Love knows no boundaries. Surely this rings true for those who’ve found love — and I quote Rihanna — in a hopeless place… like in the middle of a pandemic. 

There are those who are brave, yes brave enough to do anything and everything for love that even a kiss that could spread a virus wouldn’t stop them. We sometimes wonder how people still manage to find each other in a time of social distancing and lockdowns. So we dive into some of the stories of love that have blossomed in the time of COVID. 

Note that the names below have been changed for privacy purposes. 

Charles and Keith

I’m Charles and I’m an influencer. Pre-pandemic, I used to travel almost weekly to different places. But the lockdowns have made me struggle with my content. I started posting more about myself and my journey for self-development during the pandemic. Home-workouts, healthy eating, anything I did to improve myself. 

Of course, I’ll get DMs here and there. I’d have lewd messages, praise, and the occasional hater or two. But Keith stood out. He would ask how I was and it wasn’t a mere how-are-you?. He would message or reply to my stories throughout the day, ask about my mental health, and was a perfect friend. One thing that we considered before dating though was that he was in a different country. Travel would be difficult. But I saw his effort as he continued to show up every single day. And here we are now, five months into our relationship and planning a trip to see each other. 

Ben and Jerry

I met Ben through an app called Whisper where I would post anonymously and talk about my daily frustrations during the lockdowns that started last year. I was so angry that this pandemic robbed me of my time. I wanted to have brunch with friends, go shopping in Ayala, and basically just enjoy life, you know? I posted every day and the same username would pop up, Bententenenen. He would talk to me and console me and tell me that this will be over soon. 

He basically became the shoulder I leaned on when I got lonely and frustrated. We exchanged photos and he was cute. He told me I was pretty and that he would love to meet me after all the lockdowns were over. When the quarantine was eased in Cebu City, we met for the first time at Ayala. We’ve only just started officially dating but I’d never thought I’d find someone during this chaotic time! We date often but we do follow safety protocols. We also have our swab tests done together. This pandemic has been the worst, but it brought Ben to me.

Dolce and Gabbana 

It started as a hookup. Yes, you heard me. A hookup in the pandemic? Are you crazy? Yes, I’m crazy. But, being in quarantine made me think that I didn’t want to die alone and lonely! Imagine dying of COVID and not having anything fun before that. I just had to take my chances. I was on Tinder, Bumble, Plenty of Fish…everything! 

Swiping left and right, here and there like crazy. Matched up with locals and foreigners. I ended up sleeping with Dolce. He was from Europe and was stuck here since March and it was around July that we’d met in real life. The sexual chemistry was there! Then conversations got deeper. A week in August, he tested positive for the coronavirus. Told me he got it from the grocery. I was anxious and batshit scared…and that’s when I realized I had feelings for him. We talked every day until he got better, even when all we had was video call since I couldn’t visit him. Though it was the fear of being alone that brought us together, it was the love and companionship we shared during COVID that kept us together. 

Moet and Chandon 

I got hired at a new job during the pandemic and our work from home arrangement required us to do Zoom meetings at home. I would wear a polo shirt on top and just pangbalay for bottoms aka everyone’s pandemic uniform! But what I didn’t know was that after one of our Zoom meetings, I didn’t realize that my camera was still on. I stood up to grab a notebook from one of my shelves and when I sat down, Moet was already laughing. Luckily she was the only one left in the Zoom meeting room.  

She had seen my pangbalay shorts and since then she’d been making fun about how I was all business on top and party down below. When I met her in real life at the office, I couldn’t help but be drawn to her. I never expected to get into a relationship with an amazing woman during quarantine, but damn I have Zoom to thank for that! 

Abercrombie and Fitch

Abercrombie took off her mask and I was blown away. It was what you call love at first swab and yes I swabbed her… and no, that’s not an innuendo you nasty people. I literally had to take her swab test. She would have her swab test taken every two weeks at our clinic because she worked at a bank. We got to know each other better over the course of a couple of months. Though our encounters were brief, I would make her laugh once or twice. 

She used to get so anxious when I warned her that I was putting it in. Again dear ladies and gentlemen, not an innuendo. So I would tell her a joke or two to ease her fears. Eventually, we became friends on Facebook. One time, I wondered why she hadn’t come in for her swab test and I started to worry, so I messaged and asked if she was alright. It turns out someone tested positive in her household and she had to quarantine. They had done the swab test at home but thankfully hers tested negative. 

That’s when we started talking to each other more often that week. Since then, we’ve been having longer conversations. I haven’t asked her out yet because I’m not sure how she feels about it. But right now, it’s really great having someone to talk to and get to know even during a pandemic.