Sweden, the jury returns

Measures

Schools closed to under 16

Gatherings of more than 50 discouraged

Bars, restaurants, other public spaces remained open

Citizens were trusted to distance themselves.

Intentions

Don’t contain spread

Herd immunity, inherent in the Swedish strategy

Allowing a proportion of the population to be infected

At the expense of deaths among the vulnerable

Herd immunity

50% to 90%

Depending on how contagious an infection

People have enough antibodies to repel the virus

26 April, Anders Tegnell

‘Rise in infections beginning to flatten’

‘Reached a plateau in Stockholm’

Annika Linde, former state epidemiologist

I think we’re starting to see that the Swedish model maybe wasn’t the smartest

More than half the deaths, in care homes

Government advice implied asymptomatics not contagious

Care home staff often worked with substandard protection and worked when symptomatic

Increasing practice of doctors recommending by telephone a “palliative cocktail” for sick older

people in care homes

Morphine and midazolam, respiratory-inhibiting

Proportion of older people in respiratory care nationally was lower than at the same time a year ago

Thousands of lives could be saved if people in care homes with the virus received oxygen supplies

The results

Sweden

Norway

Finland

Denmark

All three neighbouring countries adopted a lockdown approach early, which they are now slowly lifting

All three have since re-opened their borders, but not to Sweden.

25 May and 2 June

Most coronavirus deaths per capita in Europe

5.29 deaths per million

UK ranked second with 4.48

Ongoing nationwide study

20 May, 7.3% of Stockholm residents had developed antibodies

11 May, (WHO) globally, antibodies in only 1-10%

WHO therefore warned against any country depending on herd immunity as a strategy

Contact tracing has been largely abandoned since the beginning of March