In one of the most crushing stories to have come out of the Covid-19 pandemic, a pair of 24-yr-old twins died due to covid-related complications within hours of each other in UP’s Meerut. Born three minutes apart, both Joefred and Ralphred Gregory went to college together and completed their B Tech in Coimbatore. Joefred worked in Accenture and Ralphred worked with Hyundai Mubis Company. They had plans to go abroad. The twins developed a fever on April 24, a day after their birthdays.
For days, they were treated at home but had to shifted to hospital when their oxygen level dropped. Both were admitted to Anand Hospital after their oxygen saturation levels began dipping, and had to be eventually put on ventilator support in the ICU, Indian Express reported. ON May 10, the two tested negative bringing much-needed relief to to the family but the joy was shortlived.
On May 13, their parents Gregory Raymond and Soja Raphael, both teachers in Meerut, were informed that Joefred had succumbed to covid “Three days later, our world came crashing… When Joefred died, I had a sixth sense that Ralphred would not make it. Simply because they were inseparable,” the twins’ father Mr Raphael told the Indian Express. “Our family is broken. Covid took away my sons who had never harmed anyone in their entire lives,” he added.
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Ralphred, who was in the same hospital, sensed something is wrong. He called his mother and asked about his twin. He was told that Joefred had to be moved to a hospital in Delhi. Maa, you are hiding something. Something has happened and you are not telling me,” Ralphred reportedly told his mother. he following day, Ralphred also succumbed to Covid.
India is witnessing its worst healthcare crisis in decades due to unprecedented surge in Covid-19 cases. In another tragic incident two girls, aged six and eight, were orphaned after their parents and grandparents succumbed to Covid-19 in a span of 12 days.