19 so far.

The country’s death toll from the disease climbed by 651 to 5,476 on Sunday.

The rise was down on Saturday’s figure of 793, but Italy remains one of the worst affected countries in the world, with its death toll surpassing China's last week.

The entire country has been in lockdown since 9 March with strict social distancing measures in place.

The hardest-hit northern region of Lombardy has gone even further, banning any outdoor exercise not on personal property, including individual exercise, and setting distance limits on dog walking to stop people flouting the rules.

Anyone caught breaking the restrictions will now face a fine of up to 5,000 euros (£4,620).

Metalworkers unions in the region have threatened to strike to protect the health of their members because a government decree temporarily shutting many businesses due to coronavirus has allowed too many to remain open.

The three main unions, FIOM, FIM and UILM, said the list of companies that can continue working “has been excessively extended, covering areas of dubious importance” and allowing firms “excessive discretion” in applying for exemptions.

The government decree, signed on Sunday, says all but “essential” businesses must close until 3 April, and sets out a long list of sectors deemed essential.

Globally, there are now about more than 337,500 cases of coronavirus and more than 14,650 deaths related to it.

More than 98,000 people have recovered so far, mostly in China where the outbreak began in the city of Wuhan, in Hubei.

Additional reporting by agencies.