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Love in the time of COVID-19 has been complicated and as British Columbians get ready to expand their social circles and explore romantic interests, kissing will come with more catches than they remember.

“This is a respiratory virus that spreads through droplets,” Dr. Bonnie Henry said. “I would expect that if somebody was sick with it and they were kissing somebody else they could actually quite effectively pass it on that way.”

So, Dr. Henry said, if you are going to start a relationship with somebody “this is not the time to do rapid serial dating.”

“Pick somebody, see if it works, and then take your time,” she said. “If you're going to be pulling them into your small circle then make sure that you're the only one in their circle, as well.”

That said, Dr. Henry said she realizes that this has been a difficult time for singletons.

“I know that it's an incredibly challenging time for all of us and when we don't have a ready-made bubble, we can be even more lonely and I think many people have adapted to online and to having encounters online that can be quite helpful in that regard,” she said.

Dr. Henry said she has some young people in her life who are concerned that some of the ways they’ve traditionally used to meet others are evaporating.

Now, she said, meeting others has to be done in small, thoughtful ways.

“I also will say that you know we've seen lots of people outside and one of the people that is in my life remarked to me that now that we can't go to bars and clubs (people are) going out to the park and sitting at a distance and having picnics,” she said.

“Those are the new romantic things people are doing and that's an OK thing, too.”

Also, she said she wants people to be really careful about whether they are feeling unwell, or under the weather before they go on a date.

“Put it off for another day — that's the really important thing right now,” she said.

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