ABSTRACT
Social constructionists view social problems claims as competing for attention in arenas or marketplaces. Because COVID-19 was heavily publicized and affected virtually everyone, it offers a useful illustration of how claims spread in contemporary societies. In the United States in 2020–21, the epidemic became the subject of multiple claims, promoted by multiple claimsmakers, often in distinct marketplace. The ongoing disputes about the nature of COVID-19 and the appropriate policies to address it reflect the many alternatives, often contradictory, constructions available.
