Social scientists are examining how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting everything from people’s behavior to the economy. By Warren CornwallScience’s COVID-19 reporting is supported by the Pulitzer Center.If pandemic lockdowns have people feeling a bit like lab rats stuck in cages, in some ways that’s exactly what they are.As the coronavirus touches on virtually every part of life around the globe, social scientists are rushing to suck up real-time data on how people are responding to the unfolding pandemic.
Economists are gathering data about supply chains. Political scientists are scrutinizing how government responses track with ideology.