New Yorkers have been urged to make sex "a little" kinky by wearing facemasks in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus.

This comes as part of updated guidelines from the New York City Health Department, which have been designed to help people be intimate and safe during the pandemic.

Face masks are advised as a physical barrier during sex because the coronavirus can be spread through saliva and breathing, and the agency has made a point of reminding people that "you are your safest sex partner".

Kelly Hogan Painter took a shopping trip in a Buzz Lightyear helmet to protect herself from the virus:

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"Be creative with sexual positions and physical barriers, like walls, that allow sexual contact while preventing close face to face contact," the guidelines say.

The guidelines also promote the benefits of couples masturbating together since it can be done while social distancing, but they add that people "will and should have sex".

A person holding a condom. [[imagecaption|| Credit: Pixabay]]

Scientists have been analyzing the effect sex has on the transmissibility of the disease by examining traces of Covid-19 in men's semen.

It is now being advised that if a person has sex with someone outside their household, they should select a trusted partner so that they can fully discuss the risks.

The guidelines appear to ban sex between two or more people because "large gatherings of any type are not safe during Covid-19".

As it stands, people should avoid large groups of people and get creative if they are interested in group play by engaging in events like these Zoom sex parties discussed by Rolling Stone.

A woman wearing a face mask. [[imagecaption|| Credit: Pexels]]

Similar guidelines have been issued elsewhere in the US, with Austin, Texas advising people to "stay physically distant from your honey" before listing creative suggestions for social distancing.

Per the John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, at the time of writing, there have been 7,394,801 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus worldwide, and a global death toll of 417,109.

New Yorkers urged to 'be creative' with sex positions to limit coronavirus spread