WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Dr. Rachel Needle is a licensed psychologist who specializes in sex and relationships. She said singles are stressed about how to safely date right now.
"Dating in the time of COVID can be incredibly tricky," she said. "I liken it to sexually transmitted infections, right? You have to really be able to communicate with your partner. Well, this is similar."
Needle said lay out what you are and aren't comfortable with, over-communicate and make sure you feel protected.
"I talk to people about, figuring out if they are going to do things in person, what the safest way might be," she said.
Needle recommends talking about the risks involved and how you both might handle it. Also, make sure to decide how you want to date, whether it's virtually or socially distant.
"Will there be any physical contact? If there will be physical contact, what will that look like?" she said. "How else are they protecting themselves when they're not with you."
Lauren Peacock, the author of "Female. Likes Cheese. Comes with Dog," said she had to adapt quickly to new norms.
"It's definitely a hard time to be dating," she said. "With everyone virtually working, you're kind of stuck indoors, you're stuck at home and you don't have that interaction where you are at restaurants and bars."
Peacock said it's all about adapting during trying times.
"You can buy table topics, you know, or truth or drink, the little cards," she said. "So if you are going to have a cocktail or something, you are not trying to come up with your own questions."
"It allows us to be a little bit more creative and thoughtful in how we're interacting with people," Needle added.