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The intense longing for a hug in a time of touch deprivation
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A parent and child hugging before the first day of school in New York last month. During the coronavirus pandemic, the absence of everyday touch has become a source of stress.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Maham Hasan
NEW YORK • Back in June, a few hundred epidemiologists and infectious disease experts interviewed by The New York Times said it would likely be a year or more before they would feel comfortable hugging or shaking the hand of a friend.
Thirty-nine per cent said it would likely be three to 12 months. (Also of note: Many said they never shook hands anyway.)
