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Stockholm stands by him: instead of restrictions, the Swedish government is opting for voluntary action in the fight against the coronavirus. That comes at a price: how tall he will be in the end is controversial.
In Stockholm it is as sunny a few days as in Berlin, Hamburg or Munich. And yet there is a difference: over the weekend, the cafes and parks of the Swedish capital were full of visitors, something you can only dream of in other European cities such as London, Paris and Madrid. Despite the risk of infection with the corona virus, Swedes enjoy significantly greater freedom of movement.
The Swedish special form in the Corona crisis has caused confusion in several countries. In many places, between the neighbors of Denmark and Norway, one wonders if the Swedes are aware and open in the disaster, or if their strategy will finally pay off.
Unlike other Scandinavian countries and in large parts of Europe, the Swedish government does not intervene in the daily lives of its citizens with extremely strict measures, such as the closure of schools and restaurants. People are only encouraged to keep their distance and stay home when they are sick. Cafes and bars, hairdressers, shopping malls and gyms are still open. There is also a lot of activity in kindergartens and elementary schools through ninth grade.
Higher deaths in Sweden than in the rest of Scandinavia
Kristina Lundgren tries to comply with the recommendations. He is over 80 years old and the government explicitly advises his age group to avoid close contact with other people. In her apartment block in Stockholm she lives with seniors and students. Her weekly coffee gossip and movie screenings were canceled, and when Lundgren meets neighbors outdoors, she stands two meters away. “We have to stick to the rules,” she says. Her cousin recently died as a result of Covid-19 lung disease. But that does not seem relevant to the young people of the house. “I notice that despite the recommendations of the health authority, they still invite friends.”
The fact that social life, at least among children, continues to flourish has its price. In Sweden, far more people were diagnosed with coronavirus than in the other Nordic countries, and on Tuesday morning 1,580 people had died with Covid 19. For comparison: so far there have been around 360 deaths in and around Denmark. 180 in Norway. Both countries have half the population of Sweden.
Despite high numbers, the Swedish government and health authorities trust state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell. It symbolizes the Swedish special form. He does not believe in closing schools and borders, and his strategy is different from what almost everyone else in Europe has chosen. “We believe we can achieve as much as other countries with restrictions on a voluntary basis,” Tegnell said Monday. Sweden is unlikely to change direction.
2,000 scientists want to change the minds of the Swedish government
The numbers for the past few days seem to confirm his theory. On Friday, Karin Tegmark Wisell of the health authority spoke of a downward trend in the number of deaths. “There are still a lot of people dying per day, but we are not seeing an increase, but a slowdown.”
Swedish state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell: He is the man behind the special path of the Scandinavian country. (File Image) (Source: dpa)
Others do not share this opinion. Nearly 2,000 scientists recently asked the Swedish government to reconsider. Among them is Bo Lundbäck, professor of clinical epidemiology of lung diseases in Gothenburg. He thinks the high death toll is unacceptable and that the price Sweden pays in the Corona fight is too high. “I don’t see Sweden following a specific strategy and I don’t see any trends either,” he told the German Press Agency. “The guidelines are too vague and people are confused.”
The fact that Stockholm’s bars and shopping malls were full over the weekend shows that the embassy did not arrive correctly. “People seem to think this is an ice hockey game: Sweden vs. the rest of the world.” Hundreds of new infections were still recorded every day. Therefore, Lundbäck calls for the closure of all schools and better protection of staff in nursing homes. “In Sweden we believe that we are better than others and we don’t have to listen to WHO. It’s stupid.”
Sweden is well positioned to fight the disease
Criticism rebounds from state epidemiologist Tegnell. It assumes that Sweden is in a different phase from its neighbors and therefore has higher numbers. Over and over again he talks about the herd’s immunity, that is, the spread of the virus stops because more and more people are immune to it, either because they have overcome the disease or been vaccinated. Tegnell hopes to see signs of immunity in Stockholm in May. It is based on mathematical models.
“Sweden’s path does not have to be wrong,” says Claus Wendt of Siegen University, who analyzed the background of the Swedish special path. The country has good conditions to face the pandemic. Swedes are generally in good health, there is little poverty and social inequality, and people’s health data is recorded. “A similar level of data to record the development and spread of disease over time is not available for Germany,” says Wendt.
At first glance, it is not clear that Sweden used its good starting position. In Norway and Denmark, the spread of the virus has not only slowed down, but has been suppressed, with such success that schools, kindergartens, hairdressers and dentists can at least partially reopen.
Either way: try as much as possible
However, it is still unclear exactly where the Swedes should lead: if the goal is collective immunity, then the country is a little further. Swedes could escape a second wave of virus, and Norway, Denmark and Germany risk closing their country if they are not armed.
For lung specialist Lundbäck, such a new wave would be the best scenario. “We don’t know enough about possible immunity,” he says. “But we know we will have medications to help fight the virus in the fall.” The most important thing is to test as many as possible. After all, he agrees with Tegnell and the government: A few days ago, he announced the goal of significantly more people being tested.
