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Globally, COVID-19 has caused disruption to all social institutions and sectors of the economy. Projections are that the pandemic is likely to deepen hardships already experienced by various groups in society, especially the vulnerable. As COVID-19 continues to unfold and spread, it has become apparent that the virus and its associated problems are more than biomedical issues. Against a backdrop where researchers and practitioners from public health, epidemiology, and medicine are dominating research, discussions and publication, the article advances the argument that sociologists are well qualified and positioned to explore the social causes, social consequences, and responses to COVID-19. Sociological input is pivotal to comprehensive understanding and development of effective responses to the pandemic. In this context, and specifically focusing on the family despite the complexity and dynamism attendant to this institution, the article contributes real-time insights on how the pandemic is unfolding in Zimbabwe and the associated responses, or their absence. The paper addresses lacunae in availability of quality and meaningful understanding of the pandemic particularly from the perspective of the family as the basic unit of any society in both urban and rural contexts. The lived experiences and situated meanings of COVID-19 at the family level are important in interrogating its implications to communities, the future and social policy.
Tom et al. (Tue,) studied this question.