An Indian named "Covid" makes a fuss and jokes on social media

The name of the Indian Kovid Kapoor, founder of a travel startup, caused a stir on Twitter, making his owner the talk of the site in India.

Kapoor's Twitter page identifies him with the phrase "My name is Covid, not a virus."

Kovid Kapoor states that this week he traveled outside India for the first time since the start of the Covid-19 epidemic and says he met "a group of people laughing" because of his name.

"Future trips abroad will be fun!" he wrote in a tweet that had garnered 40,000 likes and 4,000 retweets as of Friday.

This tweet sparked a barrage of jokes, messages and requests for interviews, in a hilarious moment that coincides with the spread of the Omicron mutant and the increase in infections in India.

Kapoor joined the wave of jokes, writing that he has been "Covid positive since 1990" and posting a picture of him holding a Corona beer bottle.

"I'm a covid who wants more travel," the co-founder of Holidayify said sarcastically.

He confirmed to AFP that the sudden surge of interest was "totally unexpected", hoping that this would be an advertisement for his company in light of a "difficult situation" in the sector.

Since the beginning of the epidemic, Covid has never stopped "breaking the ice" during business meetings, but has asked cafes not to mention his name when serving him a drink.

The name Covid is considered uncommon in India, and it means a researcher or an educated individual in Hindi and Sanskrit, with the letter "d" pronounced in a patchy pronunciation.

Kapoor's mother chose the name of her son before he was born.

He says of his name that it is “unforgettable and has a beautiful meaning,” adding, “It is an amazing way to introduce anyone to anyone. I would never change it.”

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news