Why Sweden Has Already Won the Debate on COVID ‘Lockdown’ Policy

[AKIQPilot]

Why Sweden Has Already Won the Debate on COVID ‘Lockdown’ Policy

As Europe and North America continue suffering their steady economic and social decline as a direct result of imposing "lockdown" on their populations, other countries have taken a different approach to dealing with the coronavirus threat. You wouldn’t know it by listening to western politicians or mainstream media stenographers, there are also non-lockdown countries. They are led by Sweden, Iceland, Belarus, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Surprisingly to some, their results have been as good or better than the lockdown countries, but without having to endure the socio-economic chaos we are now witnessing across the world. For this reason alone, Sweden and others like them, have already won the policy debate, as well as the scientific one too.

Unlike much of the rest of the world who saw fit to unquestioningly follow China’s lead on everything from quarantining, to economic shutdowns, to contact tracing, and PCR mass testing, nonlockdown countries have instead opted for a somewhat lighter touch – preserving their economies and societies, and in doing so avoiding an endless daisy chain of new problems and obstacles deriving directly from the imposition of brutal lockdown policy.

On the European front, the Scandinavian country of Sweden is now garnering more attention than before, and has become an object of both criticism and fascination for those against or in favor of lockdown policy. While countries like the United States and Great Britain continue to top the global tables in terms of COVID-19 death tolls, Sweden has only suffered marginal casualties in comparison, while avoiding the intense strain on society and loss in public confidence which lockdown governments are now grappling with as they continue to push their populations to the limits of social stress and economic tolerance. You could say those governments are already careening over the edge by looking at the latest jobless figures coming out the US with 30 million new people filing for unemployment in the last few weeks.

Unlike many others, Sweden has not enforced any strict mass quarantine measures to contain COVID-19, nor has it closed any of its borders. Rather, Swedish health authorities have issued a series of guidelines for social distancing and other common sense measures covering areas like hygiene, travel, public gatherings, and protecting the elderly and immune compromised. They have kept all preschools, primary and secondary schools open, while closing college and universities who are now doing their work and lectures online. Likewise, many bars and restaurants have remained open, and shoppers do not have to perform the bizarre ritual of queuing around the block standing 2 meters apart in order to buy groceries.

According to the country’s top scientists, they are now well underway to achieving natural herd immunity. It seems this particular Nordic model has already won the debate.

Because Sweden decided to follow real epidemiological science and pursue a common sense strategy of herd immunity, it doesn’t need to “flatten of the curve” because its strategic approach has the added benefit of achieving a much more gradual and wider spread.

Anders Tegnell, Sweden’s government advisor for epidemiology explains, “We are all trying to keep the spread of this disease as low as possible, mainly to prevent our healthcare system from being overstretched, but we have not gone for the complete lockdown. We have managed to keep the number of cases low enough so the intensive care units have kept working and there has always been 20 per cent beds empty and enough protective equipment, even in Stockholm, where there has been a huge stress on healthcare. So in that way the strategy has worked.”

Similarly, it doesn’t have the deal with the newest "crisis" obstacle which lockdown states seem to be using as an excuse not to reopen society and the economy, which the fear of a "second peak" which governments are telling the public will wreak havoc on the nation by “infecting the vulnerable” and will “overwhelm the health services” if everything is suddenly reopened and social isolation and distancing is relaxed.

This catch-22 which countries like the US and UK are caught in is predicated on the belief that the coronavirus might suddenly unleash itself again on the populace. Certainly, there could be a second surge, but it should be noted that this is also a direct result of the decision to impose lockdown in the first place. According to top epidemiologist Dr Knut Wikkowski, the decision to lockdown only delayed the inevitable for countries like the US and UK, and quite possibly made the COVID-19 problem even worse than it would have previously been in the short to midterm, but in the long-term the results would be relatively the same proportionally in term of human casualties.

The penny should have really dropped after it was revealed two weeks ago by Oxford Professor Carl Heneghan, Director for Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, that the peak of the UK’s coronavirus "crisis" actually came a full week before Boris Johnson initiated lockdown on March 23rd.

In fact, if you plug in Sweden’s actual data into Neil Ferguson’s own infamous computer model which sent the UK government into mass-panic mode, here’s what you would get:


(bigger)

The numbers don’t lie, but statistics can be made to tell any story the narrator wants, especially when the storyteller is government. Just look at the last 50 years of announcements regarding unemployment and inflation levels. One thing we should have learned by now is that government will never let things like facts and real science get in the way of a slow motion train wreck in progress, hence you can see some UK officials still clinging to Ferguson’s initial prediction as some sort of "proof" that the lockdown was necessary to avoid "mass death."

Outside of popular supposition and media talking points, there is no scientific study which shows that lockdown saved any significant number of lives. Instead, new data strongly suggests quite the opposite.

The Ribbing of Sweden

As western lockdown countries drift further and further into an economic and social purgatory, non-lockdown countries like Sweden seem to be the target of bad-natured criticism by western media punditry. This seems to be out of spite more than anything, as some journalists are sensing defeat after they had thrown their lot in with draconian lockdown policy early on, unquestioningly backing their governments’ one-size-fits-all approach to emergency management, once again invoking the TINA (There Is No Alternative) principle which history shows often precedes most man-made calamities from World War I, the Iraq War in 2003, to the 2008 Wall Street Bail Out.

Nonetheless, the media and political pressure has been almost relentless on Sweden for not complying with the west’s "lockdown consensus."

The country has also been roundly criticized by some 2,300 academics who piled on scorn upon it in a letter posted in March demanding the government change course and immediately head for lockdown.

However, the country has held off, and has since won endorsements from a number of eminent academics and professionals, like Professor Heneghan who hailed Sweden for “holding its nerve,” in the face of such public condemnation. That steadfastness seems to finally be paying dividends now, as some western mainstream media outlets, and even the UN itself, are acknowledging their comparable success. The New York Post begrudgingly acknowledged that Sweden received praise from the high chair of global public health at the World Health Organization (WHO), now lauded it as a “model” for overcoming the coronavirus crisis.

Dr. Micheal Ryan, WHO head of emergency management said, “What it has done differently is it has very much relied on its relationship with its citizenry and the ability and willingness of its citizens to implement self-distancing and self-regulate.”

He added, “In that sense, they have implemented public policy through that partnership with the population …. I think if we are to reach a new normal, Sweden represents a model if we wish to get back to a society in which we don’t have lockdowns.”

So according to WHO, it is Sweden which could be the new normal – and not the reactionary medieval quarantine policies favored by other states. Is WHO really making an argument against obsessive social isolation, and collective economic suicide? Such words from WHO should, in theory, be reassuring to those stuck in their lockdown death spirals. But many in the west are still convinced of the TINA principle, even if their next door neighbor has chosen a short and more practical route through the eye of the storm.

More than anything, this conundrum speaks to the relationship between people and their governments. Indeed, it is the social contract between government and its citizens which forms the core of the country’s policy formation. The idea that the choice of lockdown policy is a straight trade-off between lives and economy is a false dichotomy which ignores many concomitant variables and factors which are at play.

“I don’t think it was in terms of economy versus a health of people. I think it was a broader concern about the social fabric in general,” said Lars Trägårdh, professor of history and civil society studies at Ersta Sköndal University College.

“It is wonderful that we have retained the amount of freedoms that we have here ….Who would have thought, you know, that Swedish social democracy would be in bed with American right-wing libertarians? Not me,” remarked Trägårdh.

Professor Cecilia Soderberg-Naucler from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute explained why the state was duty-bound to take the direction it did. “We must establish control over the situation, we cannot head into a situation where we get complete chaos. No one has tried this route, so why should we test it first in Sweden, without informed consent?” said Soderberg-Naucler.

This concept of people talking responsibility for their actions and for public well-being is actually enshrined in Sweden’s constitution. This means that the state does not have to threaten and abuse its citizens for things like not observing social distancing and buying ‘non essential items’ when out shopping, or meeting in small groups – as some governments are doing. Swedes know the risks and observe government guidelines accordingly. They also acknowledge that humans are not perfect and won’t use police and courts to punish citizens if they are not following guidelines to the letter – as is the case in many lockdown countries. In lockdown countries, the bad blood between the public and government will not evaporate after the ‘crisis’ is over, which is a real problem which lockdown governments will continue facing in the future.

Still, New York Post had to include the caveat that Sweden was something of a pariah state for “controversially refused restrictions." The propaganda war could be seen in the paper’s subtle wordsmithing, where editors even went so far as to change their headline from “WHO lauds Sweden as ‘model’ in coronavirus fight for resisting lockdown,” to a slightly more incendiary “WHO lauds lockdown-ignoring Sweden as a ‘model’ for countries going forward”

http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2020/may/02/why-sweden-has-already-won-the-debate-on-covid-lockdown-policy/?fbclid=IwAR2xjfbbfVr67pJbKJ3s4J0uAYtUAOlbyDNWdmjn2kkMkRbcbrWwiuQX5F4

 

[spin_dry]

These articles on Sweden defy imagination. They’re running between 90-150 deaths a day. Austria is down to 4-6 deaths per day. It’s such bullshit. Sweden’s deaths are at 2700 and Austria is at 600. Austria almost has this thing wrapped and the Swedes are still dropping like flies. 

[AKIQPilot]

Just now, spin_dry said:

These articles on Sweden defy imagination. They’re running between 90-150 deaths a day. Austria is down to 4-6 deaths per day. It’s such bullshit. Sweden’s deaths are at 2700 and Austria is at 600. Austria almost has this thing wrapped and the Swedes are still dropping like flies. 

Austria isn't the only other country in Europe.  Compare Sweden to France, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands, etc.  Sweden is doing better than all of those countries and they didn't shutdown their country and cripple their economy in the process.  

[spin_dry]

Just now, AKIQPilot said:

Austria isn't the only other country in Europe.  Compare Sweden to France, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands, etc.  Sweden is doing better than all of those countries and they didn't shutdown their country and cripple their economy in the process.  

Austria is the best comparison based on population, health care delivery, and foreign visitor traffic. Apples to apples. The countries that are doing the best are those that got on this thing right away with testing and a strategic plan. America was almost dead last to do so. 

[AKIQPilot]

Just now, spin_dry said:

Austria is the best comparison based on population, health care delivery, and foreign visitor traffic. Apples to apples. The countries that are doing the best are those that got on this thing right away with testing and a strategic plan. America was almost dead last to do so. 

Lets head down to Chinatown for some wanton soup.

[AKIQPilot]

2 minutes ago, spin_dry said:

Austria is the best comparison based on population, health care delivery, and foreign visitor traffic. Apples to apples. The countries that are doing the best are those that got on this thing right away with testing and a strategic plan. America was almost dead last to do so. 

Remember when Trump was called a racist for restricting flights from part of China?

[AKIQPilot]

WHO Lauds Lockdown-Ignoring Sweden As a 'Model' For Countries Going Forward 

The World Health Organization lauded Sweden as a "model" for battling the coronavirus as countries lift lockdowns -- after the nation controversially refused restrictions. Dr. Mike Ryan, the WHO's top emergencies expert, said Wednesday there are "lessons to be learned" from the Scandinavian nation, which has largely relied on citizens to self-regulate. "I think there's a perception out that Sweden has not put in control measures and just has allowed the disease to spread," Ryan told reporters. "Nothing can be further from the truth."

Ryan noted that instead of lockdowns, the country has "put in place a very strong public policy around social distancing, around caring and protecting people in long-term care facilities." "What it has done differently is it has very much relied on its relationship with its citizenry and the ability and willingness of its citizens to implement self-distancing and self-regulate," Ryan said. "In that sense, they have implemented public policy through that partnership with the population." He said the country also ramped up testing and had adequate capacity in hospitals to handle any outbreaks. "I think if we are to reach a new normal, Sweden represents a model if we wish to get back to a society in which we don't have lockdowns," Ryan said.Last month, more than 2,300 Swedish researchers penned a letter demandin

https://science.slashdot.org/story/20/05/01/0456226/who-lauds-lockdown-ignoring-sweden-as-a-model-for-countries-going-forward

[frenchy]

31 minutes ago, AKIQPilot said:

Austria isn't the only other country in Europe.  Compare Sweden to France, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands, etc.  Sweden is doing better than all of those countries and they didn't shutdown their country and cripple their economy in the process.  

why would you do that?

Far better examples are countries that are similar - Norway, Austria, Finland, Denmark, Czech Republic.....

[frenchy]

29 minutes ago, AKIQPilot said:

Lets head down to Chinatown for some wanton soup.

a comment that was made in late Feb? That's really all you got? 

[AKIQPilot]

1 minute ago, frenchy said:

why would you do that?

Far better examples are countries that are similar - Norway, Austria, Finland, Denmark, Czech Republic.....

None of those countries have had immigration policies similar to Sweden.  The majority of deaths in Sweden are very old people and immigrants.  

[AKIQPilot]

1 minute ago, frenchy said:

a comment that was made in late Feb? That's really all you got? 

Did we know the CV was an issue in late Feb?  Of course we did.  

[spin_dry]

33 minutes ago, AKIQPilot said:

Remember when Trump was called a racist for restricting flights from part of China?

Sure. I also remember when he said this thing was licked. 

[frenchy]

4 minutes ago, AKIQPilot said:

Did we know the CV was an issue in late Feb?  Of course we did.  

her comment was retarded as were trump's endless tweets telling everyone to dismiss it and how under control it was in late feb. Are we done on her comment or are you going to keep using it as your apparent trump card when you have nothing? 

Edited May 4, 2020 by frenchy

[AKIQPilot]

Just now, spin_dry said:

Sure. I also remember when he said this thing was licked. 

Yep.  There has been lots of bad info coming from almost every direction.  

[AKIQPilot]

Just now, frenchy said:

her comment was retarded as were trump's endless tweets telling everyone to dismiss it and how under control it was in late feb. Are we done on her comment or are you going to keep using it as your apparent trump card when you have nothing? 

Lots of people and organizations have been posting BS from the beginning of this.  That was my point.  

[frenchy]

5 minutes ago, AKIQPilot said:

None of those countries have had immigration policies similar to Sweden.  The majority of deaths in Sweden are very old people and immigrants.  

sweden's official numbers do not count those who are not Swedish citizens (ie. refugees). Want to try again? 

[Tinker]

So moving forward then, lets kill 4.5 times more Americans than you already are at your present rate. 

[spin_dry]

5 hours ago, AKIQPilot said:

Yep.  There has been lots of bad info coming from almost every direction.  

America blew it. 

[BOHICA]

13 minutes ago, spin_dry said:

America blew it. 

Not all of America.....  very small portion of America actually blew it.

[spin_dry]

3 minutes ago, BOHICA said:

Not all of America.....  very small portion of America actually blew it.

Yeah. America blew it. Big time. It’s fragmented and disenfranchised. And really really broke.  

[Mainecat]

7 hours ago, AKIQPilot said:

Did we know the CV was an issue in late Feb?  Of course we did.  

All over the next week

[AKIQPilot]

1 hour ago, spin_dry said:

Yeah. America blew it. Big time. It’s fragmented and disenfranchised. And really really broke.  

Ive been saying all along that the medical establishment fucked this up from the beginning. Complete incompetence. 

[spin_dry]

1 minute ago, AKIQPilot said:

Ive been saying all along that the trump administration fucked this up from the beginning. Complete incompetence. 

Fixed

[AKIQPilot]

Just now, spin_dry said:

Fixed

 

[frenchy]

9 hours ago, AKIQPilot said:

Ive been saying all along that the medical establishment fucked this up from the beginning. Complete incompetence. 

if there was ever a case to be made against private healthcare as a national model, this is it.