MANILA — The name "Covid Bryant" will have a familiar ring to anyone who's had access to news in the last few months, as it's inspired by the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant — and apparently, the new coronavirus disease.

A newborn's hand is captured in this file photo. ABS-CBN News

COVID-19, the name established by the World Health Organization, has swept headlines and daily conversations in the past month as the virus became a full-blown pandemic.

The ubiquity of the term, it appears, rubbed off on a number of Filipino parents who recently welcomed their newborns, to the extent of naming them after the disease. That is, according to viral posts that pushed "Covid Bryant" and then "Covid Rose" to top Twitter trends in the Philippines on Wednesday and Thursday.

Covid Bryant drew amusement on the social media platform initially on Tuesday, as user Niña Cayosa wrote that she saw an exchange of messages involving one household helper who named her newborn after the basketball superstar and the pandemic.

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.......



COVID BRYANT 😫🤞🏻 — niña cayosa (@ninacayosa) March 17, 2020

Then, in a since-deleted tweet, one user shared on Wednesday a photo of a Sutan Kudarat child's birth certificate. The first name indicated: Covid Rose.

While Covid Bryant and Covid Rose aren't yet confirmed to be actual, given names to newborns, some Filipino netizens appeared to welcome the light-hearted distraction amid uncertainties surrounding COVID-19.

"They will meet someday and will talk about the history of their names and will eventually fall in love. And they will have cute little quaranteens," one user quipped.

Here's a look at how others reacted:

A filipino mom just named... her son... COVID BRYANT 💀 pic.twitter.com/6cbs7DdYnA — ᴋᴀᴍꜱ (@sukunacult) 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

this pandemic and this year shall pass, but for the poor boy who was named covid bryant, a lifetime of suffering is yet to start — lino dimaculangan (@linoangelo) March 17, 2020

sana magkita si covid rose at si covid bryant https://t.co/fyGHWpuhQi — 🍓 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 🍓 (@BUKOJUlCE) March 18, 2020

Can't wait for Covid Bryant to turn 19 with all these lobo spelled out COVID @ 19 — pandemic! at the disco (@kemberleyyy) March 18, 2020

Covid Bryant has a cheerleader na, Covid Rose. https://t.co/0QyGR5XEoN — don't spend too much money (@mitzselyn) March 19, 2020

I just want to live long enough to witness Covid Bryant and Covid Rose turn 18. — James Caguicla (@jamescaguicla_) March 19, 2020

WE SHIP COVID ROSE AND COVID BRYANT HAHAHAHAHA — Dipper (@biolojys) March 19, 2020

So newborn babies were named:

Covid Bryant

Covid Rose



What's next? Covid Durant??😂 — TINAY⁷ 💜 (@_areumdawo) March 19, 2020