Dating in Ohio during COVID is complicated. Back in the old days, you could head out to a crowded bar or nightclub to meet new people. Now, we’ve got a global pandemic, social distancing, and face masks. You can’t even get a good look at other people.
Everything from school to work to doctor’s visits has gone digital. Remember last year when you didn’t even know what Zoom was? Now, many of us spend half of our lives using the app. With so much of our life online, it’s no surprise more and more singles have turned to online dating.
It’s a great way to meet people, but there’s no guarantee they’ll live anywhere near you. The Lifestyle website EverydayCarry.com decided to conduct a survey to find out how COVID has affected dating behavior.
The Survey Says
The results of the survey were pretty interesting.
The average Ohioan is willing to travel 2.2 hours to go on a date thanks to the pandemic. Considering the size of the Buckeye State, that means, they’re willing to go halfway across the state. Depending on where you live in the state, that means you’d be willing to venture into Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, or even Canada if you live in Northwest Ohio. (Of course, you can’t get into Canada because the border between the U.S. and our neighbor to the north is closed until October 21.)
Ohioans aren’t willing to travel quite as far as the average American single (the national average is 2.3 hours). Men are willing to drive a greater distance, up to 2.7 hours to meet someone. That extra distance could be because they are unwilling to take directions. A full 25% of singles said they wouldn’t mind traveling interstate for a date.
Worried About COVID
However, half of the singles said they would avoid dating someone from a high COVID area. That’s bad news for Ohio’s Red Health Alert Counties. As of September 30, they are:
- Putnam
- Mercer
- Ashland
- Start
- Delaware
- Montgomery
- Butler
- Pike
- Scioto
A full 64% of women said they’d expect a new partner to be tested for the virus before getting intimate. Only 22% of men would request a test. Twenty percent of singles said they wouldn’t date someone who had previously tested positive for Coronavirus.
To find out how singles compare in each state, check out this interactive map
Online First Date Preferred
Dating during COVID in Ohio also means half of the singles said they preferred to have first dates via video call.
A third of men in the survey said they were open to long-distance dating due to the pandemic (compared to 25% of women). Men are more likely than women to be open to a first date at their new friend’s home. The survey showed 63% of men were okay with it compared to 26% of women. Those who head out for that first date in person are fairly confident. One in five said he would pack an overnight bag for his date.
