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Sweden and Spain: these are the two extreme countries today, if you look at daily corona infections. While Spain is once again on the brink of the abyss, the Swedes enjoy the end of summer, without a mask.
Spain lags far behind, despite mask requirement
“Worrying” is the increase in corona infections in his country, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said this week. But he doesn’t want to impose a new strict curfew just yet. The situation looks dramatic: in recent days, the number of new infections has risen to more than 8,000 per day or around 18 per 100,000 inhabitants: nowhere else in Europe has the number risen so rapidly. Spain is experiencing a second wave, as it is in the book.
New measures came into force in mid-August: for example, smoking is prohibited on the street if the minimum distance cannot be maintained. The consumption of alcohol with other people is also prohibited in public spaces. Some regional governments had entire communities cordoned off.
The problem: 30-year-olds still living with their parents
Although the use of a mask is mandatory practically everywhere in Spain, the country can hardly cope with the second wave. “In family meetings and celebrations, the minimum distances are hardly observed in Spain”, explains Ildefonso Hernández Aguado, epidemiologist of the Spanish Public Health Association, in an interview with CH Media. Young people, in particular, would underestimate the danger. More than two-thirds of all infected people are not yet 30 years old. “A big problem if you take into account that around 50 percent of all Spaniards under 35 still live with their parents.”
But young Spaniards are not the only reason for the outbreak of the new virus. The immediate opening of tourism to save the high summer season also happened too quickly for many experts.
“Spain has prepared poorly for the second wave,” says Spanish health expert Javier Padilla. There is still a lack of testing capabilities. Tracing of infection chains does not work either. Anyone who goes to a restaurant in Spain does not need to leave any contact details. That is why the government is now even deploying 2,000 soldiers to support regional authorities in contact tracing. The political skirmishes between the socialist central government and the numerous conservative regional governments also torpedo the search for common strategies and measures.
Sweden continues to take it easy, with success
The situation is very different in Sweden at the moment. Nowhere in Europe are new daily infections lower than here.
What happened? For months, Sweden was in the spotlight because it had no blockade and only some restrictions; on the prohibition of meetings of more than 50 people. Instead, the authorities gave the more than 10 million citizens of the Nordic country simple recommendations: wash your hands, keep your distance, stay home if symptoms occur, and work from home if possible. Stores, elementary schools, and borders remained open. The flexible strategy is still very popular with Swedes. Social life slowed down considerably, even if the number of deaths (5,835 to date) was significantly higher compared to neighboring countries, Germany or Switzerland.
This trend changed in the summer: the numbers fell almost suddenly in Sweden, deaths and hospitalizations also fell, while infections increased in the rest of Europe. Anders Tegnell, chief epidemiologist and architect of the strategy, cites the high level of immunity in the population as the main reason for this development.
Others will have problems, says chief virologist
The deciding factor is not just Corona antibodies, which can only be detected in 15 to 20 percent of people, even in the most severely affected Stockholm. Also important are so-called T cells, a second defense function of the body, which is probably present in about twice as many people in Sweden.
Epidemiologist Tegnell has always denied that he was fighting for herd immunity. He had to defend himself against harsh national and foreign criticism, frivolously or even deliberately allowing it to spread to the population. But he also made it clear that the virus cannot be stopped without relatively broad immunity or vaccination. The top priority was maintaining the health system. Furthermore, the strategy must be reasonable for the population over a longer period of time. Tegnell said the strict restrictions would be poorly accepted and would have long-term negative consequences for society.
However, the death toll cannot be ignored. Tegnell admitted that too many people died due to deficiencies in nursing homes and that the strategy was not good enough here. However, in terms of population, there were fewer deaths in Sweden than in Spain, Italy, Great Britain or the United States, all countries with a strict blockade.
Tegnell believes that Sweden is well equipped for a second wave. In other countries, however, she sees problems due to low immunity and because unpopular restrictions are being reintroduced. The chief epidemiologist continues to appeal to personal responsibility, his strategy must remain unchanged. He still does not recommend masks unless local outbreaks occur. They could also be in Sweden in winter. But this time, wait, the nursing homes are better prepared.
