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In the past two weeks, Sweden has lagged behind Luxembourg in the number of new cases per capita in the European Union. The number of new cases in Sweden is more than six times higher than the EU average.
Unlike most European countries, Sweden has never ordered its residents to close at home. Students under the age of 16 attended schools during the pandemic and continued to work in cafes, bars, restaurants, and most other companies. Masks are recommended for healthcare professionals only.
However, the country has received media attention due to the large number of deaths.
There has been a sharp increase in new cases of COVID-19 coronavirus infection in Sweden in the past 60 days, but authorities note that the number of serious cases of COVID-19 and deaths associated with the disease is decreasing.
“If you increase the volume of evidence, you will find more cases,” Anders Wallensten, the country’s deputy chief epidemiologist, told AFP.
“But the number of more serious cases where people get sick and need hospital care has decreased,” he added.
In May, around 30,000 tests were conducted in Sweden. people per week, but the volume of tests increased in June and more than doubled in July.
As of May 31, there were 39,160 cases of COVID-19 registered in the country. On July 16, there was almost double: 76,877. However, the number of deaths increased by just over 20 percent during that time. up to 5,593.
Dispute with the WHO
In late June, due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, the European Division of the World Health Organization (WHO) added Sweden to the list of 11 countries with “accelerated disease transmission”.
Anders Tegnell, Sweden’s chief epidemiologist, was outraged by this, calling it “a completely wrong interpretation of the data.”
The Swedish Public Health Agency has repeatedly emphasized that a large proportion of new cases are minor and that these minor cases would go unnoticed under previous conditions.
Similarly, United States President Donald Trump has spoken, arguing that the increase in COVID-19 cases in the United States is due to increased evidence.
However, unlike in the United States, the increase in the number of people needing intensive care does not occur in Sweden.
Karin Tegmark Wisell, chief microbiologist at the Public Health Agency, told AFP news agency that the decrease in severe cases is likely also due to safeguards.
“People have learned to deal with the disease, to keep their distance. We better protect risk groups, “he said.
High mortality in Sweden is often associated with the spread of the disease in nursing homes. Almost half of all COVID-19 deaths in Sweden were recorded at these institutions.
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