A couple in Chhattisgarh, India has named their newborn twins Corona and Covid — a move they claimed was to serve as a reminder of the hardship they endured during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to HinduTimes, the Raipur-based couple decided to christen their boy ‘Covid’ and their girl ‘Corona’ after they were born during the country’s three-week lockdown.
Speaking on the reason for the unusual names, Preeti Verma, their 27-year-old mother, said it would remind them of the the difficult situations they overcame ahead of the twin’s successful delivery.
“I was blessed with the twins, a boy and a girl – in the early hours on March 27. We have named them Covid and Corona for now,” Verma, who already has a two-year-old daughter, told PTI news agency.
“The delivery happened after facing several difficulties. Therefore, my husband and I 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.
“On the 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.
“I was wondering what would happen in the hospital as it was midnight, but fortunately doctors and other staff were very cooperative.
“Our relatives, who wanted to reach the hospital, could not make it as bus and train services were stopped due to the lockdown.”
Some weeks ago, a Hindu group in the country had held a cow urine drinking party to ward off the coronavirus amid claims that such a practice offered medicinal benefits.
In Africa, over 7,000 cases have been recorded with 284 deaths spread across 50 countries.
Globally, the confirmed cases hit one million on Thursday, with at least 51,300 people dead from complications of the disease.
The infection has spread to 204 countries and territories since the first case was recorded in Wuhan, China, late December.
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