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Finland had 90% fewer coronavirus deaths per capita than Sweden, and its economy was less affected in the first half of the year. Even now, when the rest of Europe is concerned about a new wave of cases, Finland has one of the lowest infection rates on the continent.
Finland had 90% fewer coronavirus deaths per capita than Sweden, and its economy was less affected in the first half of the year. Even now, when the rest of Europe is concerned about a new wave of cases, Finland has one of the lowest infection rates on the continent., reports the Financial Times, cited by Mediafax.
Experts said that the Finnish approach, and the similar approach of Denmark and Norway, namely the adoption of quick, but not total, restrictive measures to control the pandemic, and then the reopening a few months later was one of the most successful in Europe.
A big difference between Finland and all other European countries is its focus on emergency preparedness and action at the national level, an attitude born from the experience the country had during the 1939-1940 war against the Soviet Union.
Famous for its stock of medical and emergency protective equipment.
The alert law explicitly mentions pandemics and was first enforced after World War II, and Finland was famous for its stocks of emergency and medical protective equipment when the entire continent was experiencing severe shortages. .
Anders Tegnell, Sweden’s state epidemiologist, said: “Their level of training far exceeds Sweden. But, of course, if you have a neighbor like Russia and you have always fought wars with him … “
Pekka Nuorti, professor of epidemiology at the University of Tampere, says:Finland has a long tradition of responding to crises, and people tend to be united when a crisis arises. What was notable when the restrictions were implemented were the changes in the behavior of the population ”, observing a 75% reduction in physical contact between people. “A pandemic is in fact a mirror of the functioning and organization of society as a whole. “ he added.
10 infections per million people
In Finland, the number of infections per capita is at its highest level since mid-May and has tripled in the last two weeks, but even so, they are still at the level of 10 new infections per million people, in compared to more than 50 cases per million, as is the case in the UK and Denmark.
Experts say Finland has been helped by its position on the periphery of Europe and was affected by the virus later than some European countries. But Johan Strang, a professor of Nordic studies at the University of Helsinki, said the Finnish approach is noteworthy, referring to the attitude of the population in the face of government decisions: “They were calm, in the sense that they can implement quite drastic measures without anyone questioning them. Finland was better prepared for this than Sweden“, he said.
Finland has the strictest criteria in Europe for those coming from abroad. But on the other hand, the quarantine imposed in Finland – as well as in Norway and Denmark – has been less severe than in much of Europe, with shops open and public transport in operation and without isolation.
Finland seems to have used this state of affairs quarantine wisely, developing the ability to test and trace contacts. In Finland, many people participate in the following contacts, and out of a population of 5.5 million, 2.1 million people have downloaded an app, said Mika Salminen, director of health security at the Finnish news agency. health experience.
“We expect these measures, along with limited local and regional restrictions, as well as increased use of masks, to slow the second wave,” he added.
Publisher: Georgiana Marina
