When artist Thomas Francis named his daughter Corona, he had no idea that one day it would be added to the glossary of a viral outbreak. All he wanted was an unusual and unique name for his baby girl and it remained so till the end of 2019.
But the moniker was not the only problem for Corona Thomas as the pregnant 24-year-old tested positive a few days before her due date.
And the COVID-19 survivor, who beat the virus along with her newborn, is now engaged in a battle of a different sort. She is the BJP candidate in Kollam Corporation’s Mathilil ward. “People are amused to see a person called Corona seeking votes in the middle of a pandemic. It is basically a pleasant experience and the campaign so far has been great,” says the contestant.
Corona, who tested positive in October, says her interest in politics springs from a passion for serving people. “Both my baby and I recovered only recently and I am managing the campaign with the support of my family and party. My husband Jinu is an active BJP worker,” she says. Despite her curious name, she was not made the target of any barb even by her political opponents, adds Corona. “I have been getting very warm and positive response from all corners.”
The meaning of her name is halo and Corona has a twin brother, Coral. The initial days of the pandemic were not easy for her as she found her name very embarrassing, especially when the ‘go corona go’ slogan started doing the rounds. “I even thought of changing my name. But now I am totally in love with my name and I am also confident that the electoral outcome will be positive,” she says.