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Sweden’s deviant approach to fighting the coronavirus is beginning to pay off. At least, that’s what epidemiologist Anders Tegnell, the architect of Covid-19’s highly perceived risky Swedish approach, says.
As of Sunday, Sweden recorded 1,540 Covid-19 related deaths. On Sunday, 29 people were killed. The total number of infections (14,385) is considerably higher than in the rest of Scandinavia. There are twice as many infections and ten times as many deaths as in Norway, which has about half the population less. Sweden also has more than twice as many infections and more than three times as many deaths as Denmark, which has more than a third fewer inhabitants.
However, in an explanation, Tegnell said that after the number of infections exploded last week, the numbers are now stabilizing. In any case, the curve flattened out, according to the epidemiologist.
Photo: AFP
Sweden is attracting international attention due to its different and, according to some, idiosyncratic approach. The Swedish government has left schools, gyms and even cafes, bars and restaurants open. However, citizens have been urged to take responsibility for themselves and to seriously follow patterns of social distance. And that works quite well. Soccer games have been canceled, the university buildings are also closed.
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However, according to commentators, few countries can afford the bold Swedish strategy. The country may have one of the best health systems in the world. And according to the Swedish government, there was never a real shortage of medical equipment or hospital capacity. The additional hospital tents installed just in case remained largely empty.
“The trend we have seen in recent days is one that is stabilizing,” Karin Tegmark Wisell, head of the microbiology department at the Swedish Public Health Authority, told the Bloomberg news agency. “We see the same pattern for patients in intensive care.”
This is a great relief to Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, who feared last week that his government has played the wrong game and may even have to reconsider its approach. Swedish media suddenly reported hundreds of cases of infection in care centers in Stockholm, the worst affected region. A third of deaths are people living in nursing homes. But the numbers have improved again. Lofven’s popularity has increased, indicating that Swedes support his approach.
Parts of the country could even meet the “group immunity” target next month, according to national epidemiologist Tegnell. The more people are immune to a particular disease, the less likely it is to spread. However, there are also Swedish virologists who warn against cheating too soon. The focus remains risky.
Photo: EPA
Relieved
Swedish companies are also relieved. “I have great confidence in the Swedish authorities,” said Hakan Samuelsson, CEO of Volvo Cars in a telephone interview with Bloomberg. Volvo, which was forced to shut down production in Europe and some 20,000 Swedish workers, will resume production at its Swedish factories on Monday.
The Swedish strategy, if successful, could ultimately lead to a smaller, albeit historically profound, economic contraction than in the rest of Europe, HSBC Global Research economist James Pomeroy hopes. He points out specific Swedish circumstances that make this possible. More than half of Swedish households are made up of a single person, making it easy to observe social distance. There are more people working from home than anywhere else in Europe, and almost everyone has access to high-speed Internet, allowing a large part of the workforce to remain productive, even outside the office.
And although many other countries have introduced strict rules with high fines for raping people, Swedes seem to follow government guidelines without the need for legislation. Travel from Stockholm to Gotland, a popular vacation destination, fell 96 percent over the Easter weekend, according to data from the country’s largest mobile phone operator, Telia Company.
