All the recent in-depth studies show Sweden's response was much worst than other Nordic nations. The only factors that enabled Sweden to eventually arrive at an "average" response was it's quick backtracking on its "herd immunity" measures and introduction of restrictions. Coupled with its wide-scale Covid vaccination program when the Covid vaccine became available.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the timing of government response: A comparison of four Nordic countries March-June 2020
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37118947/
Martin Lindström 1
Affiliations
Free PMC article
2023 Apr 28;14034948231171201. doi: 10.1177/14034948231171201. Online ahead of print.
Abstract
Objectives: The aim is to compare Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway regarding government response to the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March-June 2020 using the Oxford Government Response Tracker.
Study design: Descriptive longitudinal ecological study.
Methods: Descriptive analysis of time series data.
Results: Sweden displayed a far lower response index in March. By late April indexes were similar. In May-June, response indexes were lower in Finland and Norway than in Sweden. The average response index in mid-March-June was similar in Sweden, Finland and Norway.
Conclusions: The government response in the four countries indicates that timing of response was essential. Sweden's slow and weak initial government response in March-April was followed by less loosening of government response in May-June compared with, especially, Finland and Norway, which resulted in similar average government response in mid-March-June for the three countries. As a comparison, COVID-19 mortality per capita was 10 times higher in Sweden than in Finland and Norway, and five times higher than in Denmark during the same period.
Keywords: COVID-19 mortality; Pandemic; Sweden; Swedish strategy; coronavirus; government response; restrictions; social distancing.
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