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The number of cases of contagion by the new coronavirus has reached the end of August in Stockholm, considered the epicenter of the Swedish epidemic, at the lowest level since March, local authorities announced this Thursday, and this is happening at a time when that European countries are facing a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases, reports Agerpres.
In the Swedish capital and neighboring regions, 250 of the 14,000 people who took the test last week tested positive for the new coronavirus, which is 1.8%. This is “the lowest level reached in a long time,” said Per Follin, coordinator of the Stockholm Department of Communicable Disease Prevention and Control.
The official says that Large-scale tests started only in June, but the level of infection reported has never been so low “since the tenth or eleventh week of the epidemic”, that is, since the first half of March.
Before June, the Stockholm authorities were only testing serious hospitalizations.
Only six patients in intensive care
Number of patients in intensive care and tested positive for COVID-19 is also very low: hospitals in the Swedish capital region had August 31 only six patients placed in such units – compared to 225 at the end of April, according to statistics published by the local health authority.
“The reason we have relatively poor transmission today is largely due to the fact that many people in Stockholm follow the recommendations stay home when sick, wash hands and stay away from other people, “Per Follin said in a statement.
Unlike many European countries that are experiencing a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, such as France, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, medical data from Sweden shows a decline in infections since June.
The reproduction rate (called “R”) of the virus has been almost permanent in subunit values since the beginning of July.
The daily death toll peaked in April, before gradually declining.
Sweden still does not recommend wearing a sanitary mask
Contrary to measures imposed in the rest of Europe, Sweden has not placed its population in solitary confinement at home. However, the authorities launched a call for responsibility: physical distance, strict application of hygiene regulations and isolation of people with symptoms.
But the balance is one considerable: with fish 5,800 deaths and 84,729 cases, Sweden counts among the most affected countries in the world, in relation to its population.
The Swedish national authorities do not currently recommend the use of a sanitary mask., stating that analysis however, and that they could introduce such a measure if they deemed it necessary.
The Public Health Agency has announced that it does not expect a major resurgence of cases of infection by the new coronavirus in Sweden, where schools were reopened in mid-August.
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Web edition: Luana Păvălucă
