The whole of Europe has switched to the Swedish model, but doesn't want to admit it?

The whole of Europe has switched to the Swedish model, but doesn't want to admit it?

This model is based on the trust in the responsibility of every citizen, writes the New York Times.

"New normalcy" is nowhere more unusual than in Sweden, which is almost the only country in the West that refused to introduce a complete lockdown this spring, and there were no other mandatory restrictive measures.

During the "Black Spring", Sweden did not close its borders, public transport functioned smoothly, and even restaurants, cafes, public institutions, hairdressers and yoga studios remained open.

Prevention of the infection was based on Swedish solidarity and trust, that is, on the trust of the authorities in the citizens that measures such as maintaining distance and regular hand hygiene will be kept voluntarily. Whether it was the right decision or not has been the subject of debate around the world for months.

Many scientists have argued that such behavior has resulted in an increase in coronavirus deaths, while libertarian politicians and activists have argued that Sweden can be a role model for all countries, and leading Swedish health experts say the Swedish model was adequate and prevented the country's economic collapse.

Sweden acknowledged that the approach may not have been perfect and that mistakes were made, especially in nursing homes where a large number of deaths occurred. Analyzes show that the mortality rate in such institutions in Sweden was noticeably higher than in neighboring "lockdown" countries.

But the New York Times raises the question of whether the possibly low growth of new cases in Sweden, compared to the relatively high growth in other European countries, shows that Sweden has found a balance, something other countries have been longing for for months.

Or it is just a temporary aberration that will hit everyone on the head with the arrival of a stronger new wave that is predicted, reports Jutarnji list.

"The situation so far looks positive," said Anders Tegnell, Sweden's top epidemiologist, who gained worldwide fame with his liberal measures in the fight against COVID-19.

Sweden has a population of about 10 million people, and on average has had only 200 new infections a day in recent weeks, although the number has risen to 380 in recent days. France and Spain, despite strict restrictions, record more than 10.000 infected a day.

Critics of the freer model have an answer to this claim as well - they believe that Sweden is testing too few people, so the relatively low numbers of newly infected are the result of insufficient "screening" of citizens.

Again, these theses can be questioned because the figures show that of all those tested, only 1.2 percent are positive in Sweden, while seven percent are positive in the northwest of Great Britain.

The New York Times reminds that in the face of a new wave of pandemics, many European countries are opting for stricter restrictions. But political leaders who are aware that the new lockdown could cause unforeseen problems are urging maximum adherence to common sense measures, such as hygiene, distance and masks, to prevent the collapse of the economy from closing schools, businesses, shops and bars and restaurants.

Therefore, experts say, despite the restrictions, Europe is increasingly trying to implement the Swedish model, based on the trust in the responsibility of every citizen.

"All European countries today more or less combine their approach - testing, quarantine and monitoring the contacts of the infected - with the Swedish model, but none wants to say so openly. Instead, they constantly make a caricature of Sweden, calling their model inhumane and unsuccessful", the director of the Geneva Institute for Global Health, Antoine Flahault believes.

The only stricter measure introduced in Sweden is that gatherings of more than 50 people, including museums or sporting events, are banned, but the Swedish model, Flahault points out, was based on "self-lockdown", i.e. trust in citizens to take care of themselves, their health and work, in order to combat the infection without anyone having to introduce any restrictions.

Tegnell acknowledges that it is possible that Sweden is currently in a good and could end up in a bad period, but points out that one of the countries with the most cases has come to a situation where they record a relatively low infection rate.

He added that in some cases, the country could adopt measures such as the introduction of the obligation to wear protective masks, but only in local hotspots.

However, he added, thinking about spring today, he might still consider measures such as local restrictions on movement or the closure of some schools. The main Swedish epidemiologist continues to point out that voluntary distance maintenance has proven to be a more successful measure than, for example, masks that, he says, could give people a false sense of security.

The situation today is radically different from the spring and in Swedish hospitals, where at the outbreak of the epidemic, ambulances were constantly unloading new cases of COVID-19.

"In April, almost everyone seemed to have COVID. There are far fewer patients now," stated Karin Hildebrand, a cardiologist at Södersjukhuset Hospital's intensive care unit.

During the first wave, she warned the Swedes that the situation was deadly serious and that the measures must be respected. Now, she says, she is ready for a potential new wave, the New York Times writes, and Jutarnji list reports.

"We have changed our behavior. For example, I no longer see anyone shaking hands. Life has returned to normal, with small changes. Of course, another wave can always come to us, but I think we are ready for it," she says.

Some experts believe that Sweden has almost completely established control over the epidemic.

"There are indications that the Swedes have created a kind of immunity to the disease that, among other things, they keep the coronavirus under control. Initially, a high mortality rate could have been avoided, but Sweden regained control of the disease in mid-April. from the famous herd's immunity, but we can conclude that respect for social distance measures has yielded results and proved crucial in the fight against coronavirus", Kim Sneppen, a professor of biodiversity at the Niels Bohr Institute concluded.