As experts began to understand how highly contagious coronavirus is, one of the public safety guidelines around the world was physical distancing. Hugging, kissing, and physical closeness drastically changed in just a matter of months to slow the spread of infection—affecting many cultures, societal norms, and relationships.

Touch deprivation had been most devastating for children and infants, an essential part of early development. Clothing brand H&M Lab in Germany even developed a jacket called "Wearable Love," which combines denim fashion and sensors that enable wearers to feel touch via Bluetooth connection. Why is the sense of touch so important and always associated with love?

According to a 2010 study in Paediatrics Child Health, "developmental delay is often seen in children receiving inadequate or inappropriate sensory stimulation." The authors noted that orphans who grew up in bleak had abnormalities in growth and cognitive development as well as serious infections and attachment disorders.

Attachment disorders are a range of psychiatric conditions typically found in children with emotional attachment problems. Behavior such as closeness to strangers, lack of social interaction, and unresponsive behavior can lead to disorders such as reactive attachment disorder or disinhibited social engagement disorder. One earlier study from the 1950s determined that an additional 10 minutes of physically handling infants made a significant impact in reducing vomiting.


Touch as a Love Language

Hugs and affectionate touch stimulate neurotransmitters or hormones associated with calm, comfort, and relief such as oxytocin. Also known as the "cuddle hormone," oxytocin reduces stress levels—decreasing blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones such as norepinephrine and cortisol.

Positive forms of physical touch also boost other hormones such as dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin. As hormone levels increase, they also boost the immune system and relieve pain.

Touch is also one of the five love languages, a concept by author Gary Chapman. Initially, for romantic partners, the five love languages have also been adopted for non-romantic relationships.

The other love languages are acts of service, quality time, words of affirmation, and gift-giving. According to Chapman, physical touch is the most important way to communicate for some people. For example, someone may feel most loved or appreciated not just by romantic touches such as holding hands or a kiss, but even a simple pat on the back is significant.

READ: Understanding the Psychology of Relationships During the Pandemic


Mixed Signals

With physical distancing becoming part of the "new normal" during the pandemic, people have been looking for alternative ways to maintain relationships. Although physical closeness is limited due to coronavirus, it is still important for relationships to thrive.

Professor Robin Dunbar, a psychologist from the University of Oxford, said, "the biggest single factor affecting health, wellbeing, happiness - even the ability to survive surgery or illness—is the number of high-quality friendships you have." Because of the lack of physical touch and closeness, there had been an increase in conditions such as depression, anxiety, and other stress-related conditions.

What used to be a social cue of closeness or intimacy now gives mixed signals, explained Professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad from Brigham Young University. Because of the pandemic, touch between close relationships can either be perceived "as a display of caring...[or] as a lack of caring or disregard for safety."

READ: Love During a Global Pandemic: These People Are Proof That It's Possible

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