How many people have you touched in the last 6 months?

[tactum]

Went for a walk with a friend the other day and accidentally brushed her arm going through a gate. It felt very odd. Thinking about it, apart from that I really don't think I've touched anyone else outside of my household since march.

Was then talking to another friend about it and she reckoned she'd touched about 20. Not job related, just socially. Wtf?!

So what's your number?? Feel like this is the covid version of the 'how many people have you slept with?' threads!! 🤣

DH & DS. I had my hair done last week too so the hairdresser touched me and the woman who took my blood donation.

Had a haircut. Accidentally touched the postman's hand when he passed a package over.

Basically none. I live alone. I saw some friends in February and that's the only touch this year. It's not that much less than usual.

Anybody I would normally have hugged before lockdown. Was careful March-June ish but when my mum broke down sobbing when we hugged for the first time I thought fuck this and now I greet my close friends and family as I always would.

Work - quite a few
Elsewhere - just my immediate family.

Thing is I don't like being touched, so I'm not missing it at all. I'm relieved I don't have to go through hugging/kiss on cheeks with friends.

My dh and 3dc. A friend once when she really needed a hug (had a big shock) - it was a bit weird - I actually had to ask her what she wanted me to do. Hate that this has happened.

No one

Oh! And my niece and nephew! They are small and would not understand not being able to hug, etc.

A - much reduced from usual, and no shaking hands - number of patients.
I've had my flu jab from a colleague, and a hair cut in August.

I live alone but was in a bubble with a friend, though have discovered she's doing childcare for and meeting a number of other friends so I've had to back out of that. So in terms of hugs she is the only one. I miss hugs a lot and physical contact with friends, family and colleagues. But... this is where we are.

@musicposy
Just DH who lives with me, DD2 who lives with me and DD1 who doesn’t. The latter is breaking the rules (we are tier 1 so I can see her but am meant to distance from her) but apart from her partner she has no one else in the world to hug now. I’m not going to stop her being able to hug her mum
Do you not meet the criteria for a support bubble with your DD if she is living alone?

Only DP from March to the end of June. From July onwards loads.

I don't live in the UK so firstly our rules are a bit different, but secondly we had a negligible amount of cases here in the summer so socially distancing between those not vulnerable was largely abandoned completely by the general public; although still 'advised' by authorities.

They're creeping up again now though so I expect that things will tighten over the next few weeks, whether that's in our actions day to day, or a tighter restriction at our border (we currently test everyone on arrival so + cases are identified early, community transmissions are still very low).

Three, partner, my son and his son. Wondering if this is a good thing

My two sons 10 and 13 most days, my partner but not for nine weeks before bubble permissions, now once a month or so and my parents once since xmas just before rule of six.

Just my children. But think they're sick of me hugging them now. Especially the teens

Properly:
DH
DS and DD
Beautician
Dentist
Friend on her birthday and her DH
Dm
DDs friend who was over in play date and got upset.

9! Depressing.

Hairdresser twice
Beauty therapist twice
Nurse x 6 (hospital tests)
Doctor (hospital tests)
Other doctor (hospital tests)
Nurse giving flu jab
My grandmother (bubbled)
Other grandmother (in August)
Uncle (in June)
Cousin (in June)
Other cousin and her mother (July)
Mum (live together)

One of the nurses gave me a hug in the toilet; that was quite incredible at the time as I was totally alone and she’d had to tell me something awful . Be forever grateful to her for being so kind that day .

Only partner and DD - am not a natural toucher anyway so feels normal for me

No one except two family members who I live with.

7, all my immediate family.

Outside of my husband and two children no one. In work? Hundreds of patients and the other nurses. My teenage daughter has been very tolerant of hugs and the hugs I get from her and her big brother are amazing- I can almost imagine I can feel energy flowing from them- very comforting. I have to hold myself back from unnecessary touching of patients and o hate that. Still hold their hand though , even if it is with gloves on

My husband, as he is my household.

My nephew on his birthday, but we wore masks and disinfected hands before and after (I felt guilty for breaking the rules, but he really needed it).

My dad, very briefly and (for his sake as I work in healthcare and he is 60+) not my choice, but it was a time when he needed support and he kind of half hugged me from behind.

The odd time at work when people have accidentally brushed past me.

Once at work where someone did touch my hand on purpose, and I kind of recoiled and went to wash immediately. She just forgot briefly.

And then finally three healthcare professionals during appointments/flu jab.

Outside of my household, my mum (support bubble) and a few friends have had babies so held their babies and touched them as handing baby back etc.

My partner and son, and occasionally brush one of the nursery workers when they hand him over. It feels very weird.

I don't mind not hugging and kissing everyone, I was never keen, but I so, so miss being able to give my mum a hand when she's standing up, or pick up my friends' children when they run away. It makes childcare so much more difficult, knowing you have to have your eyes on them at all times because no-one else can go near them.

No-one outside my household.

I think about eight. My two kids, my hairdresser, my beautician, manicurist, I 'elbow greeted' two friends, and finally I shook a man's hand without thinking just the other day.
But really I wouldn't be touching that many more people - the friends I would have kissed as I hadn't seen them for some time and I would have given another friend a hug on her birthday.