# Sweden bucks global trend with experimental virus strategy

- Link: https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/2020/03/26/sweden-bucks-global-trend-with-experimental-virus-strategy/
- Published: 2020-03-26T09:35:29+02:00
- Author: dearSA

![](https://cdn.dearsouthafrica.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/20191125/Screenshot-
19.png "Screenshot (19)")

Sweden has become an international outlier in its response to the deadly coronavirus
outbreak by keeping schools open and adopting few other restrictions, as the Scandinavian
nation embarks on what one health expert called a “huge experiment”.  Since the 
UK went into lockdown on Monday evening, Sweden is the largest European country 
with the fewest limits on where people can go and what they can do. Schools for 
children up to the age of 16 remain open, many people continue to go to work and
packed commuter trains and buses were reported this week in the capital, Stockholm.“
Clearly, Sweden stands out at the moment,” said Carl Bildt, the former prime minister.

Since the UK went into lockdown on Monday evening, Sweden is the largest European
country with the fewest limits on where people can go and what they can do. Schools
for children up to the age of 16 remain open, many people continue to go to work
and packed commuter trains and buses were reported this week in the capital, Stockholm.“
Clearly, Sweden stands out at the moment,” said Carl Bildt, the former prime minister.

[Article by Richard Milne for the Financail TImes](https://www.ft.com/content/31de03b8-6dbc-11ea-89df-41bea055720b)

Swedish authorities have banned public gatherings of more than 500 people, closed
universities and higher education colleges, and advised workers to stay at home 
if possible. Authorities on Tuesday ordered restaurants and bars only to serve people
at tables rather than at the bar.

Local media have been full of stories of thousands of people gathering at Swedish
ski resorts, which until Saturday kept their nightlife open. The virus has previously
spread easily in mountain resorts in Austria and Italy.

Johan Carlson, head of Sweden’s public health agency, last week defended Sweden’s
approach, saying the country “cannot take draconian measures that have a limited
impact on the epidemic but knock out the functions of society”.

But he conceded that the 90,000 figure for the number of people who die annually
in Sweden would “increase significantly” if its healthcare system became overburdened.

There have been just over 2,000 reported Covid-19 cases in Sweden and 33 deaths.
That compares with more than 6,000 deaths in Italy, Europe’s worst-affected country.

“The future still looks manageable,” said Anders Tegnell, Sweden’s state epidemiologist
who has become one of the public faces of the outbreak. He argued that schools needed
to stay open to provide childcare for health workers, noting that young people appeared
to have much lower infection rates.

But a significant number of Swedish health experts disagree. Mr Tegnell has faced
a barrage of criticism after details of the country’s antivirus tactics leaked to
Swedish TV at the weekend.

Joacim Rocklov, an epidemiologist at Umea University, said the Swedish authorities
were taking huge risks with public health when so much remained unknown about coronavirus.“
I do not see why Sweden would be so different from other countries.It is a huge 
experiment,” he told the Financial Times. “We have no idea — it could work out. 
But it could also go crazily in the wrong direction.”

Swedish authorities have said they are not explicitly pursuing a strategy of “herd
immunity”, where a large segment of the population contracts the virus in order 
for society to build up immunity. The UK’s chief scientific adviser had previously
suggested that Britain adopt such an approach before the government backtracked.

Sweden is instead seeking to slow the spread of infections and ensure that its health
system does not become overwhelmed. Mr Bildt said the situation on the streets of
Stockholm had changed “dramatically” in recent weeks despite the absence of legal
restrictions, with far fewer people going outside.

But Mr Rocklov said it was not yet known how long immunity to Covid-19 would last.“
There is a big risk that Sweden would have to go into quarantine when the health
system goes into crisis,” he added. Sweden’s relaxed approach contrasts with its
Nordic neighbours.

Denmark, Norway and Finland have closed schools, sealed their borders and imposed
other restrictions. Stefan Lofven, Sweden’s centre-left prime minister, has called
on everyone to play a part in stopping the virus from spreading by, for instance,
not visiting elderly relatives and working from home. He used a televised address
to the nation on Sunday to warn that more restrictive measures might come as he 
conceded the next few months would be difficult.

“There are a few crucial moments in life when you have to make sacrifices, not only
for your own sake but also in order to take responsibility for the people around
you, for your fellow human beings, and for our country. That moment is now. That
day is here. And that duty belongs to everyone,” he said. Sweden’s strategy has 
also been criticised for a different reason, with some arguing that even the lighter
measures could cause huge damage to the economy. Kerstin Hessius, a prominent fund
manager, is one of those arguing that the country may be swapping one disaster for
an even worse one.

Her views provoked a riposte from Leif Ostling, former chief executive of truckmaker
Scania, who accused her of living in a “financial bubble”. He urged Swedes not to
become cynical and to hold to their “humanist viewpoint”.

Mr Rocklov said it was a “valid discussion” to have over whether the measures aimed
at saving lives may do even more damage. But he also said Swedish authorities were
not giving enough information for people to make up their own mind.

“More and more experts are feeling uneasy with this stewardship. It is not allowing
for an open debate. It is rather trying to push down and make people quiet.”