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A change in strategy to deal with the threat of the corona virus could save many lives. Rather than simply trying to slow the spread of the infection, Sweden should embrace “the hammer and the dance,” write four researchers on the Dagens Nyheter talk page.
If Sweden imposes stricter restrictions, this could save many lives. Especially in those parts of the country that have not yet received a wide spread of infection.
This is stated by four researchers, including Joacim Rocklöv, professor of epidemiology and public health sciences at Umeå University, who calls for the more flexible “hammer and dance” strategy.
Many dead
In the initial phase, the hammer, stricter restrictions are imposed to reduce the spread of infection to low levels. Then the dance, which involves more extensive tests to detect new regional outbreaks, which then quickly fade away. The idea is that the dance will continue until we have received a vaccine or other cure. The researchers write that the strategy is very similar to that adopted in our neighboring Nordic countries.
In Sweden, on the other hand, the strategy so far has only focused on slowing the spread of infection to the point that the healthcare system is struggling, leading to a large number of deaths, especially in Stockholm.
Save lifes
The choice of strategy that is made is closely related to how dangerous the disease is. Initially, covid-19 mortality was believed to be only 0.1 percent. Increasingly, however, it indicates that it is significantly larger than that, perhaps 1.0 percent, the researchers write, something they believe speaks for “the hammer and the dance,” rather than simply slowing down the spread of the infection.
Given that large parts of the country have not had as wide a spread of infection as Stockholm, researchers believe it is not too late to introduce “the hammer and dance” yet, which could save many lives, they write.
TT has sought comment from state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell.
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