Kiss and Test? Expert Advice on Valentine Couples' COVID Canoodling
SAN FRANCISCO - With under 36 hours till Valentine's Day, Le Bouquet on San Francisco's Union Street is arranging a bumper crop of blooms. But, in the middle of the pandemic, are the traditional trappings of a day dedicated to love safe if you're not shacked up?
"I think it's pretty tough for people that are single out there. I know a lot of my friends are pretty bummed out," said Sam Skalbania of San Francisco
We asked Dr. Monica Gandhi, with the University of California San Francisco. She gave a thumbs-up to picnics in a park and dining outside under twinkly lights on a blind date with the caveat of masking between bites.
"I know it looks weird but you gotta (quickly remove your face covering) and you put it right back up, right? That's what you do when you're with someone you don't know," Dr. Gandhi told KPIX via Zoom.
About that kiss and tell moment, Dr. Gandhi says, "That is the most high-risk activity -- anything that involves the respiratory tract, deep breathing on each other, all that stuff that goes on during kissing."
She says if you think you won't be able to resist Cupid's arrow, both people need to get tested for COVID-19 before the date.
"I can't imagine a situation where I'd be comfortable trying to kiss somebody who wasn't thoroughly vetted," said Adam Lowe of San Francisco.
