COVID-19 gave us 'touch deprivation.' We're fighting back with hugs
LOS ANGELES â Ruth Alcantara stepped closer to her grandmother. Then closer, and closer still. She crossed into the six-foot buffer zone that had separated them for so long and wrapped her arms around the older woman. "Hola, abuelita, le extrañe mucho," she said, inches from her grandmother's ear. Hi, grandma, I missed you so much. She felt a kiss on her forehead. Her throat constricted with emotion. As more Americans are vaccinated against COVID-19, reunions among loved ones are becoming increasingly frequent and, for many, hugging is the main event. First routine, then forbidden and...