The pandemic has taken a toll on all aspects of our lives as stay-at-home measures have been in place across the globe at varying times to try to curb the spread of COVID-19. For many, the only way to contact people not living in their households has been through the internet. This can be especially difficult for couples who don't live together or for people in the early stages of a romance.

In the latest episode of CGTN's new live-streaming program "The Chat Room" aired on Wednesday, people who have been involved in a life quest of love, either looking for new encounters or working on a stable relationship, shared their stories of love and companionship during this time of isolation. 

Live: The Chat Room-New Intimacy in the New Norm

Challenges brought by the pandemic

Wen Qin, a financial analyst, and Scott Sholar, an architect, are a couple living in America. They had planned to have a wedding ceremony in China this November, but the pandemic forced the postponement of the ceremony. They will get married formally this year in the U.S. but with a limited number of guests.

Unlike Wen Qin and Scott Sholar who live together and are not separated by social restrictions, Daryl Alvarez, a student from Spain, and Mohamed Ahmed Ramy, an Egyptian student currently living in Amman, Jordan, are not so lucky. They have to rely on the internet to connect with each other.

"Through her reassurance and a lot of love, I sleep well at night," Ramy said. "It's definitely difficult. Since February we've been talking online and trying our best to really stay connected together and be able to just really think together. We can still be super engaged and discuss everything and feel more connected than before. I think it's been difficult but I feel very connected to her. When there is distance, the one thing you have is communication and you have to get really good at it."  

Daryl also agreed that communication is especially important in a long-distance relationship. She said they talk twice a day, for around two to three hours each time.

Looking for love during the pandemic

Xu Jing is a project manager in the film industry in China. She is single and never had a boyfriend. She said she used to think she can live on her own and be totally independent. But the pandemic made her realize that she needed a deeper connection. She admitted to starting to get a bit nervous even though she never had a problem with being single before.

Wen Qin said she could understand the situation Xu Jing needs to face. Qin said she was also a very independent woman and gets herself fully engaged with work and study. But during difficult time, people desire to share their pressure and feeling with others. They don't want to upset their parents, so sometimes need to talk to someone special.

How to keep love strong during the pandemic?

Some people say the pandemic may be a good thing for romantic relationships, with people spending more time together, building bonds and mutual trust. Some say it's not a good thing because there might be more fights because couples are spending so much time together.

For Wen Qin and Scott, the stay-at-home orders have allowed them to get to know each other more. But for Ramy and Daryl, they need to put more effort into maintaining the relationship. Ramy said communication is very important. He suggested creating some special moments such as watching a movie online together, sharing diaries on Google and writing love poems and notes to each other. He believes that If a couple really love each other, they will do a lot for each other and share many things. Even if they are not in the same place, they will find ways to create opportunities to do things together.

Daryl agrees that a relationship is about two people. If only one party is loving and the other party is not responsive, then there is no way to sustain the relationship. She doesn't think the pandemic has had much impact on her relationship. She thinks some people break up because the long distance highlights problems that are inherent in their relationship. Some couples are afraid to talk to their partner about their worries because they're in two different places. But Ramy and Daryl give each other a sense of security and share all aspects of their lives, and believe their relationship is growing instead.