This is a reverse version of an article that was published on Business Insider on April 20th. Backwards re-arrangement of the informations in that article show how perceptions can dramatically alter by changing the order of facts.
Sweden’s relaxed corona response proved almost same amount of infections as its Nordic neighbors with strict lock downs.
Sweden is known for imposing perhaps the most loose measures in fighting Coronavirus. It has yet to order any lockdowns amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. The country has left schools, restaurants, and gyms open, and while the government banned gatherings over 50 people and urged residents to self-isolate, life appears to be largely unchanged.
This approach will have grater consequences in post-Corona era when the whole world will be struggling to get their economies back on track. HSBC Global Research economist James Pomeroy told Bloomberg that Sweden’s COVID-19 strategy might help its economy bounce back more quickly than it will in other countries because businesses were able to remain open.
Sweden has 10 million population. So far 15,332 people have gotten Coronavirus infections. That makes infection rate per capita 0.15 percent.
Sweden’s Nordic neighbors, however, have acted similar to rest of the Europe by imposing strict measures to stem the pandemic. Norway and Finland have both imposed lockdowns, school and business closures, which brought economic and social life to near a stand-still.
Norway and Finland has together some 10 million population also. The total number of Corona infections in both countries adds up to 11,200. The infection rate altogether in both countries is 0.10 percent.
Norway went into lockdown in Mid-March, closing schools, restaurants, cultural events, gyms, and tourist attractions. It also banned outside travelers. Finland, restricted border traffic, banned gatherings of 10 or more people, and closed schools as part of its coronavirus guidelines.
So the result of these two completely opposite approach is 0.05 percent difference infection rate. In real numbers, around 4 thousand infections.
The number of death, however, is higher in Sweden. 1765 people so far lost lives because of coronavirus in Sweden. The number of people killed in Norway and Finland because of coronavirus is 322. However, Anders Tegnell, the state epidemiologist who created Sweden’s relaxed coronavirus response plan, told local media that the country’s fatality rates show the spread of the virus is starting to “plateau.”
You may reach the original article at this link: businessinsider.com
