FILE PHOTO: Sweden’s Public Health Agency state epidemiologist Anders Tegenel spoke to reporters on June 23, 2020 in Stockholm, Sweden, after updating on the status of coronovirus disease (COVID-19). Through Magnus Anderson / TT News Agency / REUTERS.
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden’s top epidemiologist on Tuesday indicated a sharp decline in new significant COVID-19 cases, as well as slowing mortality, to slow a widely questioned epidemic abroad Sweden’s strategy was working.
Sweden has undergone a difficult lockout during the entire outbreak, a strategy that sets it apart from most of Europe.
The public health agency’s chief epidemiologist Anders Tegenel said the rapid decline in the spread of the virus indicated very strongly that Sweden had reached relatively widespread immunity.
“The epidemic is slowing down now, in a way that I think some of us would believe a week or so ago,” he said at a news conference.
Along with the daily COVID-19 mortality, the number of people infected in intensive care has been slowly slowing down since April, with seven new deaths and no new ICU admissions reported by the Health Agency.
“This is actually another sign that the Swedish strategy is working,” Teganel said. With the measures we are taking in Sweden, it is possible to reduce fingering rapidly. ”
The reason for the slowdown in Sweden is that many countries have recognized it for lockdown. “We have managed to do this with significantly less aggressive measures,” he said.
Sweden has a mortality rate of 5,6 relative to population size, which has outpaced its Nordic neighbors, although it is lower than some European countries, which are closed in countries such as Britain and Spain.
Reporting by Anna Ringstrom; Editing by Angus McSwan
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