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Coronavirus Dating: 'Love Is Quarantine' allows users to connect online without seeing each other

Saturday, March 21, 2020

'Love Is Quarantine' lets users date online without seeing each other

Created by roomates Thi Lam and Rance Nix, "Love Is Quarantine" is a matching-making Instagram account and show that allows users to virtually connect without ever meeting, while social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The coronavirus has forced millions of people to stay inside. If you're single, that can make for some really lonely days and nights.

You could try a social distance date and walk 6 feet away from someone, but what if you have no one to connect with?

That's where "Love Is Quarantine" comes in.

"Love Is Quarantine" is kind of like a matching-making Instagram account and show. It was created by roommates Thi Lam and Rance Nix.

"The idea came from the Netflix show 'Love Is Blind' which I'm sure you know about," Lam said. "I'm sure the whole world knows about it."

In case you haven't binged it, "Love Is Blind" is a Netflix hit. Couples match inside rooms called 'pods,' talk to someone through a wall, fall in love and decide to get married, all without EVER seeing each other! The couples have now become instant stars.

"The fact that now everyone can see you can build such a strong relationship just based off of like core values and not even seeing that person," Giannina Gibelli told Strahan, Sara and Keke on ABC.

"I was laying on the couch and was just having a thought of, what if we made 'Love Is Blind,' quarantine edition," Lam said.

Lam and Nix set up an Instagram account with a Google spread sheet where young singles from San Francisco to New York City fill it out.

"Rance is in charge of match making," Lam said. "He will text them individually- who he thinks is a fit and put them in a pod. We will do a group chat with the couples in each pod. We give them a prompt of three questions. Like, how'd you find out about this? Where would you take me after quarantine?"

"It's raw and fosters a sense of community as everyone is just stuck in your apartments," Nix said.

Singles film themselves before, during and after the date. The videos then appear on "Love Is Quarantine" for its thousands of followers to enjoy. In a way it's promoting just what officials are calling for, social distance, shelter in place, and maybe love.

"Yeah you know we work for the government," Lam said. "No I'm just kidding, haha."

Lam and Nix are riding the wave of their overnight success and now plan to sell some show merchandise.

"It's been really fun to spread some joy and spread some laughs in this health crisis that we're in," Nix said. "But, (we're) taking it a step forward and tangibly giving back to Feed for America, it's an awesome opportunity."

The roommates said 100% of whatever they make off of their venture will go to charity.

"Wash your digits so you can get those digits," Lam said.

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