The rona

It seems that we have reached such a degree of familiarity with the coronavirus that we can shorten it to just corona, as in to catch corona. The shortened form seems to work better in compounds such as corona escape and corona-phobia. 

 In the same way COVID-19 is being shortened to just COVID, as in China’s COVID response or COVID unemployment benefits.

Finally corona is being shortened to rona or the rona. Things associated with COVID-19 are also being familiarised. Hand sanitiser has become sannie in the Australian way. Self-isolation has been shorted to just iso, as in iso life or We’re doing iso.