Covid 19 coronavirus: Sweden’s controversial anti-virus strategy ‘vindicated’, experts say

A country whose coronavirus strategy was mocked by the rest of the world may be laughing last after recording an average of just one death per day from the disease.

Sweden infamously chose to ignore calls for heavy closures and has kept most schools, bars and restaurants open during the pandemic.

While the overall Scandinavian nation’s death rate is one of the highest in the world, due to a large increase at the start of the pandemic, the daily moving average is now negligible.

That is in contrast to Australia, which has an average of 15 to 20 deaths per day.

A health official is reported to have said it is a “vindication” of Sweden’s controversial strategy. But other virus watchers are less convinced that Sweden should be a role model.

Covid-19 cases in Sweden peaked on June 24 with 1,698 infections according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University in the US Deaths hit 115 a day over several days in April.

By contrast, neighboring Denmark, which had a much tighter lockdown, only recorded a daily peak of 390 and 22 deaths.

However, Denmark, along with many other European nations, has seen the cases rise again. However, infections in Sweden have been around 200 a day for several months. That’s still a lot, but it’s a big drop from where they were and, more importantly, it’s stable and apparently doesn’t lead to many deaths.

Daily deaths dropped to single figures in mid-July and have not increased since. A single death per day has become common.

Some are now openly saying that the reason could be because Swedes are getting more and more herd immunity to the virus.

‘VINDICATED’

The epidemiologist and director of Sweden’s public health agency, Johan Carlson, said the country’s residents could benefit from not staying home during the first wave.

“Our strategy was consistent and sustainable. We probably have a lower risk of [the virus] spread than in other countries. “

A health official said it was a “vindication” of a non-intrusive Covid-19 strategy, the British Times newspaper reported.

By some estimates, up to 30 percent of Swedes may have been infected with Covid-19, and most are recovering.

However, research from the UK Royal Society of Medicine found that as of May only about 15 per cent of Sweden had been infected and doubted that herd immunity would be achieved.

At one point during the early phases of the pandemic, 19 percent of Swedes who tested positive for the virus. Now, despite 120,000 tests per week, a similar figure to New South Wales, just over one percent are positive.

Deaths per population are currently lower than many of its neighbors. Although it should be noted that Sweden’s total of 5,842 coronavirus deaths still places it in the top 10 countries with the worst death rates.

Sweden’s chief epidemiologist, Dr. Anders Tegnell, created and promoted a unique national Covid-19 strategy.

Most schools and all shops and hotels could remain open. When Australians were forbidden to have a beer in a bar, Stockholm residents enjoyed the sunsets with their peers.

That is not to say that there were no restrictions for the 10 million citizens of the country. People were banned from going to nursing homes, joining large gatherings, and Swedes were encouraged to social distance, which it seems they did almost as much as everyone else.

“As a society, we like the nudge better: continually reminding people to use measurements, improving measurements where we see every day that they need to be adjusted,” Dr. Tegnell told Nature in May.

STILL DOUBTS ABOUT SWEDEN

Dr Tegnell has said that Sweden’s pre-vaccination approach to dealing with Covid-19 is more sustainable and preferable to continued closures and reopens that he has called “disastrous in many ways.”

However, the approach has not been acclaimed by all with thousands of people perishing in nursing homes.

The editor-in-chief of the Medical Journal of Australia, Dr. Nick Talley, told news.com.au that the Swedish model has been a failure.

“In my opinion, the Swedish model has not been a success, at least to date,” he told news.com.au.

“A major factor contributing to the failure of the voluntary approach was the spread of infection to nursing homes. Young people also seem to have been the least likely to alter their behavior, which may have contributed to community spread.

“In particular, the economy was not spared from contraction with the approach. I am not convinced that the Swedish model is more successful here in Australia, and arguably lower compliance with voluntary recommendations the results would be worse. Look at the use of masks in Sydney, which is voluntary, but has been highly recommended. “

Professor Peter Collignon, an infectious disease expert at the Australian National University, said that neither a strict lockdown approach nor a more laissez faire attitude is likely to be the ideal approach to living with Covid-19.

“In my opinion, neither the New Zealand nor the Swedish approach is the way to go,” he told news.com.au last month.

“The problem with Sweden is that it has had many deaths, the problem with New Zealand is that elimination is difficult to achieve.

“What is happening in NSW with contact tracing and stopping the spread is more like what we will have to do for years to come.”

Even Dr Tegnell from Sweden has warned against Sweden’s declaration as a success story, for now. It could take until next year to find out if the approach was correct, he said.

– Additional information: Rohan Smith