Sweden stands out again: wearing face masks not recommended

Although much of the world is already used to covering their nose and mouth in one way or another in public places, Swedes use public transport, walk through shops and elsewhere without any face protection. Developing a person with a protective mask is a rarity here.

Public health officials say that protective masks are not an effective way to stop the spread of the virus. According to them, it is much more important to follow a safe distance and to follow hand washing recommendations.

“I think it’s a bit strange. Sweden, being a relatively small country, for some reason thinks it knows more than the rest of the world, I find it very strange,” says Jenny Ohlsson, who sells fabulous masks in Stockholm.

This Scandinavian country is the seventh largest in the world in terms of deaths from COVID-19.

There were 575 such deaths per million inhabitants here.

Experts say that this situation arose from the inability to protect the residents of the nursing home from the beginning of the spread of the disease.

In Sweden, no educational establishments, businesses, cafes or restaurants were closed, allowing the virus to circulate freely and the spread of the disease was relatively high.

The fact is that now, unlike other parts of Europe, where the number of new coronavirus cases is increasing again (for example, in France, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Spain and Italy), the statistics in Sweden advance in the right direction, and the cases decrease.

The death toll peaked in April, now only a few people die from COVID-19 per day, and the number of new deaths has been steadily declining since the beginning of June.

Swedish public health officials say they see no reason to change the current strategy in any way, all the more so as it is finally showing positive results.

Sweden’s chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell of the Public Health Agency says there is no research to show that protective masks are effective in reducing the spread of the virus, meaning that if used incorrectly, they can do more harm than good. .

“There are at least three major reports – from the World Health Organization, the European Union Health Agency, and the Lancet report on which the World Health Organization relies – that say the scientific basis is very poor. We have not carried out our evaluation on this issue, “he recently explained to the press.

KK Cheng, an epidemiologist at the University of Birmingham Institute for Applied Health Research, told AFP news agency that such thinking was “irresponsible” and “childish” and urged the Swedes to change tack.

“It just came to our attention then. If I’m wrong, what is the damage?” He asked.

Mr Tegnell argues that with the introduction of the necessary measures in nursing homes, the figures in Sweden are increasingly gratifying. This is also due to the fact that sick people stay home, work from home, and maintain a safe distance.

“Attempts to replace those devices with protective masks will not work. Several countries that have started wearing masks are now monitoring the deterioration of the statistics,” said the leading Swedish epidemiologist on August 14.

Northern Europe changed its mind

Sweden’s neighbors have thought similarly about masks for a long time, but more recently they have changed their minds.

For example, Finland now recommends that its residents wear protective masks in public places, Norway on public transport in Oslo, and Denmark on public transport and taxis across the country.

Already on June 23, a group of doctors asked Tegnell and the Public Health Agency, headed by him, to reconsider their strategy to avoid masks, as they established in an Aftonbladet article. This call has been repeated many times, both by the experts themselves and by others.

Mr. Tegnell’s usual response is that public health professionals are interested in this and will take action if they deem it necessary. It now remains to be seen whether the COVID-19 statistics in Sweden will continue to be rewarding.

Gilbert Sylwander, 69, who lives in Stockholm, looks curiously at the protective masks in J. Ohlsson’s store. He says he trusts the strategy of the Swedish Public Health Agency.

“They seem to be right in their research on many things,” says the man. He does not wear a protective mask himself, but says that he will wear it if there is an official instruction.

“If everyone around you wears masks and is afraid of getting infected, of course I will wear them myself, just out of courtesy. But until that’s the case …” the Swede shrugs.

May toughen COVID policy

Bloomberg writes that Sweden is ready to impose stricter rules on local communities in the event of a sudden COVID-19 outbreak, but remains committed to following its broader national strategy on limited movement restrictions.

“To prevent local outbreaks, which are unfortunately likely, the regional government can issue stricter recommendations if necessary,” said Johann Carlson, director general of the Swedish Public Health Agency.

In fighting the pandemic, Sweden stood out from most other countries by introducing a more lenient quarantine, and in the initial phase of the crisis, mortality from COVID-19 was much higher here than elsewhere. But now there are signs that the virus is being brought under control in Sweden, albeit slowly, as the number of new infections per day is steadily decreasing.

As Swedish Social Affairs Minister Lena Hallengren said at a press conference in Stockholm on Tuesday, a pandemic is “a crisis that we will live with for a long time.”

The main objective is to reduce the rate of infections and “overcome any new outbreak”.

Recommendations to combat local outbreaks may include stricter work-from-home instructions and a return to lifelong learning in high school classes, Carlson said.

Residents can be asked to avoid using public transportation and restrictions on mass gatherings at one location can be tightened.

The agency has yet to provide clear instructions on face masks, and so far Sweden continues to stand out from other countries for its decision not to recommend their use.