MANILA, Philippines — “Call me by your name and I’ll call you by mine.” “Covid.”
Netizens are speculating the future of alleged 2020 babies who, according to unconfirmed reports, were named by their parents as “Covid,” after novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has so far infected around 210,000 globally over the past months and claimed the lives of at least 8,778.
First, “Covid Bryant,” a portmanteau of the disease and the name of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, surfaced Tuesday on social media a day after the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine was declared by President Rodrigo Duterte.
RELATED: Duterte places entire Luzon under 'enhanced' community quarantine
“Anak ng teteng (Son of a gun)! I just found out through FB (Facebook) that the daughter of our kasambahay (house helper) gave birth this morning, March 15, Day 1 of Metro Manila Quarantine, and named the baby boy COVID BRYANT,” read a screen grabbed post circulating on social media.
Coronnials are here!
Covid Bryant ???? pic.twitter.com/q9ZWs3v7e5— Crissy (@criseldalicious) March 17, 2020
“Kawawang bata ere (Poor child)... I called up the mother just now and she confirmed it's true. *Slaps head*”
Related: Newborn baby named Covid Bryant, trends on Twitter
Online users bemoaned what they said is double jeopardy for the “unfortunate” child, named after two concurrent tragedies that defined the first quarter of 2020.
Saw a message where one of the maid’s daughters gave birth last March 15 (start of the lockdown) & you’ll never guess what they named their NEWBORN CHILD.......
— niña cayosa (@ninacayosa) March 17, 2020
COVID BRYANT ????????????
Baby in the Philippines reportedly called Covid Bryant will always remember which news cycle he was born in https://t.co/BnDzLvCIjd
— Janelle Dumalaon (@janelledumalaon) March 17, 2020
Is it true a newborn baby was just named Covid Bryant? That name is more 2020 than 2020
— Mikhail Red (@MikhailRed) March 17, 2020
if u feel like ur parents dont love u, just remember that one mom gave birth to a boy yesterday and she named her son COVID BRYANT
— pia (@_piapadua) March 17, 2020
this filipino mom trying to sum up 2020's disasters so far by naming the son COVID BRYANT. HOW INAPPROPRIATELY WITTY AND FUNNY I CANT--
— jeannie del rey (@jane_eyrr) March 17, 2020
Imagine your mom calling you by your full name: Corona Virus Disease Bryant.
Covid Bryant pic.twitter.com/Mapx8WwL6T— j (@xswvfrnhy) March 17, 2020
Related: Kobe Bryant, 41, killed in helicopter crash
Whether it’s a blessing or a curse, baby Covid Bryant won’t bear the burden alone as “Covid Rose” and “Coviduvidapdap” have joined the party!
ONLY IN THE PHILIPPINES
1. Covid Bryant
2. Covid Rose
3. Coviduvidapdap pic.twitter.com/pZgn0obB6N— ???? (@r_ouven) March 20, 2020
If you're having a bad day, always remember that there is one kid out there named Coviduvidapdap. Koya wil pic.twitter.com/SgWnByAGA7
— Aerrol (@ewolll) March 20, 2020
The names of baby girl Covid Rose and baby boy Coviduvidapdap (portmanteau of COVID and Willie Revillame’s Dubidubidapdap) were seen in respective, unverified photographs of their alleged birth certificates that circulated on the Internet yesterday and today.
Years from now, Covid Bryant and Covid Rose will meet. And just when they thought their love story will have a happy ending, Coviduvidapdap will show up and will shake their relationship ???? pic.twitter.com/fA3ssthDI9
— MJ ?????????? (@MjTheEsmero) March 20, 2020
Since then, Filipino netizens have imagined the future of the “coronnials” who will eventually hit puberty together as “quaranteens.”
So newborn babies were named:
— TINAY? ???? (@_areumdawo) March 19, 2020
Covid Bryant
Covid Rose
What's next? Covid Durant??????
Covid Bryant, Covid Rose and Coviduvidapdap meeting after the quarantine pic.twitter.com/iMOxEniRHO
— cassandra virus (@adlerhidaIgo) March 20, 2020
Covid Bryant, Covid Rose and Coviduvidapdap outside the PSA Office ???? pic.twitter.com/QcRmJLWEpE
— hans (@hanshernandez__) March 20, 2020
Some even predicted that the trio will eventually fall into a love triangle or even a throuple.
WE SHIP COVID ROSE AND COVID BRYANT HAHAHAHAHA
— Dipper (@biolojys) March 19, 2020
From Covid Bryant to Covid Rose and now to Coviduvidapdap.
— ally (@alchristiamae) March 20, 2020
ladies and gentlemen,,, this is going to be a love triangle ????
Years from now, Covid Bryant and Covid Rose will meet. And just when they thought their love story will have a happy ending, Coviduvidapdap will show up and will shake their relationship ???? pic.twitter.com/fA3ssthDI9
— MJ ?????????? (@MjTheEsmero) March 20, 2020
Wild as the idea may seem, the alleged parents of the Covid babies who have gone viral might have been inspired (?) by the impact of the disease — described earlier this week by World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as “the defining global health crisis of our time.”