The covid-19 pandemic has affected so many of life’s memorable moments and even impacted everyday events, from schooling to dining out to visiting family members.

One thing it hasn’t overpowered is love.

“Dating and marrying during the pandemic was and has been an extremely unique experience. Looking back, it all worked together way better than we could have imagined,” said Gabriela Miller, 27, of Washington Township, who married about six months after the pandemic struck Western Pennsylvania. “No matter what the circumstances, when two people make a commitment to love each other unconditionally, there is nothing that can separate them.”

According to a survey by MedStar Health, 47% of adults in the U.S. are reentering the dating scene, despite the pandemic. Findings show daters value vaccination status over similar political views. When asked to rank traits in order of priority, daters showed personal hygiene was key, followed by similar life views, then vaccination status, financial stability, similar future goals and similar political views.

The survey found 61% would discuss their vaccination status when dating a new person, and 57% would share food on a date.

The pandemic hasn’t stopped people from finding love, said Susan Dunhoff, founder of The Modern Matchmaker Inc. in Squirrel Hill.

“People are still looking for love,” Dunhoff said. “Covid-19 is not holding clients back.”

Physically distanced

The pandemic tried to keep Miller and her now-husband Nathaniel Miller, 24, a Jeannette native, apart. They met on the Christian Cafe dating site. He signed up for a 10-day trial and found her profile, which was no longer active. The site emailed her about an opportunity for a trial and chance to check her messages.

When she did, it read, “I would like to get to know you.”

She was living in the Dominican Republic. He was living here. Nathaniel Miller first visited her in August 2019. They were seeing each other every month until February 2020, when lockdowns prevented traveling.

They endured a four-month span when they couldn’t physically see each other. They had to take the required covid-19 tests after they were able to travel.

“When covid really started in the States, all flights were canceled with no way to see each other,” Gabriela Miller said. “I had no idea when we would be able to see each other, and my country also closed all borders to going in and out. We’ve needed a lot of patience and a deeper trust in each other the past two years.”

When they were able to see each other after that lengthy separation, they decided to make sure it never happened again. They filed the paperwork for Gabriela to get her Green Card. They married Sept. 5, 2020, at Holiday Park Bible Church in Plum.

They overcame testing positive for the virus in December 2020. He was sick for a day. She was ill for two to three weeks.

Love carried them through, they said.

The Millers are expecting a baby girl in April.

Virtual dates

Like the Millers, Dr. Sripriya Gonakoti and Akshaya Jha met through a dating app called Bumble. Their relationship began with the usual — talking on the phone and exchanging text messages and emails.

Their first date, however, wasn’t so ordinary.

“We met on Zoom,” said Jha, 34, an assistant professor of economics and public policy at the Heinz College of Carnegie Mellon University. “We didn’t meet in person until weeks later.”

Courtesy of Lindsey Zern Photography  

They connected at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. Virtual dates and social distancing became common. Getting to know one another having to wear masks and social distance wasn’t easy.

Not having many places to go on a date also made it challenging. Movie theaters, restaurants, bars and museums were closed because of state mandates. Singles had to find more untraditional ways to “meet” and get to know one another.

“You had to be a little more creative on date night,” Jha said. “And it was more fun coming up with interesting ways to do things rather than just sit at home.”

Courtesy of Paige Obringer Paige Obringer (right) said she and her boyfriend, Zack Inklovich, are keeping things low key for Valentine’s Day with a nice dinner at home, like they’ve done many times the past two years because of the pandemic. They also might take their dog for a walk.  

Home sweet home

Paige Obringer, 21, said she and her boyfriend, Zack Inklovich, 23, both of Clinton, Butler County, have spent a lot of time in the house. They are continuing to keep things low-key for Valentine’s Day with a nice dinner at home, like they’ve done many times the past two years.

“During most of the pandemic, it’s been a lot of watching Netflix and hanging out with our dog,” Obringer said. “I think it strengthened the relationship, because we really got to know each other on a deep, personal level.”

Having that alone time was a positive, agreed Gonakoti and Jha. They said they spent time talking and listening.

“We learned a lot about each other,” Jha said. “We took things slowly.”

Gonakoti and Jha met in person in May 2020, about two months after their first virtual date. They went for a walk on the river trail at North Shore Riverfront Park. An outdoor concert performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra was another fun date. They mostly dined at outdoor restaurants.

Vaccine matches

Gonakoti, 32, a hospitalist at Allegheny General Hospital on Pittsburgh’s North Side, was extra cautious being a health care worker.

Questions about covid-19 mindsets were pretty common from potential dates, Gonakoti said, Jha included. She waited 12 hours before responding to him because she had answered the question so many times, she said.

“Yeah, I think a lot of us in health care at the time were overwhelmed with all the new information coming in, and, of course, we were trying to keep up with everything to best care for our patients,” she said. “So, I think it was overwhelming to keep hearing about covid all day at work and then have to talk about it in social settings.”

They’ve both received covid vaccinations as well as booster shots.

Courtesy of Ramon Cordero/Mainline Photography Susan Dunhoff, founder of The Modern Matchmaker Inc. in Squirrel Hill.  

Because a profile is customized to the client, Dunhoff said, a person can ask to only be matched with vaccinated clients.

She shared her story of how she met her husband, David, at an event she was hosting at the Rivers Club in Downtown Pittsburgh.

“It only takes one special person,” she said.

Gonakoti and Jha, who live on Pittsburgh’s North Shore, were married Nov. 21 at The Art Room in the Strip District with 63 guests. They livestreamed the wedding. They originally had planned to marry in their native India, but covid prevented that from happening. They incorporated wedding traditions from India with help from wedding planner Erin Calvimontes of Divine Celebrations.

Gonakoti’s parents were able to make the trip from India. Jha’s parents live in Wisconsin, so they were there, too.

Jha met his in-laws in person two weeks before the wedding.

The couple said they learned their relationship could survive a pandemic. Covid-19 was a blessing in disguise, Gonakoti said. They are planning on a nice dinner at home on Valentine’s Day.

“Sometimes you have to find the little things in the big picture,” Gonakoti said.

‘Trying to be safe’

Yurij Wowczuk, 49, of Mt. Lebanon said dating during the pandemic has been difficult. There are fewer venues open to visit on a date or to meet people. He said on first dates, they would wear masks and social distance.

About half the time, he has been asked if he’s vaccinated, he said.

“That makes sense because we are all trying to be safe and careful,” Wowczuk said. “Some of the conventional ways to meet people aren’t available. I find Zoom dates to be awkward.”

Wowczuk has met dates through the dating site Bumble and through Dunhoff’s company. He said working with someone as experienced about dating as Dunhoff gives him hope of finding someone.

“Dating during the pandemic has been frustrating,” he said. “It hasn’t worked out for me yet, but I anticipate it will. No one should have to go through pandemic dating. I hope we can get back to some normalcy some day.”

Obringer and Inklovich live only minutes apart but met when she traveled two hours to Erie. She was a student at Slippery Rock, and he was attending Penn State Behrend. Obringer’s sister, a friend and her boyfriend were making a trip to Erie. Obringer invited herself.

That was at the end of 2018. Both graduated during the pandemic and have found ways to go on safe dates — such as walking with their dog, Josie, a 2-year-old Labrador retriever in Harrison Hills Park.

“There were times we couldn’t be together because someone in our family was sick, and we wanted to be careful,” said Obringer, who turned 21 in April and wasn’t able to have a big celebration. “The pandemic has taught us to look out for not just ourselves but for other people, too.”

‘Unusual time’

Dating during a pandemic is challenging on so many levels, Dunhoff said.

“Clients could not meet in person,” she said. “And some of them were nervous about dating, so we did some Zoom meetings and email exchanges where they shared information. That is not quite the same as being in the same room, but it was better than nothing.”

Finding the right match during a pandemic makes it that much more special, Jha said.

“It definitely is an unusual time when we met,” Jha said. “A positive is we will now have a story to tell our children and grandchildren.”

---

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---