A great great grandmother from Australia has been given a guard of honour after recovering from the coronavirus.

Doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers formed a line and applauded Maureen Appleby as she left Austin Hospital in Melbourne’s north east.

The 94-year-old was at a high risk of developing health complications after contracting Covid-19, however she fought the virus with gusto and couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as she was discharged.

“I fought it back, I got there,” she told reporters yesterday.

“I’ve overcome everything through the lovely staff that’s here, the doctors and nurses are just wonderful yeah they’re wonderful.”

She was already in hospital after falling and breaking her ribs. It’s not known how she contracted the virus while in hospital.

Maureen admitted it was frightening when she tested positive for the deadly virus.

“Two men came to visit me – I thought they were out of Mars. They were in white uniforms with big black glasses, I thought I was dreaming.”

People in her age category have been wiped out from the coronavirus, so it’s incredible to see her overcome it.

Austin Hospital’s Associate Professor Jason Trubiano said Ms Appleby has ‘defied all the odds’.

“She is over 90 and really that is an amazing effort,” he said.

There have been several stories of elderly people overcoming the coronavirus, but few more incredible than a Second World War veteran.

Bill Lapschies was able to celebrate his 104th birthday after officially beating the virus.

He’s one of the oldest person to have survived the disease.

He was wheeled out of Edward C. Allworth Veterans’ Home in Lebanon, Oregon, USA, to celebrate his birthday at the beginning of April, with socially distanced friends and family coming to visit bearing gifts, plaques and balloons.

When asked by granddaughter Jamie Yutzi how he had survived the virus – which has claimed almost 50,000 lives – he said: “I don’t know. It just went away. Sit out here and you can get rid of anything.”

Asked how it felt to be 104, he replied: “Pretty good. I made it.”

Dr Rob Richardson, who oversees care at the home, said Bill had a moderate case of the virus and didn’t develop any respiratory issues. However, he said he probably would have been hospitalised if he wasn’t at the home.

Bill was born in Oregon in 1916 and has survived the Spanish flu pandemic, The Great Depression and his time in the US Army during the Second World War.