Tell us: What’s your coronavirus dating story?

Coronavirus has changed everything, including the dating game. We’re asking readers to share their experiences with dating in the midst of a pandemic, and we might use your story in print at a future date. For some, the mandate to keep a safe distance adds to the playful (sexual?) tension.

Writer Victoria Shin says sliding into someone’s DMs is the way to date these days. Others, such as actress Sarah Yarkin, have struggled with deep feelings of isolation. Being single is bad enough, she said. But being single during a pandemic? The worst. (She helped address that by adopting a 10-year-old mutt she named Mr. Finley.)

Meanwhile, Denny Freidenrich from Newport Beach says he’s made a powerful decision in these dark days, regarding his personal life and his love life: “In an effort to deal with all this uncertainty, I have made a conscious decision to connect with as many people as possible.”

So how are you doing? In 250 words or less, tell us specifically how this pandemic has changed the dating experience for you. Have you found dating more difficult? How are you reaching out romantically (no names, of course)? Are you abiding by social distancing recommendations? Have you discovered any unexpected upsides to this peculiar time? What do you hope to get out of dating while you’re stuck inside?