These video dates kind of make you connect on a different level. It’s quite fun.
We need to prevent the spread of coronavirus and FaceTime dating is that tool.
Let’s be honest, if you’re dating right now there’s probably one thing that's on your mind…
Coronavirus.
Around 180 million people worldwide are using dating apps.
And it seems a lot of you on them right now are talking about coronavirus.
In many parts of the world people are being asked to minimise all non-essential social
contact.
So a lot of you are starting to take serious measures when it comes to dating and your
love life…
Including medical student, Mohamed in Tunisia.
Because of the coronavirus I have personally decided to stop using dating apps like Tinder.
And tonnes of you are suddenly having to do long distance because of the pandemic.
Like Hana who is having to do long-distance in Malaysia. Her boyfriend is in another city
but they can’t see each other due to restrictions on movement in the country.
It is quite challenging. We are not used to not seeing each other for such a long time.
So how can we maintain our love life during the coronavirus outbreak?
Don’t worry there could be some solutions…
Yep, video dating is becoming a thing.
How it works is you organise a video call with one of your matches and you both sit
at home and chat.
Ok but what should you speak about on your first video date?
Let’s see with Kaamilah in Johannesburg thinks.
What are they doing on the weekend since there's no football? Er, how many kids do you want?
Ok I know that’s a bit too much maybe for a first date.
And what could you plan to do on a video date?
This is what Reynier in Cape Town, South Africa, did on his.
Not being able to go on a proper date, it’s quite interesting the stuff you come up with.
We started playing like Pictionary. Like guess this picture that you draw.
After that we had dinner. It was quite sweet. He said he was taking me out for dinner. Sent
me a recipe. We bought our ingredients. Bought a bottle of wine. And yeah we cooked together
over FaceTime. And we just chatted, like a normal dinner date.
But is video dating actually worth it?
100%. Having a conversation with someone over FaceTime helps you escape, especially when
there are so many things going on in the world. We need to prevent the spread of coronavirus
and FaceTime dating is that tool.
I would definitely go on another video date. You can see what their house looks like and
what their interests are. So that’s quite cool. It’s intimate on a different level
and I kind of like that.
But what about if you’re already in a relationship and want to keep the spark alive, without
being able to leave your home?
Well here’s some inspiration from Selena in Washington DC.
Because we’re trying to do our part to be responsible with social distancing, you know
not going out to bars and restaurants - we decided to have a stay at home date night.
So I pulled down this really sparkly dress. He put on his suit jacket. We ended up dancing
in the living room and drinking some champagne that we had had in the fridge.
And here are some tips if you’re having to do long distance.
We try to be productive so we would be on this call while we are studying. We would do movie
nights through Skype and honestly it really really helps.
And for those who want to know if it’s ok
to hug and kiss your partner, here’s some advice from Professor Devi Sridhar.
Well, given that the virus is spread through droplets - this means someone coughing, sneezing,
touching something contaminated by someone who is infectious - it makes sense to stay
away from kissing or holding hands with someone who is unwell.
It’s only a temporary measure for one or two weeks until they're feeling better. To make sure
that you don't catch the virus yourself.
But can the virus be transmitted through sex or oral sex?
The truth is we really just don't know yet. Scientists are still doing research to figure
out how exactly it can be transmitted. We do know though that if you are within a one
to two metre range of someone that you are likely to be exposed to the virus. If someone
is feeling unwell or might have a high fever, dry cough, sneezing, it’s probably better
to hold off on sex until they’re feeling better.
But if you’re in doubt about any of this, probably the best thing to do is….
Stay safe - stay single