Swedish epidemiologist Anders Tegnell of the Public Health Agency acknowledged on Wednesday that the more flexible approach taken by the Scandinavian kingdom to contain the spread of the new coronavirus could be improved.
Anders Tegnell, often presented as the face of Sweden’s anti-virus strategy, however, defended the decision not to impose containment as in many European countries. “If we were to encounter the same disease with everything we know about it today, I think we would end up doing something between what Sweden and the rest of the world have done,” the epidemiologist said. waves from Swedish public radio.
By Wednesday, 38,589 cases of coronavirus had been detected in the country since the start of the crisis, and 4,468 people died from the disease, according to health authorities, a mortality described by Mr. Tegnell as “really” too high.
However, the professional says he is not sure if the introduction of additional measures – and which ones – would have made the difference. “It would be nice to know more precisely what should be stopped to better prevent the spread of the infection,” he said.
The Scandinavian country has kept schools for children under the age of sixteen open, cafes, bars, restaurants and businesses, asking everyone to follow the recommendations for social distancing and “take responsibility”. People were encouraged to work from home, limit contact and wash their hands regularly. Only major constraints, gatherings of more than 50 people were prohibited, as well as visits to retirement homes.
The Swedish authorities continue to defend their model and speak of relevant long-term measures, repeating in the media that this fight against the virus is a “marathon, not a sprint”. This approach has drawn criticism, both inside and outside the country, at a time when the death toll has far exceeded that of its northern neighbors, all of whom have imposed restrictive measures.
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