A baby boy and girl born in India amid the current lockdown have been named Corona and Covid by their parents, local reports claim.
The newborn twins were born at the Dr BR Ambedkar Memorial Hospital in the early hours of March 27, according to well-respected Indian news outlet NDTV.
Parents Preeti and Vinay Verma, from Chhattisgarh, told the Press Trust of India the names Corona and Covid were chosen to symbolise triumph over hardship.
Mother Preeti Verma, a resident of Puranti Basi, said:
‘The delivery happened after facing several difficulties and therefore my husband and I wanted to make the day memorable.
She added: ‘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.’
Verma said that hospital staff started calling her son Corona and daughter Covid so they decided to name them after the pandemic.
The couple already has a two year old daughter and struggled to reach the hospital in time for the birth amid the lockdown.