From babies to 'bondas,' all that was christened after the novel coronavirus

Over six months into a deadly virus outbreak that has the world desperately wanting to go back to normalcy, the coronavirus will linger in long term memories of some families and institutions for less obvious reasons. Here's why:

Hope of new life

A couple from Raipur named their twins after the novel coronavirus, calling their son Corona and daughter Covid, to commemorate the challenging birth process, which was made possible after intense sanitisation and hygiene practices.

Born during coronavirus lockdown, Raipur twins named 'Corona' and 'Covid'

Shramik trains that ferried migrants back home and to their destination of work were blessed by the cries of many newborns. Among these, two had especially unique names: Karuna and Lockdown Yadav.

Rajendra Yadav, whose daughter was born in a Shramik train, refused to name her Corona, despite suggestions from friends and family. Instead he named her ‘Karuna’, a word-play on Corona, which means compassion.

Reena gave birth on a Shramik special headed to Uttar Pradesh from Mumbai. Her son was born under challenging circumstances and she named him Lockdown Yadav to remember those.

A girl in Manila was named after Covid-19, so that her mother could remember that despite all the hardships that came with the pandemic, there were blessings too. Corona in Spanish means crown and has been used to name girls for a while now.

Gastronomical trends

While restaurants and eateries remained shut and bore the brunt of lockdowns, this Tamil Nadu restaurant served mask parottas and Corona Bhajjis to raise awareness about the virus. The Madurai restaurant also served Corona pakoras and Corona bondas.

A renowned eatery in Kolkata made a Corona sandesh, shaped in the form of the Covid-19 virus, with a red coloured body covered in edibe spikes.

Mask-shaped parottas, the hottest thing on social media now

Corona store, talk of this Kerala town

A textile store in Kerala, named 'Corona Pareed' became the talk of the town. Located in Muvattupuzha, the store’s unusual name has generated massive publicity for it during the pandemic. From people taking selfies to inquisitive passers-by passing smiles at the owner, Corona Pareed has generated immense interest.