106-year-old Turkish woman witness to 2 pandemics

EDIRNE, Turkey

Over her long life, a 106-year-old Turkish woman has seen two pandemics -- malaria and COVID-19 -- and prays to God to protect and aid hardworking healthcare professionals.

Safiye Pehlivan was born in Greece, in a village near Turkey’s northwestern Edirne province, and moved to Turkey with her family in 1956.

Pehlivan has a healthy diet and gets regular sleep, going to bed early in the evening and rising with the first light.

She also avoids processed food and suggests avoiding stress for a long life.

Malaria

Pehlivan told Anadolu Agency that she also lived through the malaria epidemic in Greece in the early 1950s.

Stating that malaria also cost the lives of many people, she said that two of her siblings also died from the disease.

She urged people to follow coronavirus safety measures.

Saying that she is most sorry for the healthcare professionals, she called their efforts on the frontlines of the virus fight invaluable.

Malaria is transmitted to humans through infected mosquito bites. Although it is preventable and even curable, it is still a life-threatening disease, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. People who contract malaria typically develop high fevers, shaking chills and a flu-like illness.

Since originating in Wuhan, China in December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed more than 2.7 million lives in 192 countries and regions.

Over 123.7 million cases have been reported worldwide, with recoveries surpassing 70 million, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.

The US, Brazil and India remain the worst-hit countries in terms of cases.

​​​​​​​*Writing by Seda Sevencan