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At a time when many European countries, including ours, are seeing their daily coronavirus outbreaks skyrocket since the start of the pandemic, Sweden, whose laid-back approach has made it the world’s black sheep, has one of the rates lowest transmission rates on the continent.
According to the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC), the total number of new cases in the Nordic country during the 14 days before Tuesday was 22.2 per 100,000 inhabitants. In Spain, the corresponding figure reached 279, 158.5 in France, 118 in the Czech Republic, 77 in Belgium and 59 in Great Britain. All other countries had imposed a blockade in the spring. 
Good epidemiological picture
Twenty-seven of the 31 European countries surveyed by the ECDC had higher transmission rates. The new cases, which are now announced for Sweden only from Tuesday to Friday, are progressing at roughly the same rate as in mid-March, with data from the National Health Service showing that only 1.2% of the 120,000 tests performed in Sweden country last week came out positive.
Sweden also had fewer daily infections than Norway and Denmark, the neighboring Nordic countries. Thirteen cases are in the ICUs of Swedish hospitals, while the average number of coronavirus-related deaths in seven days is zero.
“A more sustainable strategy”
“We don’t have the resurgence of the disease that many other countries are seeing,” Andrew Tegnel, the country’s leading epidemiologist and architect of its corneal strategy, told France-24. Furthermore, he added that his country was generally satisfied with its overall strategy.
“Ultimately, we will see how different the results of a strategy, which is more sustainable, can be sustained over a longer period of time, rather than a strategy of successive piecemeal closings and openings.”
What measures has Sweden taken?
Unlike other countries, Sweden closed schools for children over 16, but kept schools for younger students open, insisting on physical presence in the classroom. Now, schools and universities are functioning normally again.
In addition, he prohibited gatherings of more than 50 people and advised citizens over 70 and vulnerable groups to isolate themselves.
Otherwise, the government has asked, instead of imposing, on the population of 10 million to respect distances and work from home as much as possible, things that have largely been implemented. Stores, bars, restaurants and gyms have remained open and the use of masks has not been recommended so far. 
Justification of the Tegnel strategy?
Tegnel has insisted that the goal is not to achieve immediate herd immunity, but to delay the spread of the coronavirus for as long as it takes for health services to cope. However, he has repeatedly stressed that Sweden’s strategy may prove more sustainable in the long term.
The approach was heavily criticized both at home and abroad earlier this year, as the death toll had risen sharply. With 574 deaths per million people, the price of the coronavirus paid by Sweden is five times higher than that of Denmark and 10 times higher than that of Norway and Finland, but it is still lower than that of some blocked states. like Great Britain, Spain and Italy.
“Something went wrong with the nursing homes”
Tegnel told France-24 that his country’s high death rate was not related to its overall strategy, but to its inability to prevent the spread of coronavirus in nursing homes, which proved disastrous and caused more than 5,846 deaths. in Sweden. “Of course something went wrong with this problem,” he explained.
The government said Tuesday it would lift the ban on nursing home visits for the first time in months, starting in October. Social Affairs Minister Lena Halengren warned: “We will take a risk by lifting the ban.” I want all of us to shoulder our responsibilities. “
Emphasis on individual responsibility
Johann Carlson, director general of the Swedish Public Health Service, also said last week that the strategy was successful because he was sincere in his messages to citizens that were clear and consistent, with an emphasis on individual responsibility.
“The goal of our approach is for people themselves to realize that they must follow the recommendations and guidelines that exist,” he explained. “There are no more tricks until medical solutions are available, especially vaccines. The Swedish people are convinced.”
“We have less risk than other countries”
Jonas Ludwigson, professor of epidemiology at the prestigious Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, said: “Sweden’s strategy has been consistent and sustainable. In all likelihood, we now have a lower risk of spread than other countries.”
France recorded 10,561 new cases in just one day on Saturday, the highest number since the pandemic began. Spain also saw a worrying increase earlier this month, becoming the first European country to exceed 500,000 infections.
On Sunday, the Czech Republic recorded the largest increase in new infections in a day, for the third day in a row, while Britain recorded an increase in daily cases.
Source: www.theguardian.com
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