The coronavirus is turning up on dating apps, with pandemic-themed pick-up lines and people making profiles for the virus
- The coronavirus isn't going away anytime soon, so dating app users are using the virus as a talking point with other daters.
- Others have created mock-profiles for the virus, treating it as if it's a human with real dating preferences, a hometown, and turn-offs.
- For the latest case total and death toll, see Business Insider's live updates here.
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As the coronavirus outbreak continues, the virus has impacted everything from sporting events to Peloton bike stock shares to Diet Coke availability.
The virus has even found its place on dating apps. Some singles have started using the outbreak as a chat-up line, and some have even created fake profiles for the virus.
For the faux profiles, creators gave the coronavirus a hometown (Wuhan, China, where the virus originated) and hobbies (spending time outdoors and in crowded spaces).
They also included the virus' dating turn-offs, like face masks.
Over-zealous singles are using the deadly virus as a chat-up line
The virus, known as COVID-19, has infected more than 81,000 people around the world and killed 2,770. Infections have been reported in every continent with the exception of Antarctica, driving governments to set up special task forces and enact bans on public events in an attempt to curb new diagnoses.
And yet, some people are using the hubbub as a conversation starter, suggesting to their would-be dates that they could avoid contracting it by shacking up.
"This coronavirus thing is looking serious," one Bumble user wrote in his profile, according to screenshots obtained by Insider. He added that it was probably best to stay safe indoors with him, and that he had an ample supply of mac and cheese and streaming subscriptions, plus a queen-sized bed, to keep prospective dates entertained.
Others joked that their perfect date was a person who didn't have the coronavirus.
At least one dater said they'd be willing to shell out money for nudes photos from other daters if the proceeds went towards tackling the outbreak.
In reality, if someone doesn't want to become infected with the coronavirus, it's best they avoid close person-to-person contact, Business Insider previously reported, because that's they way a person is most likely to contract the virus.
"It looks like the main driver is not widespread community infection," Dr. Bruce Aylward, a physician and public-health expert with the World Health Organization, previously told Business Insider. "It looks like it's household-level infection."
If a person is truly concerned about the virus and isn't joking around on their dating apps, shacking up with potential hookup partners is a bad idea since it can lead to the passing of the virus through hand, mouth, or eye contact.
In fact, one couple of Hong Kong-based doctors told the New York Times that they aren't kissing or hugging each other or their children for the foreseeable future to minimize their risk of contracting the coronavirus.
Clorox can help to keep surfaces clean, and may well be effective against coronavirus, though washing your hands often is the most effective way to protect yourself.
As for the dating app memes, the coronavirus continues to spread around the world at rapid rates, so there's no telling when they'll slow down.
- Read more:
- Facebook has blocked a queer and polyamorous-friendly dating app from posting ads, saying there isn't a global appetite for it
- Meet the NYC woman getting paid $5,000 to fix clients' dating apps and 'ghost banter' with their matches
- Dating apps are turning to message-free meetups and text-only profiles to battle online dating fatigue
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