In a matter of months, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has quickly spread around the world and undermined seemingly stable social systems. Although researchers and practitioners from public health, epidemiology, and medicine currently dominate public discussions, the field of sociology is uniquely qualified to assess the social causes and social consequences of COVID-19. The successes and failures of local, state, and national governments in containing the spread of the virus have ramifications for the health and well-being of individuals, families, communities, and social institutions. Sociologists are well positioned to make intellectual contributions to public discourses, debates, and policies about epidemics, pandemics, and their corresponding social responses.

This special issue seeks manuscripts that advance sociological perspectives on the intersection of coronavirus and society. By providing an outlet for foundational theoretical and empirical sociological research on COVID-19 and society, this volume will interrogate structural and interpersonal responses to a newly discovered virus. Studies can focus on local, state, national, and/or cross-national reactions to the pandemic.