Although China was the epicentre of the spread of the novel coronavirus, Italy now leads the world in COVID-19 infections resulting in death with almost 8215 death toll and more than 80,589 positive cases reported.
Meanwhile, in China, their rate of infections continues to slow, and the country's lockdown appears to be working.
Heart-warming news of survival
Contradicting this threatening menace comes the news of a 101-year-old man in the coastal Italian city of Rimini recovering from the novel coronavirus.
Italian news reports said that the man, referred to only as "Mr. P.", is believed to be the oldest person to recover from the disease, reports Xinhua news agency reported.
Rimini Mayor gives an emotional statement
In a televised interview on Thursday, Gloria Lisi, Vice-Mayor of Rimini said that as the patient started showing signals of recovery, it soon became "the story everyone talked about" in the hospital. Lisi added that Mr P, who was born in 1919, was admitted to the Rimini hospital -- Ospedale Infermi di Rimini -- a week ago after testing positive for COVID-19.
"Mr. P., from Rimini, was born in 1919, in the midst of another tragic world pandemic. He saw everything, hunger, pain, progress, crisis and resurrections," said Lisi in a very emotional statement.
"Everyone saw hope for the future of all of us in the recovery of a person more than 100 years old. Every day we see the sad stories from these weeks that mechanically tell about a virus that rages and is especially aggressive on the elderly. But he survived. Mr. P. survived. His family brought him home last night (Wednesday), leaving behind a lesson that even at the age of 101, the future is not set," she added.
Positive news for country
Mr. P's life has been truly incredible and to add it up, he proves that age is always just a number.
The country under strict lockdown has thus got rare positive news to cherish for the rest of their life.
As Lisi has noted in her statement, "A hope for the future finds itself in the body of a person over a century old, as the sad chronicles of these weeks mechanically tell every day of a virus that is raging especially on the elderly."
