Coronavirus: Sweden admitted that its predictions of …

While the advance of coronavirus in Sweden becomes more and more palpable, Anders Tegnell, the designer of the Scandinavian country’s lax pandemic policy, admitted that they are experiencing significant further spread in all regions. “The situation is more serious than we thought»Acknowledged the chief epidemiologist of the Public Health Agency (FOHM).

Tegnell had previously predicted that the number of infections in the Swedish spring would be “quite low” due to the country’s anti-containment policy. But it didn’t go like that.

The number of patients admitted has doubled, one in three beds in intensive care corresponds to patients carrying the virus and this Friday the record of infected in one day (5,990) was broken, while 42 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours. , highest figure since early June.

“In the autumn there will be a second wave. Sweden will have a high level of immunity and the number of cases will probably be quite low,” Tegnell told the Financial Times in May, when the situation was under control and the countries recorded infections at lower levels. those of your neighbors.

However, Sweden has recorded 485.3 cases per 100,000 population in the last 14 days. Although it ranks 20 out of 31 countries in Europe and still far from being the most affected, they are almost double that of Denmark and three times that of Norway, when last month it had better numbers. than both, according to data from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

“I don’t think the definition is that important, but we see the community is spreading to many areas simultaneously right now“Tegnell said at a press conference, acknowledging the mistakes made.

“The capacity at national level is still good”, stressed this week the head of emergencies of the social affairs department, Johanna Sandwall, stressing that there are still 30% of free places in intensive care and that the starting point in terms of resources are much better than in the spring.

Tegnell insisted on the same, pointing out that the situation in hospitals is “under control” and that Sweden is at a different point on the curve than most of Europe, where the explosion of cases already occurred in late summer and is now starting to slow down.

Virus rises mercilessly in Sweden

In 17 of Sweden’s 21 regions, authorities already recommend minimizing contact outside the family circle, working from home and avoiding commercial establishments, and a dozen, including Stockholm, have reported infections in nursing homes and indicated that their ability to test is the limit.

Swedish Prime Minister, Social Democrat Stefan Löfven, warned a few days ago that “dark times” were coming and that the indicators were pointing “in the wrong direction”, by announcing the ban on the sale of alcohol from 10 p.m. and the advance of the closing of these establishments at 10:30 p.m.

Although this is a measure similar to that adopted by many countries, it comes up against the context of Sweden, whose strategy was based from the start on a call for individual responsibility, with many recommendations and few prohibitions, such as nursing home visits or restrictions. audience at events, both changed in early fall.

Despite regrowth, chin straps are not used or isolation is decreed

However, the authorities recalled that the strategy, defined by the OFHM, remains firm and that stricter restrictions have not been considered in public life as Denmark or Norway have done, with fewer infections than Sweden.

While both countries applied strict isolation from public life in the spring, including schools and hotels, Sweden has always kept schools, kindergartens, bars, restaurants and shops open, although with certain restrictions, and at no time closed its borders to countries in space. Schengen nor quarantined.

Unlike its neighbors, who since September have abandoned their initial reservations and advised or made the use of chin straps compulsory in certain situations, Sweden has not changed its position, beyond the forced use by hospital staff or retirement homes, reminding that the essential is hygiene and keep your distance.

“Believing that masks will be salvation is dangerous”, said this week in an interview with Dagens Nyheter, Sweden’s leading daily Tegnell, stressing that they give a false sense of security and that in countries with the strictest rules, a widespread spread of the virus has not been prevented.

Monitoring and collective immunity

The shortcomings of the contact tracing system were another of the most discussed points of the strategy, which was once again at the center of controversy, even though polls suggest it continues to enjoy the support of the majority of the population.

The high mortality and the difference to the rest of the Nordic countries have already drawn strong criticism from opposition to the government and some experts, especially from outside Sweden, in early summer, accusing health officials of asking for collective immunity, something they have always denied.

Suspicion resurfaced this week with the advancement of a book revealing an email exchange between Tegnell and another expert hinting at a group immunity offer.

“Decisions are taken in a process in which a joint analysis is made, they are not taken by officials in conversations by mail or in meetings with outsiders,” defended FOHM director Johan Carlson