AIBU to ask if you hug your friends now?

[lockdownagain2020]

I'm going out tonight to a restaurant with a friend I haven't seen in a while, this is actually the first time I'm going out with friends since the 1st lockdown back in March. When I see her, I don't know if I should hug? Don't want it to be awkward. What do you guys do with your friends with the Covid situation?

No, although I was never a huggy person. I just don't get hugging friends or acquaintances.

Yes, we all hug. So do my family. I hug everyone!

@AwaAnBileYerHeid

No, although I was never a huggy person. I just don't get hugging friends or acquaintances.

When or if this all blows over I am keeping the no hugging/handshaking/kissing randoms thing for definite. And the 2 metre rule if I can get away with it.

Would love to hug my family though.

Wow, really surprised to see this question!

My best friend and I do, we've both been through a lot this year. It's five seconds.

I hugged my parents after not seeing them for 5 months but we’d just come out of lockdown and it felt safer. They were staying in our house anyway so all mixing.

Hugged old friends in August I hadn’t seen for ages. When cases were low.We all went out for dinner.

Don’t hug the friends I see on a week to week basis.

Though I do wonder, if you’re in close contact over a restaurant table or they are sat in your house for hours the airbourne risk, is that is greater than a brief hug? Especially if you turn your head away?

Friends no, elbow bump at most.

Family, I did hug my parents when I saw them (twice this year ) but we wore masks to do that, then moved apart. Not ideal but as safe as we could make it.

No hugs since February, not even with family. It's not awkward now, just normal, and I'm not a huggy person so I much prefer it.

I don't know, sorry if it's a dumb question. It's just so confusing, because we're all going to be sitting at the table with no masks on anyway. I'm a big hugger though

No not if we're just meeting for a drink.

If something bad had happened (someone died, someone been dumped) I probably would though.

No general hugs but have had some comfort hugs...my dad has hugged my dc this week which was a first since March, he has heart failure and cancer, and despite being very very careful I think he must've just decided life is too short. I need a little bit of human contact, am single, and for me it's been absolutely necessary

No .

Husband and I saw in laws after 11 months ... we did not hug them and stayed 1 metre away .

My friends partner died during lock down ... we did not hug .

Just stop with the ' but we hadn't seen them ' rubbish ... they are in front of you , you are seeing them .

No, why are you asking, you still need to SD as much as possible

No hugs here either

I'm a big friend hugger. I have hugged two friends and my parents, once each, since March. The rest of the time I just say Hugs and we each hug our own selves...

I would be really interested to know more about the comparative risks.

Hugging for a few seconds? Massive no.

Two hours in the same room with a table between you? Sure.

It doesn't entirely make sense.

I don't do it as a rule but at my friends funeral I hugged my best friend. It was fucking awful and surreal enough without us crying at each other from a 2 metre distance.

No, I haven't hugged anyone except DS since March. Not even my sister 😞

I'd rather they were safe.

No but I haven't been going out with my friends, even though it is "allowed" (until Wednesday) there's a pandemic going on in case you hadn't noticed 😡

I’d love to see the scientific evidence behind this though.

So we know the virus is mostly spread indoors with close contact for more than 15 minutes. I’d love to see this balanced against a brief 2 second hug in the garden?

Is it the touching or the breathing that is the problem? Would a hug with heads turned away for example be better?

I remember when this all first started, I was paranoid about touching gates in the countryside! We now know the virus doesn’t live for long on surfaces outside. I’d like to see more research on hugs!

@Iwouldratherbemuckingout

No, we do the arms waving and yelling big hugs thing. And we are all big huggers. God I miss hugs!

I've done this on the very few occasions I've seen friends this year. And we've done it awkwardly and remarked how odd it is / what a weird year / god I can't believe how longs it's been since I saw you....aren't those comments obligatory now?

God I miss seeing friends and just being able to catch up with everyone normally!

I haven't hugged my mum yet (we are still meeting outdoors and doing virtual hugs). Hugging a friend wouldn't even cross my mind.

@gingercat02

No but I haven't been going out with my friends, even though it is "allowed" (until Wednesday) there's a pandemic going on in case you hadn't noticed 😡

Yes I believe we're all aware.

But it has been allowed to do all sorts of things for quite some time. The fact that you choose not to is only your issue, it's not logical to get angry at others for doing things which are 'allowed'.

I hugged a friend a couple of weeks ago, her mum had just died. Totally unnatural not to offer comfort in those circumstances. Not hugging anyone else at the moment though, other than ds.

I hug one friend otherwise I have no other physical human contact. In general social situations with others, I don't, I've kept it to just one person.

No I would only hug if my friend had
Suffered bereavement or something . Not a social hug . Assume you are in tier 1 area . It's a shame you missed our on being able to meet your friends outside in the summer when the weather was nice and cases low but at least you'll have got together before we lockdown again .