Holidays are being cancelled, antibacterial gel is selling out and Gwyneth Paltrow is making Contagion jokes – coronavirus (known as covid-19) is being talked about at every turn. But what about Love In The Time Of Coronavirus? What about when it comes to dating?
Two more people in the UK have today tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total cases to 15, reports the Department of Health – and the patients caught the virus in Italy and Tenerife.
With circumstances around how the disease is passed between people not entirely clear, and it seeming like the disease could be incubated within people for two weeks (or even lie dormant in some), would you be put off from heading out on a wet Tuesday to potentially share more than a negroni?
‘I don't typically date much, more get off with randoms when I'm drunk - which I feel like is actually the riskiest behaviour when it comes to catching something,’ says Jessica, 25. ‘Knowing what I'm like when I'm drunk, I can fully see myself asking for a detailed itinerary of their travel plans since December and running for the hills if their answers weren't promising. Then again, I can also see myself completely forgetting coronavirus exists and running around town spreading germs everywhere. So really it's just a case of how much my brain wants me to live or die on any given night out.'
Most of the people we spoke to shared a similar attitude. Bonnie, 21, said: ‘Due to coronavirus, I should probably rethink my life and/or dating decisions. But I will not be – as I think I actually randomly snogged someone last night. Maybe if the outbreak gets worse, I will think a little bit more about kissing random men. For the now, it is a risk I am willing to take.’
And Lola, 32, told us, ‘Weirdly I was thinking about that this morning. It’s so unfair – it’s just another thing for single people to worry about, while couples get to be all sniffly together and be quarantined together. But to be honest, if I’m in the mood, nothing is going to stop me – it’s tough being on the singledom frontline!’
But others did express reservations. Amy, 22, told Grazia: ‘As a single gal I can say yes it has made me think twice about whether I’d go on a date, in some respects. I’m a lot more conscious about germs now, so if I am on a date, I don’t particularly want to be all over someone. Maybe all this talk of coronavirus has made me revaluate how germy it actually is to kiss random people…’
It’s so unfair... couples get to be all sniffly and quarantined together.
And Lillian, 24 added: ‘To be honest, I was thinking the other day, I definitely wouldn’t snog a randomer on a night out for the foreseeable future. But then if you were ill, I would hope you wouldn’t be in da club anyway…’
While others, and especially those with health anxiety, are finding the spread of coronavirus terrifying, it seems others are seeing the lighter side. Some joker already put the disease on Tinder…
Government advice on coronavirus states: 'If you have returned from these specific areas since 19 February, you should call NHS 111 and stay indoors and avoid contact with other people even if you do not have symptoms: Iran, specific lockdown areas in northern Italy as designated by the Government of Italy, "special care zones" in South Korea as designated by the Government of the Republic of South Korea and Hubei province (returned in the past 14 days).
'If you have returned from these areas since 19 February and develop symptoms, however mild, you should stay indoors at home and avoid contact with other people immediately and call NHS 111. You do not need to follow this advice if you have no symptoms: northern Italy (anywhere north of Pisa, Florence and Rimini), Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar.'
You can read more advice here
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