101-year-old survives coronavirus after receiving Pfizer vaccine

Lore Lucas had to miss out on her birthday celebrations after being consigned to her bed for around two weeks as she recovered from the virus.

Mrs Lucas was among a number of care home residents at Elton House in Bushey to receive the Covid jab on Christmas Eve, but in the new year, she tested positive for Covid-19.

However, in a sign the vaccine does prevent serious illness among elderly people, Mrs Lucas required no hospital treatment.

She said she did not really suffer from any symptoms except tiredness and although she was prescribed oxygen at her bedside, it was not needed.

According to findings published in the journal Lancet today, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has been 85 per cent effective at preventing people developing Covid-19 symptoms after the first dose, following a study of Israeli healthcare workers.

Mrs Lucas' experience with Covid comes after claiming living through the pandemic has been "worse" than living through the Blitz.

On occasions during the Second World War, Mrs Lucas says she had to run for her life after coming under attack from the German bombers while living in London – but described her personal war experience, which included working at a wholesaler in the textiles industry, as "normal" compared to what she has been through over the last few months.

She said: "The war was actually a normal life. Living through the pandemic has been worse than the war because of not being allowed to see family and loved ones. It has been really awful."

Lore Lucas turned 101 in January

Before the pandemic, Mrs Lucas would be regularly visited by her son Edwin, daughter in law Linda and grandchild Gillian. Although she has been able to stay in touch virtually, it has not been the same.

The strength shown by Mrs Lucas when she was diagnosed with Covid was unsurprising, considering the pain she did endure during the war.

The 101-year-old, who was born in Germany, received the news that both her parents and sister had died at the hands of the Nazis at a concentration camp in Holland.

Mrs Lucas only stayed in England because she was married at the time to her first husband.

She would actually meet her second husband, Ronald, on the day the war broke out, and following a divorce from her first husband, they married after the war ended, before moving to Scotland to start a new life.

Whilst Mr Lucas died 43 years ago, after a long illness, Mrs Lucas stayed in Scotland, where she volunteered weekly at the Southern General Hospital for more than 30 years.

She moved closer to her family in London two years ago, moving into Elton House. She is very active and enjoys playing bridge.

She said: "Elton House needs more bridge playing residents, so they can have a daily bridge game."

Elton House client liaison manager Karen Fleming said: "Lore is amazing. Her positivity and outlook on life is incredible considering what she’s been through. She is a glass half-full type of person and her son is the same."