In the wake of the COVID‐19 pandemic and mass lockdowns that continue to shake the world, sociologists of health and illness have been advised to undertake research only when the time feels right and to avoid premature evaluation. Such advice makes sense, especially amidst an epidemic of interpretation that has resulted in substandard work. However, this contribution argues that when trying to understand and perhaps analyse early societal responses to COVID‐19, medical sociology comprises a toolbox of ideas that are ‘good to think with’ and should not be ignored. Indeed, our community is well placed to make its presence felt sooner rather than later as we collectively live through a deepening critical situation. Divided into two sections, this piece first offers a critical appreciation of Philip Strong’s classic essay on ‘epidemic psychology’, noting some insights and posing research questions for pandemic times. Second, going from micro‐ to macro‐sociological concerns, it builds on Graham Scambler’s calls for not only critique but also foresight and action within a ‘fractured society’ comprising class‐generated fissures and tensions. Early interventions from other leading medical sociologists and publicly engaged intellectuals are also cited when asking ‘what sort of society are we heading towards and what sort of world do we want to share?’

中文翻译：

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冠状病毒（COVID-19），大流行心理和破碎的社会：批判，远见和行动的社会学案例

随着COVID-19大流行和大规模封锁持续震撼世界，建议健康和疾病的社会学家仅在适当时机进行研究，并避免过早评估。这样的建议是有道理的，尤其是在导致工作不合格的解释流行中。但是，这一贡献认为，当试图理解和分析早期社会对COVID-19的反应时，医学社会学包含了一个“很好地思考”的思想工具箱，不应忽略。的确，随着我们共同生活在不断加深的严峻形势中，我们的社区有能力早日感觉到它的存在。这篇文章分为两个部分，首先是对Philip Strong关于“流行病心理学”的经典文章的批判性评价，注意流行病时期的一些见解并提出研究问题。第二，从微观社会问题到宏观社会问题，它建立在格雷厄姆·斯坎布尔勒的呼吁之上，不仅呼吁批评，而且要求在由阶级产生的裂痕和紧张气氛的“分裂社会”中进行远见卓识和行动。当问“我们要走向什么样的社会以及我们要分享什么样的世界？”时，还引用了其他领先医学社会学家和公众知识分子的早期干预措施。