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!! 🤣

Funnily enough I was thinking about this yesterday, after an experience in my local Aldi, the cashier was visibly upset, I said some sympathetic things and she reached out and held my hand for a moment...it made me think how very unusual that kind of contact is now.

So my actual number would consist of my immediate family dh and three adult sons, my Mum, and my good friend whose husband ( also a dear friend) died suddenly during lockdown.

About 5 in total, I haven't even hugged my best friend and he's the huggiest person you'll ever meet but he's taking Covid very seriously due to his asthma,

5

No one at all.
I live alone and have no "support bubble". No family in this country and friends have their bubbles elsewhere.

Very grateful to have the cats, they are affectionate.

About 15
Only 3 of those are my family. The rest are students, I'm zipping up coats, tying shoelaces, adjusting hearing aids etc.
Do I feel safe? No.

I was going to say 4 (DH, DC and a quick hug with DM) but I have had a flu jab, a scan on my leg and an MRI. So at least 7 although I'm not convinced the nurse doing the jab touched me except with the needle.

I've hugged at least ten, although three are babies. I’ve probably touched far more; I haven't kept count.

Oh actually at least 15.

My partner and my children but I did also hug a friend after she got some awful news.

DS, best friend, best friend's toddler, practice nurse and GP (those involved blood tests so not being filed under positive contact).

Five - DH. A physio, a hygienist & a dentist touched me and I held a colleague's tiny baby this week. I didn't hug DS, nor my parents when we saw them in the summer.

I live alone and have no family nearby, but I've been lucky to see some friends a couple of times and I was in physical contact with about 6 of them. I saw one of them in the supermarket recently a few days after he became a dad and we had a quick hug. I had no problem at all with that, my only concern was if anyone would say anything!

Other than friends I've been touched by the hairdresser, dentist and a couple of nurses when I gave blood, probably by a couple of people in shops as well so maybe 10-12 people overall.

Aside from my work (nursing) It was none outside my household until last week when I cracked and my colleague and I had a quick hug (wearing masks and facing away from each other) I just couldn’t take it anymore!

One, DP.

I’m not the most tactile person at the best of times, so having to comply with social distancing isn’t exactly a hardship.

3 people in my household.

It's an interesting question. As I child I had unaffectionate parents. I would go for years with noone touching me. I found it terrible. One if my school friends mothers gave me a kiss at the end of her party, and I remember thinking that this woman ( who I had never met before or since) showed me more affection than my own mother. She was the only person to touch me in several years and I often thought of her, and still do 40 years later.

My DD and DP. I'm quite touchy-feely and huggy under different circumstances so find it quite difficult to restrain myself with friends (but I do).

Non-resident DP every day since March. Teenage DC every day. Have hugged my four closest female friends. DD's best friend. A couple of my friends' teenage children. Dentist and chiropractor. GP. Lots of incidental touches when paying shop assistants, etc.

I lost my job in March, thanks to lockdown, so am glad of the human contact.

Definitely 3. DH, my DS and I briefly touched a colleague on the arm as she was upset.

I have possibly touched a couple more in my job as a teacher; handing things out and accidentally brushing fingers and similar, but fleeting, accidental touches.

I really, really miss being able to hug my parents.

4 I think - ds1 & ds2 (same household), the bloke I'm seeing (single adult support bubble) and my mum. I may have done so with my dad (who lives wth my mum) but I don't recall.

Other than DH and DC, 2. Both patients (A&E MH nurse), and they touched me rather than vice versa. One held my hand, the other hugged me. Both in the context of being very emotional and thanking me for listening. Both apologised!

I have touched one person, my DP who is my support bubble.

I had my head touched by my hairdresser, but I didn't touch him.
And possibly my arm was touched by the nurse who gave me my flu jab.

I stroked and hugged my best friend's dog on the two occasions I have seen her and her family - I couldn't hug the humans of the family but the dog was happy to be touched.

I am pretty huggy and touchy-feely and hate not being able to hug people.

I have touched 1 (DH)
2 have touched me (DH and the pharmacist with the flu jab)

Only DP and his kids.
I hate hugging. Not a hardship for me not to keep my physical distance.

Only my DC, my cats :o and being touched by HCPs as I've had some blood tests and an x-ray. I hadn't actually thought about it though. I'm introverted and not very touchy feely, and I work from home anyway. But I think I would notice a big difference if I was totally isolated – I do need some affection, just not loads. One of the DC, and one of the cats, are very cuddly so I'm well supplied.

My 3 dc, dh, and my Dad hugged me when he shouldn't but it was lovely!

Then I'm in hospital once a month for an ongoing treatment, so I'm touched by the nurse putting my cannula in. All the different nurses that take my blood pressure every half hour, the one who takes my cannula out etc etc...