Hard to believe, but a year ago, coronavirus was barely on our radar. Then COVID-19 came to the U.S. and we could hardly write about anything else. Suddenly, toilet paper was flying off the shelves, we started using terms like “respiratory droplets” and “social distancing,” and the president encouraged us to drink Lysol. (Good times!)
As we all became accustomed to the “new normal” (aka a work-from-home quarantined lifestyle), we here at Mandatory brainstormed on everything from the best life hacks to help you get through this trying time to the best TP memes to keep you laughing. None of us thought that coronavirus would still be the centerpiece of our content as 2020 came to a close. But here we are.
As we near the end of this hellish year, we decided to choose our top 20 COVID stories from 2020. Not only that, we ranked them for you. Catch up on what you missed.
Cover Photo: william87 (Getty Images)
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Top COVID Stories 2020
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20. 10 Unexpected Upsides of the Coronavirus Outbreak
We now interrupt the doom-and-gloom report to tell you that while coronavirus is still very, very bad, not everything resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic is awful.
Read more here.
Photo: blackCAT (Getty Images)
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19. 15 Funniest Toilet Paper Memes to Help Wipe Those Tears Away
Toilet paper is on our minds — and in our shopping carts — like never before. While we once used to take those endless rolls of two-ply for granted, in the face of coronavirus, TP is one of our country’s most coveted resources.
Read more here.
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18. What Your Style of Face Mask Says About You
Face masks are as varied and unique as the people who wear them — and while you might not be able to talk as well when wearing one, your mask says a lot about your personality.
Read more here.
Photo: FilippoBacci (Getty Images)
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17. Deep Dive: How Can I Make the Most of My Quarantine Celibacy?
You didn’t sign up for celibacy, but here we are. Your sex life is just the latest thing ruined by the coronavirus pandemic and the self-quarantine it requires. But does that have to be such a bad thing? Or could this be an opportunity to unpack all your baggage surrounding sex and re-evaluate what truly satisfies you?
Read more here.
Photo: Viorika (Getty Images)
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16. Expectation vs. Reality: Working at Home in the Age of Coronavirus
Working at home is not for lightweights. It takes an incredible amount of discipline, structure, and the ability to block out distractions.
Read more here.
Photo: Westend61 (Getty Images)
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15. Deep Dive: Can I Use Coronavirus as an Excuse to Check in on My Ex?
You want your ex. And all it would take to lure her back in is one text. The pandemic provides the perfect opening, right? You’re just “checking in.” But is that good for you — or for her? In this deep dive, we’re examining the question: Can I use coronavirus as an excuse to check in on my ex?
Read more here.
Cover Photo: filadendron (Getty Images)
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14. The Mandatory Guide to Dining Out Post-Coronavirus
The National Restaurant Association has released guidelines so venues can reopen and serve diners safely. What does this mean for you, hungry reader? A different dining experience to be sure. Here’s what eating out post-coronavirus will likely look like.
Read more here.
Photo: 101cats (Getty Images)
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13. Deep Dive: Do I Have to Wait for Quarantine to End to Break Up With My Girlfriend?
Must you wait until the COVID-19 pandemic dies down or is the kinder thing to cut your losses now so you’re single and ready to mingle once your usual avenues of socializing open up?
Read more here.
Photo: Witthaya Prasongsin (Getty Images)
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12. Hilariously Inventive DIY Face Masks That May (Or May Not) Keep Coronavirus Away
Here are some easily accessible items that can double as a DIY face mask in an emergency (though we make no guarantees about their effectiveness).
Read more here.
Photo: Alexander Short / EyeEm (Getty Images)
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11. Sexy Nurse Role Players Donate Their Kink to Real Doctors in Fight Against Coronavirus, Forced to Have Normal Boring Sex For Greater Good
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is in high demand right now due to the coronavirus pandemic. One group we never thought would come to the rescue of healthcare workers and help protect them from COVID-19 are fetishists.
Read more here.
Photo: Voyagerix (Getty Images)
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10. Deep Dive: How Can I Possibly Date a Coronavirus Denier?
Does that fact that your date is a coronavirus denier have to ruin what could be a fruitful relationship — or at the very least a satisfying fling? We think not. Here’s how to date a coronavirus denier without losing your sanity — or your life — in the process.
Read more here.
Photo: LightFieldStudios (Getty Images)
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9. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Said “Moistly” On Air in Coronavirus Update and Twitter Is All Over It
Politicians talk a lot. Foibles are inevitable. But the word that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently uttered on live television during a coronavirus update really got the internet fired up.
Read more here.
Photo: DAVE CHAN / Contributor (Getty Images)
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8. Toilet Paper Alternatives to Cover Your Ass During the Coronavirus Panic
If you can’t afford triple-digit toilet paper prices, fret not, because there are plenty of similar products that you can substitute for your beloved quilted toilet tissue.
Read more here.
Photo: Darren Fast (Getty Images)
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7. How to Tell Your Parents You Have Coronavirus
Delivering bad news to your parents is always difficult, but telling them you have coronavirus is brutal. We’re going to make it easier on you by breaking down this daunting task into 10 easy steps.
Read more here.
Photo: Koldunova_Anna (Getty Images)
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6. 10 Ways to Tell One of Your Friends Has Coronavirus (But Isn’t Telling You)
Even though you think you know your friends through and through, it’s possible that you have someone in your social circle right now who’s infected but is too ashamed to share that with you.
Read more here.
Photo: moodboard (Getty Images)
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5. The Mandatory Guide to Dating in the Age of Coronavirus
Coronavirus is scaring the shit out of all of us, but that doesn’t mean you should stop living your life. You’re young and attractive; you can’t let your prime dating years pass you by. That said, don’t throw too much caution to the wind. There are some ways to keep yourself safe while still getting your socializing on.
Read more here.
Photo: Gerard Fritz (Getty Images)
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4. The Mandatory Guide to Safe Sex in a Time of Love and Quarantine
There are a lot of guidelines circulating online about how to protect yourself from the novel coronavirus, but none had people cracking up as hard as those recently released by the New York City Health Department regarding safe sex. We’ve condensed the no-holds-barred advice into 10 simple do’s and don’ts so you can pound away without fear while in isolation.
Read more here.
Photo: Jonatan Fernstrom (Getty Images)
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3. 10 Kinds of Shoppers You’ll Encounter (And Who Will Annoy the Hell Out of You) During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Since the coronavirus outbreak, shopping feels like an Olympic-level contact sport. Everyone is out for blood. It’s like Black Friday and Groundhog’s Day had a bastard child that became the new normal for shopping.
Read more here.
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2. Trump Touts Disinfectant as Coronavirus Treatment, No Cure Yet For His Stupidity
Just when you thought the leader of the free world couldn’t get any dumber, he does. In a press briefing, President Trump suggested that the next breakthrough in coronavirus treatment just might be the injection of disinfectants, like Lysol or Clorox.
Read more here.
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1. Dr. Fauci Says Santa Claus Is Immune to Coronavirus, Which Leads Us to Believe Fauci May Also Be St. Nick, Showering the World With Vaccines This Holiday Season
Dr. Fauci, aka the man Americans stan for his straightforward, science-based advice on coronavirus, is telling children that Santa is immune to COVID-19.
Read more here.
Photo: Jeronimo Granadal Ruiz (Getty Images)
