Scandinavian nation Sweden, under the leadership of Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, has approached tackling the coronavirus differently. Even as nations worldwide imposed complete or partial lockdowns to restrict movement and control the fast-spreading virus, Sweden allowed large gatherings to form, schools to remain open, restaurants to remain open till late, and resorts to welcome guests.
The Swedish government’s logic behind the move was to conquer the virus through herd immunity. Herd immunity, according to a Healthline report can happen in two ways: 1. Many people contract the disease and in time build up an immune response to it naturally. 2. Many people are vaccinated against the disease to achieve immunity.
Since a vaccine for the coronavirus hasn’t been discovered yet, Sweden was relying on the first premise to conquer the virus.
In this scenario, when a large per cent of the population becomes affected by the disease and develops immunity, spread of the virus slows down or stops. The chain is thus broken and helps protect those with low immunity like children, older people and those with underlying health conditions.
The method is not working for Sweden, with more than 1,033 people dead from the disease. For a nation with a population of 1.02 crore, 1,033 deaths is a high number. But again, not high as New York, whose population is 84 lakhs and has more than 10,000 deaths—the difference being, New York did impose a lockdown about four weeks ago.
But, Sweden’s relatively relaxed approach in tackling the virus has come under some fire in international media and from many locals in the capital Stockholm, where more than half the country's deaths have been recorded.
Sweden's Public Health Agency said it had recorded a total of 11,445 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as on Tuesday.
In a local newspaper named Dagens Nyheter, a group of 22 doctors, virologists and researchers criticised the Public Health Agency in an op-ed, the AFP reported.
They said the Public Health Agency had failed to draw up a proper strategy, pointing out that the mortality rate in Sweden was now way above that of its Nordic neighbours. "So in Sweden more than 10 times as many people are dying than in our neighbouring country Finland," they wrote. Finland, which has a population of 55 lakhs, reported a total of 97 deaths and has closed down restaurants and schools as of Monday.
According to the Swedish Public Health Agency, Sweden has seen an increase of 114 deaths in the last 24 hours. 139 deaths have been reported in Norway so far and Denmark has reported a total of 299 COVID-19 deaths—both the nations have imposed strict measures.
The Swedish government may not have implemented strict measures, but they have recommended that people stay at home and avoid unnecessary travel. The government had also recommended social distancing. They also imposed a ban of gatherings of more than 50 people. But, restaurants and schools remained open.
As per a report by the Business Insider, people have been following these measures and also been avoiding public transport. People are also not allowed to visit nursing homes.
In Aftonbladet, a local Swedish newspaper, Jan Lötvall, a professor at the University of Gothenburg has been quoted as saying, “Swedish people have received an unclear message from health officials and their elected representatives and therefore, have not understood the seriousness of the COVID-19 situation.”
In a CNN report on April 10, Sweden’s Foreign Minister Ann Linde was quoted as saying, “no lockdown, and we rely very much on people taking responsibility themselves.” Researchers in Sweden now want rapid action from the Swedish government. They want schools and restaurants to be shut, like in their neighbouring nations.
