Coronavirus: Is having sex dangerous?

The coronavirus has been raging across the whole world recently. Drastic measures, such as quarantines, in order to try and contain this pandemic as much as possible, have been put into place in some countries.

In France for example, just like in Spain and Italy, Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announced on 14th March that they would be closing all stores and public entities that were not considered ‘necessary' for the public.

But one question remains: can we still have sex during an epidemic like the COVID-19 virus? The answer is no, it’s not recommended. Why? Simple: the COVID-19 virus is mainly spread through the exchange of saliva when we cough or sneeze. As a result, kissing someone in such a sultry way as we do during sex can surely contribute to spreading this virus.

‘All sex is close contact. It’s the definition of close contact. So there’s no way to have it without risking transmission,’ as Anna Muldon, a current PhD candidate researching the infectious disease and social crises at Arizona State University, explained to Vox.

However, the coronavirus is not yet being described as an STI, a sexually transmitted disease. And there you have it, now you know everything!

Is the coronavirus a love-killer?

Now that we know that sex is not recommended, let's find out whether the coronavirus is a love killer or not. Again, the answer is no. On the contrary! On Tinder, matches and encounters between strangers multiply and multiply tenfold. At AFP, a young girl stated that: "I feel like it's boosted, everyone connects and disconnects".

Since the rise of the epidemic, Tinder has published a warning on its platform, reminding users of the barrier gestures in this period of coronavirus.

The sale of sex toys explodes

At the same time, still in the field of love, or at least pleasure, we notice astonishing consequences of the pandemic. The sale of sex toys has exploded in recent days. According to the Womanizer brand, sales figures worldwide are impressive compared to the forecasts announced at the beginning of the year: +135% in Canada, +60% in Italy, +40% in France and +75% in the United States.

On the subject, Johanna Rief, director of public relations at Womanizer, explained to Reuters :

Time is an essential factor when it comes to sexuality and pleasure. Expecting possible long periods of isolation, alone or with a partner, people want to explore new ways to make the best use of time at home.

When the sex industry benefits

That's not all. The porn industry can take advantage of this epidemic and the confinement that can result from it. In a message posted on Twitter on February 25, the adult film platform Xhamster announced this news: if you live in Veneto or Lombardy in Italy, Tehran (Iran), Taegu (South Korea), Wuhan (China) or Adeje (Canary Islands), you can benefit from... premium access to the site's content until March. These regions were, at the time, the most affected by Covid-19.

"The easiest way to prevent the virus from spreading is to avoid direct contact with other people, and that's where porn can help," said Alex Hawkins, Xhamster's vice-president at the time.