COVID-19 as America’s Stress Test

• Author: Edward F. Lawlor
• DOI: 10.1177/00027162211069718
• Published date: 01 November 2021
• Date: 01 November 2021

ANNALS, AAPSS, 698, November 2021 185

DOI: 10.1177/00027162211069718

COVID-19 as

America’s Stress

Test

By

EDWARD F. LAWLOR

1069718ANN The Annals of The American AcademyCOVID-19 AS AMERICA’S STRESS TEST

research-article2021

COVID-19 exposed and tested many dimensions of the

support system for vulnerable groups and communities.

The convergence of racial, political, and economic

upheaval amplified and complicated the effects of the

pandemic. Social science demonstrated impressive

responses in data collection, real-time analyses, and

policy guidance. Articles in this volume demonstrate

many of these innovations in data and methods. Despite

their diversity, these articles also demonstrate consist-

ent themes in the geographical and population target-

ing of the pandemic, the underlying social vulnerability

of particular groups and communities, and the residual

population consequences that will occupy researchers

and policy-makers for the foreseeable future. Long-

term social and economic impacts, from the mental

health consequences of death and tragedy to the set-

backs in education, job mobility, household financial

security, and health, need to become the focus of an

ongoing program of research and policy development.

Keywords: COVID-19; social vulnerability; policy

data; race; deaths

COVID-19 produced a stress test on

American society, extreme even in historic

and global contexts. The U.S. population expe-

rienced massive deaths and despair, the econ-

omy almost shut down, and political division

and unrest hit modern peaks. The stress test

was not a simple one-dimensional test: in the

midst of COVID-19, the country experienced

serious racial outrage following the George

Floyd killing, a deeply divisive presidential

election, unprecedented dissemination and

amplification of misinformation, and a sudden

Edward F. Lawlor is the William E. Gordon

Distinguished Professor and dean emeritus at

Washington University in St. Louis. His research

focuses on social service delivery, health policy, and

aging. He is the founding editor of The Public Policy

and Aging Report and the founding director of the

Institute for Public Health at Washington University.

Correspondence: elawlor@wustl.edu