Coronavirus: Indian couple name their newborn twins 'Corona' and 'Covid'

An Indian couple have reportedly named their newborn twins ‘Corona’ and ‘Covid’ despite the havoc caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.

The two words, ‘Corona’ and ‘Covid’ were derived from the Coronavirus (COVID-19), a deadly disease that broke out from Wuhan in China.

The couple from Chhattisgarh who welcomed the twins during the ongoing coronavirus-enforced nationwide lockdown decided to name them ‘Corona’ and ‘Covid’ because the kids symbolise triumph over hardships.

According to the couple, the names would remind them about all the hardships they conquered amid the lockdown.

“ I was blessed with the twins, a boy and a girl, in the early hours on March 27. We have named them Covid (boy) and Corona (girl) for now,”  Preeti Verma, the 27-old mother of the newborns, said:

“The delivery happened after facing several difficulties and therefore, me and my husband wanted to make the day memorable.

“Indeed the virus is dangerous and life-threatening but its outbreak made people focus on sanitation, hygiene and inculcate other good habits. Thus, we thought about these names,” she said, giving reasons for their unusual decision.

“When the hospital staff also started calling the babies as Corona and Covid, we finally decided to name them after the pandemic,” she said.

Speaking on the challenges she and her husband faced before she welcomed her twin children, Verma said: 

“On late night of March 26, I suddenly experienced severe labour pain and somehow my husband arranged an ambulance operated under 102 Mahtari Express service.

“As no vehicular movement was allowed on roads due to the lockdown, we were stopped by police at various places but they let us go after noticing my condition,” Ms.Verma said.

“I was wondering what would happen in the hospital as it was midnight, but fortunately doctors and other staff were very cooperative,” she said.

“Our relatives, who wanted to reach the hospital, could not make it as bus and train services were stopped due to the lockdown,” said Verma, who already has a two-year-old daughter.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the hospital, Shubhra Singh said, the mother and the newborns were discharged recently and they were in good health.

Within 45 minutes of their arrival, the delivery was done successfully,” the PRO said.