103-year-old Chinese woman becomes oldest person to survive coronavirus

A 103-year-old woman has become the oldest person to survive coronavirus.

Zhang Guangfen was admitted to hospital in Wuhan on 1 March and just six days later was released and sent home.

Her incredible recovery has been credited to the fact she had no underlying health conditions, aside from mild chronic bronchitis, her doctor Zeng Yulan is quoted as saying in Chutian Metropolis Daily. 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is more deadly to older people and people with pre-existing health conditions. 

While Guangfen is the oldest person to recover, it's not by a wide margin. 

A 100-year-old man with heart failure, Alzheimer's and hyper-tension also recovered from the disease in Wuhan last week after being treated by military doctors.

State run news site Xinhua reports he was admitted to hospital on 24 February and discharged on 7 March.

England's chief medical officer says there's a common misconception all elderly people who contract the virus die from it.

"I think it's easy to get a perception that if you are older and you get this virus then you're a goner," Professor Chris Whitty told Independent.

"Absolutely not, the great majority of people will recover from this virus, even if they are in their 80s."

Thought to have originated in a Wuhan live food market, COVID-19 has infected more than 80,700 people in China and killed over 3000.

Globally 118,326 people are infected and 4292 have died.