The outlet definintly needs to be checked, however, this outlet may have performed to spec. If gound was not avalible it might of killed her.
An outlet will not just short in a way to get you. The cord or the computer may be what caused a surge to that outlet. With a storm going on a ton of static electricity may be the culprit. Her charge after going up stairs and being on carpet may have found the ground or nutral on end of that cord and old sammey electron wanted out!
Did this pop the breaker? I do believe this will be a shear accident of a bunch of circumstances comeing to gether at once.
There is really no way she would of been a better ground than the neutral or ground.
Ground is only there as a fail safe to a broken neutral. Both neutral and ground essentally do the same thing, take "flow" back to the substation.
With one hand you can grab hot without a shock, unless you provide a great ground, Ie standing on metal with wet feet and then putting the hot lead in your mouth. The metal floor needs also needs to be sitting on good old mother earth, and it would help it you wet the earth under the plate.
Then you go poof!
The easyier way to shock yourself to to grab hot and than neutal or ground with your other hand than poof as you complete the circuit!
This is why I believe it was static eletricity from your wife to ground or nutral. If their was a lighting strike, all bets are off and some of the voltage found it way to your wife, however not much otherwise..... This has nothing to do with how well your wireing is.
The tingle, or pain 99% of the time will go away in time. You should at least get her checked out.
This is my understanding based on my knowlage, but Iam not an eletrician nor a power guy. Just a cableguy.
Was there a ethernet cable also connected to the laptop at this time? Potential difference between your network or the cable/phone company will typicall not be the same.........hence you can create a circuit between the two grounds to "flow power".