Kollam (Kerala): Everywhere else in this world, the word 'corona' triggers a sense of alarm and concern, except in a locality in the south Kerala town of Kollam, where it is uttered with love and amusement now.
A young woman may come to you any time with a smile and folded hands, introducing herself as "Corona" if you travel through Mathilil ward which is in Kollam Corporation.
She is Corona Thomas, the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Mathilil ward in the local body elections due next month.
In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, Corona goes for campaigning and house visits wearing a mask and gloves and offering sanitizers to the public while meeting and greeting them seeking votes.
She is also very particular in ensuring social distancing as part of the fight against the virus.
Read: 'Corona' store in Kerala reaps good business amid pandemic
The 24-year old woman said though the name had caused her embarrassment and pain during the initial days of the COVID-19 outbreak, it has now turned out to be a blessing in disguise during the election campaign.
She said her artist father, Thomas Francis, who had picked rare names for her and her twin brother, might never have thought that one day it would be the same as a contagious viral infection which brought the world to a standstill and turned everyone's life topsy-turvy.
