A graphic from Johns Hopkins University shows the confirmed deaths related to Covid infection. Of course, the comparison with Austria is particularly interesting here. While there were few deaths in this country in the summer, the curve has risen sharply since autumn. In Sweden, on the other hand, it was practically the other way around.
Theater, major events or private parties. All of this has been allowed again in Sweden since September 29, 2021. Nevertheless, the number of infections has hardly increased since then. Meanwhile, Austria, which has only just awakened from the fourth lockdown, is preparing for the Omikron wave with drastic new measures.
Anders Tegnell, Sweden’s chief epidemiologist, does not have a really good explanation for the Swedish phenomenon. It would be plausible that Swedes have a higher basic immunity because more people have already gone through the infection. But the expert from the Swedish health authority “Folkhälsomyndigheten” does not consider this to be plausible.
“I don’t know – in Great Britain, for example, a similarly large part of the population was infected with the coronavirus. That could possibly play a role in comparison with Finland or Norway, but not if we compare Sweden with Great Britain, ”he continues.
Perhaps the differences in mentalities provide an explanation. Because the northern Europeans are particularly cautious in public life despite openings. Plus, there wasn’t that much back and forth with lockdowns in Sweden. So you had a relatively constant level of social contact throughout the pandemic. “The end of the restrictions was therefore not a dramatic change for the people. But if you suddenly open a company out of lockdown, you naturally see a bigger difference in the number of infections, ”explains Tegnell in the“ SWR ”.
