Sweden has been criticized quite a bit for forgoing the typical mandatory government enforced lock-downs / house arrests that a LOT of nations have chosen, even in the “land of the free” (United States), for the “common good”. These efforts we are told will flatten the curve and allow hospitals to deal with the sick in a way to avoid as many deaths as possible.
But have you noticed how “flattening the curve” is now about “ending the curve”? While at first this was all about the capacity of each nation’s healthcare system, is now about eradicating this virus BEFORE we can return to whatever normal awaits? Talk about mission creep.
Today’s Russia Today article revisits Sweden’s battle with Covid-19 that excludes government overreach. Notice even RT ‘seems’ critical of Sweden’s efforts as the author of this article attempts to see this from the view of the 22 researches in Sweden that are pushing for the government to do more:
They are not inclined to change their recommendations, even when Sweden’s curves start to differ radically from those of neighboring countries.
As always, context matters. It seems that in the past weeks it has been necessary to place ALL stats in context. While Johns Hopkins data is displayed in red highlighting raw data that fails to place a nation’s population in proportion to the number of deaths “reported”, one has to do this exercise themselves, at least if one is a critical thinker. Others just assume that the media does it all and they can just take what media gives them as truth. Not me, not even with RT or other non-US mainstream media (MSM).
If we take the raw numbers we see:
- Sweden has 11,445 confirmed cases of infection and a death toll of 1,033 so far
- Denmark has recorded 6,706 confirmed cases and 299 deaths
- Norway reports 6,623 infected and 139 deaths
- Finland reports just 3,161 confirmed cases and only 64 deaths
So on the surface you might agree with these researchers. Now let’s look at the total population of these countries do we can compare more apples-apples:
- Sweden 10.23M people
- Denmark 5.8M people
- Norway 5.5M people
- Finland 5.5M people
So you see that Sweden STILL has more Covid-19 deaths PROPORTIONALLY than the other Scandinavian countries ASSUMING that they all do verify Covid-19 deaths WITH testing AND that the underlying diseases were NOT a major factor. I know, this is a LOT to assume for any government, that they are presenting the data accurately. But I digress.
There is one more attribute that I believe impacts a nation’s Covid-19 numbers, the numbers of migrants. Here is Bill Sardi on what this does:
Hot spots for infection (Wuhan, Italy, NYC) have a lot of young adult migrants who harbor TB bacteria in their lungs and may experience an eruption of latent TB, which is what is occurring now. Why we have to sort this out for ourselves as the Centers for Disease Control is not providing this kind of analysis and is narrowly presenting a COVID-19 pandemic with total disregard for the seasonal flu, TB, etc. speaks for the biases and politics involved.
Let;s look to see if Sweden might have more RECENT immigrants than other Nordic countries:
This latest influx of immigrants came from the Middle East where latent TB in the adult population can have an effect on both the number of positive Covid-19 cases as well as deaths attributed to Covid-19.
But back to the whole reason for flattening the curve, the salvation of the healthcare available for those susceptible to this corona-virus. In this regard, is Sweden is STILL on the right track?
… the man behind the government’s [Sweden’s] strategy, state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell, [states]
“I don’t understand what they mean. The healthcare system has always been in control,” Tegnell said. “If you look at the curve, we have consistently had around 60 dead per day. We have had an unfortunate development in elderly care, and we have started to work hard on that.”
Tegnell pointed to New York, which has roughly the same population as Sweden but ten times the death toll, as an example of the apparent failure of lockdown.
In my own opinion, early in this evaluation of a reaction to a novel virus, that WE have experienced before, and like the flu, will experience again without most people’s “savior”, vaccines, Sweden has demonstrated a very healthy method in dealing with this overblown panic. In this I applaud them!
So there is one more attribute of the lock-down that could also be factored in here. In NYC, when one is locked down, one is under house arrest and remains INSIDE away from the sun which is the best and cheapest source of vitamin D around. This vitamin is essential in keeping the immune system healthy to fight viruses like this one!
I also wonder how the lock-down was implemented in Wuhan, China, if people were encouraged to stay inside and away from the sun?
Anyway, Covid-19 and the “proper” response in a world where ‘scarcity’ exists, is complicated! Choices have to be made as we do not have unlimited resources. This is a fact that most people fail to understand these days as they look to the government to keep them safe, even from the inevitable, DEATH! The fear used by government’s drives the herds toward obedience and irrational behavior:
At this point it is too early to tell for sure if Sweden’s government did the right thing, but one thing is for certain, their economy and the people’s mental health are by in large intact, and that will mean that Sweden’s healthcare system will not be overrun by ‘Rona-PTSD in the months to come.
With Sweden’s economy healthy, the healthcare services can be allowed to remain healthy as well without resorting to the US approach, that of printing money and debasing it’s own currency. But I digress once more …
Peace out – stay safe.
-SF1