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Everyone on here is required to have a Sweden take so here’s mine: the country has pursued a middle ground approach that leaves it neither looking great, nor terrible. It’s a complicated combination of good and bad.
Sweden is clearly not locking down like its neighbors. Schools are open for children <16, and people are out together in public, and eat a restaurants and go to bars. That is good.
But it’s also not as carefree as many seem to believe. It’s “voluntary lockdown lite” that relies heavily on individual Swedes taking personal precautions. https://twitter.com/JamesAALongman/status/1252936394550530050
“Life in Sweden is not continuing as usual during the COVID-19 pandemic… The strategy combines regulations and advice with a strong emphasis on individuals’ responsibility for action.” https://institut-fuer-globale-gesundheit.de/?p=2471
Swedes’ movements have significantly decreased, as tracked by mobile phone data. Just slightly less than other countries (this graphic shows mobility data over time in Finland, left, and Sweden, right). https://preventepidemics.org/coronavirus/science-review/april-11-17-2020/
“Data suggests the vast majority of the population have taken to voluntary social distancing…Usage of public transport has dropped significantly, large numbers are working from home, and most refrained from travel” over Easter. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52395866
Swedish authorities are telling people to expect the existing social distancing recommendations and restrictions such as they exist to remain in place for months https://www.thelocal.se/20200417/swedens-coronavirus-restrictions-to-stay-in-place-for-a-long-time
The balance that Sweden has struck has provided some semblance of normality, but it has come at the cost of a high number of deaths compared to its neighbors. Its mortality per 100,000 is higher than the U.S.
https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/fact-sheet/coronavirus-tracker/
https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/fact-sheet/coronavirus-tracker/
All-cause mortality in Sweden has spiked (as in many other places), indicating there may be uncounted Covid-19 deaths and an increase in deaths from other causes as well, exacerbated by the country’s epidemic. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/21/world/coronavirus-missing-deaths.html
The Swedish strategy is supposed to protect people >70 and prevent overwhelming of the hospital system. https://twitter.com/olibiermann/status/1252929448267132929
Still, Sweden has had a hard time keeping the elderly safe. Something like half of all Swedish deaths have occurred in care facilities for the elderly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=pzzVxw5FyYs&feature=emb_title
Sweden has also struggled with addressing the disease in immigrant and minority populations. Predominantly immigrant communities have disproportionate numbers of cases https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sweden-coronavirus-minorities_n_5e8dfba3c5b670b4330a3977
In particular, the Somali immigrant community has been over-represented in the case numbers. https://twitter.com/ChrChristensen/status/1250045468207349760
Herd immunity is not a directly stated goal for Sweden, but is a hoped-for consequence of their approach. Recently, we’ve seen “authorities claim the country is rapidly approaching herd immunity”. https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-are-we-underestimating-how-many-people-have-had-it-sweden-thinks-so-136893
There is not much evidence to believe this is true yet. One study reported an expected 26% seroprevalence in Stockholm by May 1. Hard to take this at face value. https://twitter.com/AdamJKucharski/status/1254084767496261632
Unemployment in Sweden has not taken a dramatic dive as in many other places, but it is “rising at a fast pace and is now 8%”, and is expected to rise to 10% by summer. Following the 2008 recession, it reached a high of 8.6% https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/20/world/europe/20reuters-health-coronavirus-sweden-unemployment.html
So, the situation in Sweden seems to defy simplistic takes.
I wonder if what is happening in Sweden is a preview for other countries as to what a post-lockdown mode might look like, and the challenges that will be faced.
I wonder if what is happening in Sweden is a preview for other countries as to what a post-lockdown mode might look like, and the challenges that will be faced.
