We know the pandemic has affected local businesses and the mental health of adults + kids alike. But how about your love life? Some couples I know who have been stuck inside together for months are wondering if their relationship will survive the pandemic, and many of my single friends see their love life as being on indefinite hold.

Web traffic to lawyer referral + legal advice sites has spiked, and so has dating app usage. Just a few weeks ago, popular dating site Match.com — parent company of Tinder — for example, reported soaring stocks + profits and larger-than-anticipated growth during the pandemic, indicating that despite quarantine, mask mandates, social distancing, and COVID-19 testing + status, folks are still looking for love.

And while some singles have found greater opportunities for l’amour from the pandemic, others report that trying to build a relationship while reducing human contact is challenging. Those challenges are arguably even harder for older singles, who are more susceptible to COVID-19 and have to navigate the potential risk of severe health complications — including death — if they contract it.

All this info really brought out my inner Carrie Bradshaw (minus the killer heels, though, since I’m currently working from home in my sweatpants), meaning I can’t help but wonder: has the pandemic affected your love life, and if so, in what ways? And since we, unfortunately, can’t meet up and discuss it over coffee or cosmopolitans, I’ll need y’all to fill me in using this questionnaire, where I inquire about things like whether or not you daters are meeting strangers and what precautions (if any) you’re taking to keep you and your date(s) safe? I can’t wait to hear all about it.

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