Introductory thoughts on exploring the COVID-19 crisis through interdisciplinary lenses

The aim of this first chapter is to present the background, ambition, and framing of the edited collection: Sustainable health and the COVID‐19 crisis ‐ Interdisciplinary perspectives. The chapter highlights the multi-faceted understanding of health, and hence the necessity of approaching this from a multitude of perspectives. Furthermore, the chapter explores the interconnection between the concepts of health and sustainability and discusses the importance of this perspective in a time of crises. Anchored in an interdisciplinary research network exploring health and welfare, this edited collection is a product of interdisciplinary dialogues and problem-oriented research that studied COVID-19 as a real-world problem from several perspectives. Hereby, the edited collection contributes with interdisciplinary perspectives on COVID-19 as a crisis that puts the welfare state to the test.