2021: Can we get our hugs back? 2021: Can we get our hugs back? Bangalore Mirror Bureau / Updated: Mar 3, 2021, 06:00 IST By Ismat Tahseen When hugs can be risky during a pandemic, we definitely need alternatives to show that we love and care The COVID-19 pandemic may have led to several life shifts, from taking the office home to cancelled events to not seeing an airport for months. But a huge fallout has been that it has robbed us of physical intimacy. Handshakes gave way to elbow bumps, namastes and nods. Hugs disappeared completely. Leave aside the romantic hug; the platonic hug has disappeared between friends and family too. And yet the healing power of the hug cannot be underestimated.