Hugging is one of the things that could be difficult to pick up again post-Covid

The hidden effects of Covid continue to surface, according to research by cross-party think tank Demos, one in four of us have not been hugged for more than a year.

Months of lockdown, social distancing and mask wearing appear to have left people nervous about touching and building new relationships. Two-thirds of those polled said they had not made a new friend in six months, with one in three expressing fears that Covid-19 has made it harder to do so.

Making two new friends a year seems like a tall order in the best of times, but maybe I’m ultra picky. In fact, the pandemic has actually increased my levels of social interaction. After spending weeks stuck at home in Norfolk last year I stopped being so buttoned-up and started saying hello to people when out shopping or walking, something I would rarely have done before the pandemic.

Please don’t approach the newly socially-adept Janet Street-Porter with open arms though – I draw the line at a spontaneous hug.

I’ve always found embracing people who aren’t close friends a bit embarrassing – it’s something most showbiz people do without thinking, but it can seem a bit phoney. I like to think I’m a typically reserved member of the population, not standoffish, but someone who is reluctant to “share”.

But if I was single, how on earth would I find a date? OK, going online is a starting point. But in the middle of a pandemic it seems harder to go to the next step and actually touch.

The ghastliness of Covid brought many people closer to their neighbours, but anyone seeking a new partner or even a bit of harmless sexual fun is going to find that task a lot more challenging than accepting a hug.