17-12-20:
AGGIORNAMENTO (BREAKING NEWS):
Oh, ogni volta che gli uomini si muovono, devono fare danni, eh.
Covid 19 coronavirus: 500,000 sharks face slaughter for vaccine development - NZ Herald
Covid 19 coronavirus: 500,000 sharks face slaughter for vaccine development26 Sep, 2020 11:36 PM
Sharks face being slaughtered for a coronavirus vaccine. Photo / Getty Images
Daily Telegraph UK
By: Olivia Rudgard
Sharks face being slaughtered for the coronavirus vaccine, as conservationists warn as many as half a million could be killed for global supplies.
One of the ingredients in some versions of the Covid-19 vaccine under development is squalene, which comes from the livers of sharks.
Scientists are racing to test a synthetic version, made from fermented sugar cane, which would mean plentiful supplies without threatening shark populations.
Conservationists estimate more than three million sharks are killed each year to obtain their liver oil for various uses, including in cosmetics and machine oil, and fear a sudden rise in demand could push some species closer to the brink.
Squalene from sharks is used in medicine as part of an adjuvant - an ingredient that makes a vaccine more effective and creates a greater immune response.
Read More
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- Covid 19 coronavirus: Stark reality about vaccine sinks in - NZ Herald
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About 3000 sharks are required to make 1 ton of squalene. Estimates from California-based group Shark Allies suggest that immunising everyone in the world with one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine containing squalene would require about 250,000 sharks, depending on the quantities used. This doubles to half a million if two doses are required, as researchers say is likely.
Many of the species targeted for being rich in squalene, such as the gulper shark and basking shark, are classed as vulnerable, meaning their populations are decreasing and they could become endangered.
Stefanie Brendl, founder and executive director of Shark Allies, said: "Harvesting something from a wild animal is never going to be sustainable, especially if it's a top predator that doesn't reproduce in huge numbers. There's so many unknowns of how big and how long this pandemic might go on, and then how many versions of it we have to go through, that if we continue using sharks, the numbers of sharks taken for this product could be really high, year after year after year."
Silicon Valley company Amryis has produced synthetic squalene for cosmetics for years, but is hoping to apply its technology to remove the reliance on shark fishing in the vaccine industry.d to top world brands
Its method involves the fermentation of sugar cane using yeast, which produces farnesene, a chemical which is then used to produce squalene. John Melo, chief executive of Amyris, says his product is just as effective and doesn't have the same supply chain issues.
It is not yet approved for use in vaccines but Melo said he is in discussions with the US regulator the Food and Drug Administration. "We're in negotiation with three pharma companies, which are looking to buy significant volume," he said.
A spokesman for GSK said the company "explores the potential for alternative sources of its raw materials".
A quanto ho appurato, ci sono molti CRETINETTI che continuano a dire che la libertà è inviolabile, non importa se in Norvegia l'hanno sacrificata un pochetto allo scopo di evitare una strage come in Svezia.
E non cambiano MAI idea, nemmeno se pure il Re di Svezia si è rotto i corbezzoli di vedere ogni giorno aumentare i morti nella sua amata monarchia.
www.repubblica.it/esteri/2020/12/17/news/coronavirus_nel_mondo_contagi_aggiornamenti_e_tutte_le_news_sulla_situazione
Coronavirus nel mondo: Svezia piegata dalla seconda ondata, il re: "Abbiamo fallito"
17 DICEMBRE 2020
Gli Stati Uniti sono il Paese più colpito dalla pandemia di coronavirus con oltre 307 mila vittime. Segue il Brasile con poco meno di 184 mila, l'India con oltre 144 mila, il Messico con circa 115 mila morti e l'Italia vicina a quota 66 mila.
LA SITUAZIONE NEL MONDO: GRAFICI E MAPPE LA TIMELINE
Usa, si vaccinano Pence e Biden
Gli Stati Uniti hanno registrato 250.000 nuovi casi di Covid e 3.700 morti nella giornata di mercoledì. E' quanto emerge dai dati della John Hopkins University. Intanto si apprende che il vicepresidente Usa, Mike Pence, venerdì si farà vaccinare, alla Casa Bianca, assieme alla moglie Karen. Lo ha comunicato lo staff dell'esponente repubblicano, aggiungendo che Pence lo farà "pubblicamente" per promuovere la sicurezza e l'efficacia del vaccino e "costruire nel popolo americano la fiducia". Al vicepresidente e alla Second Lady si unirà Jerome Adams, Chirurgo generale, cioè il portavoce del governo sulle questioni legate alla salute. Anche a Joe Biden sarà somministrata la prima dose di vaccino contro il Covid la prossima settimana. Lo riporta Cnn citando alcune fonti, secondo le quali non è escluso che l'iniezione al presidente eletto sarà pubblica nel tentativo di convincere gli americani sulla sicurezza del vaccino.
Trump tratta con Pfizer per dosi extra di vaccino
Il presidente Usa Donald Trump sta trattando con la casa farmaceutica Pfizer per avere dosi extra di vaccino. Intanto la Food and Drug administration ha dato il via libera all'utilizzo delle dosi "extra" di vaccino contenute nele confezioni di fiale già distribuite. I farmacisti si sono resi conto che le fiale contengono anche due dosi in più rispetto alle cinque previste. Ora l'organismo di controllo americano ha detto che è "sicuro" l'utilizzo di tali dosi extra per vaccinare le persone. La Pfizer ha però avvertito che mescolare residui di fiale diverse così come somministrare dosi non pari al quantitativo sperimentato come efficace potrebbe essere pericoloso per contaminazioni o quantomeno inefficace.
Giappone: premier a cena di gruppo in un ristorante, si scusa
Il premier giapponese, Yoshihide Suga, è finito nella polemica dopo aver partecipato a una cena di gruppo con alcuni amici famosi mentre nel Paese viene data l'indicazione di ridurre al massimo gli assembramenti per frenare la nuova ondata di Covid-19. "C'era una distanza sociale sufficiente dagli altri partecipanti, ma esprimo seriamente rimorso per aver portato la popolazione allo scetticismo", ha dichiarato Suga rivolgendosi ai giornalisti nella sua residenza. Lunedi' il premier aveva partecipato a una cena di sette ospiti di età superiore ai 70 anni in un ristorante della capitale rinominato per le sue bistecche. L'amministrazione metropolitana di Tokyo aveva però chiesto che il numero di persone a cena nei ristoranti fosse limitato a cinque, con particolare attenzione agli ultra-settantenni.
Svezia piegata di nuovo dalla seconda inattesa ondata
Nonostante un inasprimento delle restrizioni nelle ultime settimane, la Svezia e la sua strategia atipica contro il Covid-19 sono nuovamente messe in grande difficoltà da una impressionante seconda ondata che il Paese nordico credeva di poter evitare. "L'autorità sanitaria pubblica aveva preparato tre scenari questa estate. Ci eravamo basati su quello peggiore. Tuttavia, emerge che nella realtà è due volte più grave" di quanto temuto, spiega Lars Falk, un operatore dell'unità di terapia intensiva all'ospedale Karolinska di Stoccolma.
In un'inusuale presa di posizione pubblica, il re svedese Carl Gustaf XVI ha lanciato la dura accusa, di fronte alla grave situazione che si e' venuta a creare nel Paese: "Gli svedesi hanno sofferto tremendamente in condizioni difficili. Penso che abbiamo fallito, abbiamo un gran numero di morti e questo è terribile", ha affermato nell'intervista di fine anno alla tv di Stato Svt.
Servizi di rianimazione sotto pressione, richiesta di rinforzo da tutto il personale sanitario qualificato a Stoccolma, mortalità fino a dieci volte superiore a quella dei suoi vicini scandinavi: questo autunno la strategia svedese, meno rigida di fronte all'epidemia, ripete i suoi scarsi risultati della scorsa primavera. All'inizio della settimana, i ricoveri legati a Covid in Svezia hanno raggiunto il picco del 20 aprile, con quasi 2.400 pazienti in cura, anche se la percentuale in terapia intensiva è doppia rispetto alla primavera, intorno al 10%. Il bilancio delle vittime ha raggiunto 7.802 - di cui oltre 1.800 dall'inizio di novembre - e quello dei nuovi casi e' intorno a un livello record, oltre 6 mila al giorno in media, secondo i dati ufficiali. Senza mascherine, nè chiusura di bar, ristoranti e negozi, nè quarantena obbligatoria, la Svezia si è distinta per una strategia basata essenzialmente su "raccomandazioni" e pochissime misure coercitive.
Brasile, superati i sette milioni di contagi
Il Brasile supera i sette milioni di contagi di Covid-19 dall'inizio della pandemia, secondo fonti ufficiali. Dal primo caso, registrato lo scorso 26 febbraio, il colosso sudamericano ha contabilizzato 7.040.608 contagi. Nelle ultime 24 ore i casi sono stati 68.437. Alto anche il numero delle vittime giornaliere: 968, la cifra maggiore dallo scorso 15 settembre. In totale i morti sono 183.822. Il presidente brasiliano, Jair Bolsonaro, ha lanciato la campagna vaccinale nel Paese sudamericano dopo aver annunciato che non si farà iniettare il siero. Il ministro della Salute, Eduardo Pazuello, ha annunciato che le somministrazioni potrebbero iniziare già a febbraio.
Germania: mascherina traforata, ricoverato il deputato negazionista
Thomas Seitz, deputato del partito di destra tedesco Afd è stato ricoverato per Coronavirus. Seitz era stato fotografato nell'aula del Bundestag con indosso una mascherina traforata. L'aveva indossata pe protesta contro l'obbligo di coprire la bocca e i naso imposto per legge. Mattias Hauer, deputato della Cdu gli ha inviato gli auguri aggiungendo però di augurarsi anche che Seitz "la smetta di fare propaganda contro le misure anti-Covid".
Vietnam, al via i test sul vaccino sperimentale domestico
Le autorità sanitarie del Vietnam sono pronte ad avviare i primi test clinici del nuovo vaccino sperimentale contro la Covid-19 sviluppato dall'azienda privata vietnamita Nanogen. La prima fase dei test coinvolgerà 60 volontari; i primi tre soggetti riceveranno una dose del vaccino sperimentale oggi, 17 dicembre, e rimarranno sotto osservazione per 72 ore. Gli altri 57 volontari riceveranno un dosaggio calibrato sulle analisi dei primi tre soggetti. Il vaccino, battezzato "Babocovax", è stato sviluppato da Nanogen in collaborazione con l'Università militare di medicina del Vietnam. Ad oggi il paese conta appena 1.045 casi complessivi di coronavirus, e 35 decessi.
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Appena ieri apprendo anche altre notizie di sicuro interesse:
Da Repubblica del 14 dicembre: Coronavirus nel mondo: contagi, aggiornamenti e tutte le news sulla situazione - la Repubblica
La pandemia ha ucciso almeno oltre un milione e 600 mila persone in tutto il mondo da dicembre 2019, secondo gli ultimi dati della Johns Hopkins University. Sono stati diagnosticati ufficialmente circa 72 milioni di casi. Gli Stati Uniti sono il paese più colpito, con più di 300 mila morti. Seguono il Brasile con più di 181 mila, India (oltre 143 mila), Messico (quasi 114 mila) e Italia (più di 64 mila).
A New York torna lo spettro del lockdown
Il sindaco Bill de Blasio ha chiesto ai newyorkesi di prepararsi a un "lockdown totale" se i dati dei contagi continueranno a crescere. Nelle ultime 24 ore sono stati registrati 10.027 nuovi casi e 124 morti. L'aumento, rispetto alle ultime settimane, è del 56 per cento. "Io penso - ha spiegato de Blasio alla Cnn - che nelle prossime settimane un pieno lockdown è possibile, perché non possiamo lasciare che questa situazione vada avanti"
Tutto chiuso in Olanda per cinque settimane
Il premier olandese, Mark Rutte, ha annunciato cinque settimane di lockdown nazionale nel Paese per cercare di rallentare l'ondata di contagi Covid. I tassi di infezione nei Paesi Bassi sono aumentati bruscamente nonostante un "blocco parziale" di due mesi. Rutte ha ordinato la chiusura delle scuole a partire da mercoledì e la chiusura di negozi e attività non essenziali come parrucchieri, musei e teatri a partire da martedì fino al 19 gennaio.Bar e ristoranti sono chiusi da metà ottobre. Il blocco parziale inizialmente ha rallentato gli alti tassi di infezione, ma negli ultimi giorni sono aumentati di nuovo.
Germania, il presidente Steinmeier: "Bisogna impedire che il sistema arrivi al collasso"
"Non si deve arrivare al punto che il nostro sistema sanitario collassi, siamo ad una fase decisiva". Lo ha detto, rivolgendosi ai cittadini tedeschi, il presidente tedesco Frank-Walter Steinmeier. "Non siamo esposti fatalmente alla pandemia", ha aggiunto, "dipende da noi e sappiamo cosa fare. I festeggiamenti possono essere recuperati e gli amici e i parenti possono gioire anche in futuro per i regali.
Regno Unito, Londra torna zona rossa
Nuova stretta anti Covid a Londra, che da mercoledì torna in quasi lockdown. L'annuncio arriva ai Comuni da Matt Hancock, ministro della Sanità di Boris Johnson, formalizzando la decisione di reagire senza indugi alla ripresa locale di contagi registrato dopo la fine del confinamento nazionale bis di un mese il 2 dicembre. La stretta prevede che la capitale passi dall'allerta arancione a quella rossa con nuova chiusura di ristoranti, pub e di alcuni negozi. Limitazioni che dureranno per ora fino al 23, quando in tutto il Regno - Londra compresa - scatterà un alleggerimento di 5 giorni delle restrizioni in occasione del Natale.
Corea del Sud, casi in aumento: chiuse le scuole
La Corea del Sud ha ordinato la chiusura delle scuole da domani nella capitale Seul e nelle aree circostanti dove i contagi hanno superato il picco di febbraio. Ieri la Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) ha segnalato 718 nuovi casi di coronavirus, in calo rispetto all'aumento record giornaliero di 1.030 del giorno precedente. Dei nuovi casi, 682 sono stati trasmessi localmente. La maggior parte dei nuovi casi si è verificata a Seul, la vicina città portuale di Incheon, e nella provincia di Gyeonggi, che ospita oltre 25 milioni di persone.
Nigeria, almeno 26 generali positivi al Covid-19, e uno di loro è morto
In seguito alla morte del generale John Irefin, durante la conferenza annuale dei capi dell'esercito nella capitale nigeriana la settimana scorsa, è stato ordinato agli altri alti ufficiali dell'esercito di sottoporsi ai test diagnostici per il Covid-19. Secondo una dichiarazione dell'esercito, su 417 persone testate, 26 sono risultate positive. I positivi stanno già ricevendo cure mediche, secondo la stessa fonte. La Nigeria ha registrato un picco di casi di Covid-19, con oltre 3.800 nuove infezioni la scorsa settimana. Il ministro della Salute Osagie Ehanire ha dichiarato che l'aumento dei casi è dovuto a persone che non seguono le linee guida di prevenzione, come lavarsi le mani, usare mascherine e mantenere la distanza tra le persone. Finora il Paese, che conta 200 milioni di abitanti, ha registrato oltre 73 mila casi e quasi 1.200 morti.
Coronavirus nel mondo: contagi, aggiornamenti e tutte le news sulla situazione - la Repubblica (16 dicembre)
Usa, quasi 3mila morti in 24 ore
Ancora un record per gli Stati Uniti che nelle ultime 24 ore hanno registrato quasi 3 mila morti e un oltre 200 mila casi.. Lo riporta il New York Times. Anche il numero di persone ricoverate è ai massimi dall'inizio della pandemia, con 113 mila pazienti negli ospedali a causa del Covid-19. Situazione molto allarmante in California dove si stanno per esaurire i posti letto nelle terapie intensive. L'enorme campagna di vaccinazione che è stata lanciata lunedì negli Stati Uniti non fermerà comunque l'attuale epidemia, hanno avvertito i funzionari sanitari, perché ci vorranno diversi mesi prima che una parte sufficientemente ampia della popolazione possa essere immunizzata. Il vaccino contro il coronavirus prodotto da Moderna protegge bene gli adulti e previene i casi gravi di Covid-19, secondo i dati diffusi dalla Food and Drug Administration. Dati incoraggianti dunque, che fanno pensare che l'autorizzazione all'uso di emergenza in Usa verrà concesso venerdì, hanno riferito fonti dell'ente di regolamentazione del farmaco statunitense al New York Times. Un 'via libera' che darà a milioni di americani l'accesso a un secondo vaccino contro il coronavirus a partire dalla prossima settimana.
Mentre gli Stati Uniti iniziano la campagna di vaccinazione anti-Covid più ambiziosa della loro storia, con vaccini in diretta televisiva, nuovi dati hanno rivelato che più di un quarto degli statunitensi dicono che probabilmente o sicuramente non si faranno iniettare un vaccino contro il coronavirus. Il sondaggio pubblicato dalla Kaiser Family Foundation ha scoperto che repubblicani, rurali e afroamericani sono quelli con le maggiori resistenze. Lo scetticismo, anche se non del tutto inaspettato, rappresenta comunque una sfida, dato che il Paese cerca di arginare le infezioni esplosive, i ricoveri e i decessi. L'indagine è stata condotta tra il 30 novembre e l'8 dicembre su un campione casuale rappresentativo a livello nazionale di oltre 1.600 adulti dai 18 anni in su.
Germania, allarme per i decessi
Nel giorno in cui scattano le nuove misure restrittive, fortemente volute dalla cancelliera Angela Merkel, volte ad arginare la diffusione del nuovo coronavirus, la Germania registra il bollettino sanitario - relativo alla giornata di ieri - più pesante dalla comparsa del morbo. Ben 952 i nuovi decessi correlati al virus, il numero più alto in un solo giorno e allo stesso tempo un picco di proporzioni enormemente maggiori rispetto al precedente primato dell'11 dicembre, quando i decessi furono 598. Secondo i dati del Robert Koch Institute (RKI), sempre nella giornata di ieri sono state inoltre diagnosticate 27.728 nuove infezioni. Come se non bastasse, il bilancio di ieri potrebbe aggravarsi ulteriormente in quanto non sono ancora giunti i dati della Sassonia.
Francia, capo Consiglio scientifico: "Ne usciremo in estate o in autunno"
Il presidente del Consiglio scientifico francese, Jean-François Delfraissy, ipotizza un'uscita dalla crisi pandemica "nell'estate o nell'autunno 2021" grazie al vaccino. In un'intervista a Le Parisien, Delfraissy chiede ai francesi di restare prudenti. Bisogna "resistere" e mantenere un atteggiamento prudente "ancora per tre-sei mesi". Attualmente la Francia si trova si trova in una fase "di stagnazione dei nuovi casi intorno ai 10-15mila al giorno", ha affermato, ricordando che "l'ondata di freddo ha favorito la ripresa di circolazione" del virus. Il rischio di una terza ondata "non è trascurabile" ma bisogna "fare di tutto per evitarla". Il paese potrebbe essere meglio preparato nei prossimi mesi ad affrontare il Coronavirus, ha ancora osservato, grazie all'arrivo di "test antigenici più sensibili", "prelievi salivari e di un nuovo medicinale a base di anticorpi monoclonali".
Gaza, quasi metà dei tamponi risultano positivi
La situazione Covid a Gaza si aggrava sempre più. Secondo il ministero della sanità di Hamas - citato dai media - nelle ultime 24 ore quasi la metà dei tamponi effettuati, il 44,8%, ha dato un risultato positivo. Va detto che i test sono sempre di meno, visto lo scarseggiare dei preparati. I casi - riferiti questa volta dal ministro della sanità dell'Autorità nazionale palestinese (Anp) May al Khaila - sono stati lo scorso giorno quasi mille (935). Nella Striscia attualmente ci sono quasi 9 mila casi attivi e da inizio pandemia i decessi sono arrivati a 220. Hamas ha fatto sapere che il sistema sanitario della Striscia collasserà se aumenterà il numero delle infezioni.
Corea del Sud, più restrizioni a Seul. Verso un lockdown più duro nel Paese
Le autorità sanitarie della Corea del Sud hanno confermato 1.078 nuovi casi di coronavirus nell'arco delle ultime 24 ore, un nuovo record di contagi giornalieri per il Paese dall'inizio della crisi pandemica. Il bilancio complessivo della pandemia in Corea del Sud è di 45.442 contagi e 612 decessi. La maggior parte dei nuovi casi è localizzata nell'area metropolitana di Seul. Il governo ha elevato le misure di distanziamento sociale nell'area metropolitana di Seul al livello di 2,5, ed ha decretato la chiusura di palestre, saune e altri esercizi commerciali giudicati a rischio alla luce dell'aumento dei casi di coronavirus nel Paese. Secondo il quotidiano "Korea Herald", le autorità sanitarie del Paese sono vicine ad imporre nuove restrizioni per arginare la propagazione dei contagi.
Cina, stretta sui voli dall'estero. Bloccati gli aerei da Etiopia, Russia e Svizzera
I voli passeggeri internazionali che non soddisfano i requisiti stabiliti in Cina per il contenimento dell'epidemia di Covid-19 saranno soggetti a un più lungo periodo di sospensione. Lo ha reso noto la Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), l'ente cinese per l'aviazione civile, in una circolare pubblicata oggi sul proprio sito-web. A partire da oggi, se il numero di passeggeri risultati positivi al test per la Covid-19 raggiunge i cinque, i collegamenti della compagnia che ha operato il volo saranno sospesi per due invece che per una sola settimana. La sospensione resta invariata a quattro settimane se il numero di passeggeri che risulta positivo raggiunge i 10. L'ente cinese per l'aviazione civile ha annunciato una settimana di sospensione per tre singoli collegamenti aerei diretti in Cina da Etiopia, Russia e Svizzera, dopo la segnalazione di diversi passeggeri risultati positivi al Covid-19 a bordo di voli sbarcati di recente. La sospensione dei voli di Ethiopian Airlines e Ikar Airlines durerà una settimana, a partire dal 21 dicembre, mentre i voli della Swiss International Air Lines saranno sospesi dal 27 dicembre.
Brasile, Rio cancella i festeggiamenti di Capodanno
Secondo gli ultimi dati forniti dal ministero della Salute, sono 964 i morti registrati nella ultime 24 ore in Brasile, il numero più alto dallo scorso 30 settembre. Il bilancio delle vittime dall'inizio della pandemia è di oltre 182 mila. I nuovi contagi sono quasi 43 mila, in totale quasi 7 milioni. La città di Rio de Janeiro cancella i festeggiamenti di Capodanno e rinvia il Carnevale a luglio. Bolsonaro annuncia che non si farà vaccinare.
Londra, scattano le nuove restrizioni
Dalla mezzanotte Londra è passata al livello più alto delle restrizioni anti coronavirus. Con il passaggio della capitale britannica alla Fase 3 teatri, pub e ristoranti dovranno chiudere, anche se sarà ancora consentito vendere e consumare cibo da asporto. Da oggi i residenti non potranno socializzare in casa con nessuno che non sia della famiglia o della 'bolla di sostegno', ma ci si potrà incontrare all'esterno in gruppi fino a sei. Il segretario alla Sanità Matt Hancock ha sottolineato nei giorni scorsi che Londra ha visto un "forte aumento" dei contagi quotidiani e dei ricoveri ospedalieri. "Questa azione è assolutamente essenziale, non solo per mantenere le persone al sicuro, ma perché abbiamo visto che un'azione tempestiva può prevenire ulteriori danni e problemi a lungo termine in seguito", ha detto al parlamento. Nel livello 3, i negozi essenziali e i parrucchieri possono ancora rimanere aperti, così come le scuole ma non i luoghi di intrattenimento al coperto. Durante le feste il governo vorrebbe allentare le misure per cinque giorni consentendo spostamenti e incontri fino a un massimo di tre nuclei familiari, ma gli esperti premono affinchè ciò non accada. Il British Medical Journal (BMJ) e l'Health Service Journal (HSJ) hanno avvertito che il piano potrebbe portare al collasso la sanità pubblica.
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TORNIAMO dunque sulla notizia d'apertura: il Re di Svezia ammette che la situazione non è stata ben gestita. Lo dice Repubblica. Ma lo ripete anche il Gazzettino.
Svezia, re Carl Gustaf XVI: «Sul Covid abbiamo fallito» (ilgazzettino.it)
Svezia, re Carl Gustaf XVI: «Sul Covid abbiamo fallito»
Giovedì 17 Dicembre 2020
Il re della Svezia dice che la strategia per battere il coronavirus del paese è fallita. Anche il re in persona dunque mette in dubbio la strategia anti covid svedese. Lo dice in un discorso pubblico alla nazione sul canale Svt, si tratta del tradizione messaggio di Natale che sarà trasmesso per intero lunedì in tv in cui boccia l'approccio light basato sulle raccomandazioni messo in atto dalla Svezia, paese che ha raggiunto quasi 350mila casi Covid e più di 7.800 morti. D'altronde re Carl XVI Gustaf Folke Hubertus, 74 anni, non ha potuto far altro che constatare la mortalità più bassa dei paesi scandinavi che confinano con la Svezia.
«Credo che abbiamo fallito. Abbiamo un gran numero di morti e questo è terribile». In Svezia non esistono zone rosse ma raccomandazioni molto soft sul distanziamento sociale. Non c'è imposizione di mascherine, i locali sono aperti. L'epidemiologo di stato Anders Tegnell ha sostenuto per tutta la primavera e l'estate che la Svezia sarebbe stata risparmiata rispetto a Finlandia e Norvegia. Ma così non è stato.
Covid, allarme in Svezia: terapie intensive piene al 99% a Stoccolma. Restrizioni in bar e ristoranti (ilgazzettino.it)
Covid, allarme in Svezia: terapie intensive piene al 99% a Stoccolma. Restrizioni in bar e ristoranti
Giovedì 10 Dicembre 2020 di Michela AllegriIl modello svedese, che non ha mai previsto misure di contenimento severe, viene usato come esempio del controllo dei contagi da chi si schiera contro lockdown e dispositivi di protezione. Ma davvero funziona? La risposta sembra essere nei dati e nei grafici, che mostrano la curva di contagi e decessi. L’ultima novità è che i reparti di terapia intensiva di Stoccolma sono pieni al 99 per cento. A lanciare l’allarme è stato il responsabile sanitario della regione della capitale svedese, Bjorn Eriksson, in una conferenza stampa. Al momento nelle terapie intensive ci sono 83 pazienti covid che, insieme ad altri malati, occupano la quasi totalità dei 160 posti disponibili. «Ci sono 814 persone che lottano per la vita nei nostri ospedali - ha detto Eriksson riferendosi alla totalità dei pazienti covid nell’area di Stoccolma - dobbiamo dire basta. Non si può rischiare per gli aperitivi, socializzare fuori casa, fare shopping natalizio. Le conseguenze sono terribili».
In aprile lo Stato aveva dato solamente alcune raccomandazioni e i cittadini sono stati responsabilizzati nel seguire delle linee guida: fare attenzione all’igiene personale e lavarsi spesso le mani, mantenere le distanze interpersonali, evitare eventi affollati - con più di 50 persone -, non uscire di casa quando si è malati, evitare viaggi, evitare le visite nelle residenze degli anziani. Il Governo non ha ritenuto efficace la chiusura di scuole, bar, ristoranti e servizi commerciali. L’uso della mascherina, inoltre, non è mai stato obbligatorio.
Ma negli ultimi mesi c'è stato un dietrofront e in tutto il Paese sono state introdotte alcune restrizioni: un limite massimo di otto commensali in bar e ristoranti e il divieto di vendita di alcool dopo le 22, mentre per gli ultimi anni delle scuole superiori è stato imposto l’insegnamento a distanza. Nessun coprifuoco, ma sono state ribadite le esortazioni a ridurre i contatti personali fuori dalla famiglia e a ricorrere il più possibile allo smart working.
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Il Paese, che conta poco più di 10 milioni di abitanti, pubblica i dati della pandemia solo due volte a settimana. Gli ultimi non erano confrortanti: 18.820 nuovi contagi e 133 decessi in più rispetto a venerdì, per un totale di 297.732 contagi e 7.200 morti. La Svezia dall’inizio della pandemia ha effettuato pochi test rispetto agli altri Stati. E nelle ultime settimane si è registrato un incremento vertiginoso delle infezioni. Un dato che sembra confermare la presenza massiccia del virus è il risultato dei test PCR effettuati sulle acque reflue analizzate da aprile ad oggi: il picco si registra tra metà aprile e fine settembre 2020, con un aumento molto rilevante a partire da fine agosto. E anche la curva dei decessi è preoccupante: l’andamento del grafico schizza verso l’alto se il confronto è con Paesi vicini - Norvegia, Danimarca, Finlandia - che hanno attuato misure più severe di contenimento.
Anders Tegnell, l’epidemiologo che ha ideato la discussa strategia svedese per affrontare l’epidemica di Covid-19, direttore dell’Agenzia di sanità pubblica svedese, in settembre sosteneva che nel Paese non ci sarebbe stata una seconda ondata di contagi. In agosto, l’Agenzia di salute pubblica aveva illustrato tre possibili scenari per i mesi autunnali e invernali. Ma la realtà si è rivelata peggiore delle previsioni più drastiche. Anche il servizio di test e tamponi è andato in affanno per l’aumento vertiginoso di casi. I primi cluster in settembre a Uppsala, città universitaria. E poco per volta in tutto il Paese sono tornati gli avvertimenti: avvisi sugli autobus - «prendi il bus solo se proprio ti serve», poster nelle strade con scritto «il pericolo non è passato». Dal 9 novembre, secondo quanto riportato in un articolo di Svt.se, c’è stato un aumento del 60 per cento dei pazienti Covid-19 negli ospedali rispetto alla settimana precedente. E la settimana successiva sono scattate le raccomandazioni - non obblighi - più stringenti: evitare assembramenti, feste, concerti, spettacoli, eventi sportivi, cercare di evitare negozi, centri commerciali, musei, biblioteche, piscine, palestre, favorire lo smartworking. Dal 16 novembre sono iniziate le restrizioni, visto che il piano non stava funzionando: sono stati vietati gli eventi pubblici con più di otto persone, nei bar e nei ristoranti è stato vietato l’alcol dopo le 22 e non è più possibile andare a trovare gli anziani nelle case di cura. «Andrà peggio. Fate il vostro dovere e assumetevi la responsabilità di fermare la diffusione dell’infezione», ha dichiarato il primo ministro Stefan Lofven.
ORA, uno potrà pensare che è tutta una esagerazione della stampa italiana, ma il problema è che se vai sulla BBC trovi lo stesso discorso. Se vai sul NZTribune idem.
La BBC sulla crisi svedese
www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55347021
Coronavirus: Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf says coronavirus approach 'has failed'
Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf says 2020 was a terrible yearSweden's king has said his country "failed" to save lives with its relatively relaxed approach to the coronavirus pandemic.
King Carl XVI Gustaf made the remarks as part of an annual TV review of the year with the royal family.
Sweden, which has never imposed a full lockdown, has seen nearly 350,000 cases and more than 7,800 deaths - a lot more than its Scandinavian neighbours.
Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said he agreed with the king's remarks.
"Of course the fact that so many have died can't be considered as anything other than a failure," Mr Lofven told reporters.
Referring to the government's strategy, Mr Lofven added that "it's when we are through the pandemic that the real conclusions can be drawn".
- Did Sweden's coronavirus strategy succeed or fail?
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"The people of Sweden have suffered tremendously in difficult conditions. One thinks of all the family members who have happened to be unable to say goodbye to their deceased family members. I think it is a tough and traumatic experience not to be able to say a warm goodbye."
When asked if he was afraid of being infected with Covid-19, the king - who is 74 - said: "Lately, it has felt more obvious, it has crept closer and closer. That's not what you want."
media captionRos Atkins looks at one country that's been an outlier since the start of the pandemic: SwedenInstead of relying on legal sanctions, Sweden appeals to citizens' sense of responsibility and civic duty, and issues only recommendations. There are no sanctions if they are ignored.
Sweden has never imposed a nationwide lockdown or the wearing of masks, and bars and restaurants have remained open.
However, earlier this week, schools across the Stockholm region were asked to switch to distance learning for 13 to 15-year-olds for the first time as soon as possible. The measure was announced in response to rising Covid-19 cases.
This came a week after a nationwide decision on 7 December to switch to remote learning for those over 16.
And on Monday, new nationwide social-distancing recommendations for the Christmas period came into force, replacing similar region-specific guidelines.
Swedes are advised to meet a maximum of eight people, gather outdoors if possible and avoid travelling by train or bus.
A formal ban on public gatherings of more than eight people remains, affecting events such as concerts, sports matches and demonstrations.
'Voluntary'Sweden's state epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell, in November explained the strategy relied on a combination of legal and voluntary measures.
He told the BBC that this was, in the Swedish context, "the combination that we really believe is the best one".
According to an official report released earlier this week, the strategy failed in its effort to protect the elderly in care homes - for which the government has admitted responsibility.
Over 90% of Covid-related deaths have been among those aged 70 and over, and nearly half of all Covid deaths have been in care homes, the government says.
Mr Tegnell said his agency (Sweden's Public Health Agency) was not responsible for directing the elderly care system, and added all stakeholders needed to help to improve the situation to make sure the elderly did not get infected.
He said he thought Sweden had become better at protecting older people, and that no country had succeeded entirely in that area - even Germany was being hit hard right now, he told Swedish radio on Wednesday.
Sweden has had more deaths than the rest of the Nordic countries combined. This has led to criticism from the country's neighbours, Norway, Denmark and Finland, that its less strict approach is putting their own measures at risk.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Lofven also said he felt many experts had underestimated the second wave.
"I think most in the profession did not see such a wave incoming. There was instead talk of different clusters," he said in an interview with daily Aftonbladet.
E ora TORNIAMO INDIETRO NEL TEMPO, per vedere cosa è successo nei mesi scorsi. Giudicando col senno di poi, certo. Ma pur sempre dobbiamo farlo.
www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53498133
Did Sweden's coronavirus strategy succeed or fail?
By Maddy Savage
BBC News, Arsunda, Gavleborg
Published 23 July
Staycations are popular here this summer, thanks to a slew of travel restrictions imposed on Sweden by other countries, due to its coronavirus infection rate.
More than 5,500 people have died with Covid-19 in this country of just 10 million. It is one of the highest death rates relative to population size in Europe, and by far the worst among the Nordic nations. Unlike Sweden, the rest all chose to lock down early in the pandemic.
"Maybe we should have taken some more care of each other," says Dan Eklund, 31, visiting the lake on his friend's boat.
Latest figures suggest Sweden is getting better at containing the virus. The number of daily reported deaths has been in single digits for much of July, in contrast with the peak of the pandemic in April, when more than 100 fatalities were logged on several dates.
There has also been a marked fall in serious cases, with new intensive care admissions dropping to fewer than a handful each day. Though still not as low as elsewhere in Scandinavia, it's a clear improvement.
"It feels good. I mean, finally, we are where we hoped we would be much earlier on," says Anders Tegnell, the state epidemiologist leading the strategy. He's admitted too many have died, especially in Swedish care homes. But he believes there is still "no strong evidence that a lockdown would have made that much of a difference".
What was Sweden's strategy?
Sweden has largely relied on voluntary social distancing guidelines since the start of the pandemic, including working from home where possible and avoiding public transport.
There's also been a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people, restrictions on visiting care homes, and a shift to table-only service in bars and restaurants. The government has repeatedly described the pandemic as "a marathon not a sprint", arguing that its measures are designed to last in the long term.
Dan Eklund (R) says "maybe we should have taken some more care of each other"
The unusual strategy has attracted global criticism, with even some of Dr Tegnell's early supporters saying they now regret the approach. Annika Linde, who did his job between 2005 and 2013, recently told Sweden's biggest daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter she believed tougher restrictions at the start of the pandemic could have saved lives.
But according to clinical epidemiologist Helena Nordenstedt, there's no consensus in Sweden's scientific community that the strategy as a whole has failed.
Helena NordenstedtKarolinska Institute
The strategy was to flatten the curve, not overwhelm health care capacity. That seems to have worked. If you take care homes out of the equation, things actually look much brighter
Are Swedes better at social distancing?
Anders Tegnell says his modelling indicates that, on average, Swedes have around 30% of the social interactions they did prior to the pandemic.
And a survey released this week by Sweden's Civil Contingencies Agency suggests 87% of the population are continuing to follow social distancing recommendations to the same extent as they were one or two weeks earlier, up from 82% a month ago.
image captionRestaurant manager Shiar Ali says not everyone is adhering to social distancing guidelines
Nordenstedt believes since Swedes have had longer to adjust how they act in public than countries that went into lockdown, this could help Sweden to mitigate a potential second wave.
"People are not as exhausted as they might be in other countries where the restrictions have been much wider and much stricter."
But while Swedes are aware of the guidelines, there have been reports of large gatherings and mingling in some tourist hotspots since domestic travel restrictions were relaxed last month.
"We try to tell them and show them to keep their distance," says Shiar Ali, a manager at one of the beachfront restaurants on Lake Storsjorn. "Especially young men and young people, they don't care about it."
Has Sweden achieved herd immunity?
Sweden's authorities never said achieving herd immunity was their goal, but they did argue that by keeping more of society open, Swedes would be more likely to develop a resistance to Covid-19.
Five months into Europe's pandemic and only 6% of the population here is known to have antibodies, according to Swedish Public Health Agency research.
However, Anders Tegnell believes the true figure is "definitely a lot higher", as immunity "has proven to be surprisingly difficult to measure".
image captionEva Britt Landin (right) backs Sweden's approach "because nobody knows exactly how we should do it"
The state epidemiologist points to recent research by the Karolinska Institute that found even people testing negative for coronavirus antibodies had specific T-cells which can provide immunity by identifying and destroying infected cells.
But other Swedish scientists are more cautious about predicting resistance to the virus. "I think he is overconfident," says Helena Nordenstedt. "We can all hope it will have an effect on the infection case numbers in Sweden during the fall, but we don't know yet."
How's the Swedish economy doing?
The strategy was not designed to protect the economy either, but the government argued keeping more of society open could limit job losses and mitigate the impact on business.
Research from Scandinavian bank SEB in April suggested Swedes were spending at a higher rate than consumers in neighbouring Nordic nations.
Despite this, various forecasts predict the Swedish economy will still shrink by about 5% this year. That's less than other countries hit hard by Covid-19 such as Italy, Spain and the UK, but still similar to the rest of Scandinavia. Sweden's unemployment rate of 9% remains the highest in the Nordics, up from 7.1% in March.
image captionThough more businesses stayed open than in other countries, forecasts predict the Swedish economy will still shrink by about 5% this year
"Sweden, like the other Nordic countries, is a small, open economy, very dependent on trade. So the Swedish economy tends to do poorly when the rest of the world is doing poorly," explains Prof Karolina Ekholm, a former Deputy Governor of Sweden's central bank.
Restaurants, shops and gyms have been allowed to remain open, but they have still struggled to attract customers, she says.
But she does believe the right call was made to keep schools open for under-16s.
There's been less disruption for the generation now growing up - in terms of learning. That may produce benefits further down the line when [they start] entering the labour force.
A blow for Sweden's image
In the short term, Sweden's Covid strategy is affecting its usually close relationship with its neighbours.
Norway, Denmark and Finland opened their borders to one another in June, but excluded Sweden due to its high infection rate, although Swedes from less affected regions have since been given more freedom to visit Denmark.
A YouGov survey last month found that 71% of Norwegians and 61% of Danes were concerned about keeping Swedish tourists away, a higher number than for visitors from countries like Spain, Italy and the UK.
"I don't think this will affect the relations in the longer term," says Helen Lindberg, a senior lecturer in government at Uppsala University. "But it has highlighted or brought back old grievances between our countries."
A bigger problem could be the impact on Sweden's wider international reputation for high-quality state health and elderly care, she believes. "There has been a blow to the Swedish image of being this humanitarian superpower in the world. Our halo has been knocked down, and we have a lot to prove now."
How national support weakened
At the start of the pandemic, there was a consensus that Sweden's state scientists should be trusted to guide political decisions.
But debates sharpened as the death toll increased, especially in care homes, and Prime Minister Stefan Lofven recently announced a coronavirus commission to look into the response from authorities at a national, regional and local level.
Helen Lindberg believes the strategy has called into question a historic reliance on public agencies to inform policies and highlighted a lack of preparedness for crises. "It's a perfect storm for our weak, minority government," she says.
image captionWhen it comes to the pandemic, polls suggest Swedes have more confidence in the Public Health Agency than in their government
Just 45% of Swedes now have confidence in the government's ability to handle the pandemic, according to a Novus survey last month, down from 63% in April.
Confidence in the Public Health Agency has also dipped, but remains at a much higher 65%, compared with 73% at the peak of the pandemic.
"We believe they have the right strategy, because nobody knows exactly how we should do it," says holidaymaker Eva Britt Landin, 66, who's having a socially-distanced lunch with her 102-year-old father at Lake Storsjorn,
But Catherina Eriksson, 42, who's visiting from Stockholm, says the jury is still out. "We don't know what things will look like in the autumn or next year. We'll just have to wait and see."
E prima ancora:
www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52704836
Coronavirus: What's going wrong in Sweden's care homes?
By Maddy Savage
BBC News, Stockholm
Published
19 May
image captionSweden's Prime Minister has admitted the country has not done enough to protect the elderlyCare home residents account for nearly half of deaths linked to Covid-19 in Sweden. Some healthcare workers believe an institutional reluctance to admit patients to hospital is costing lives.
Lili Sedghi's father, Reza, was not seen by a doctor on the day he died from coronavirus, at his care home in northern Stockholm.
A nurse told her he'd had a morphine shot in the hours before he passed away, but he was not given oxygen, nor did staff call an ambulance. "No-one was there and he died alone," says Ms Sedghi. "It's so unfair."
Most of the 3,698 people who have died from coronavirus in Sweden so far were over 70, despite the fact that the country said shielding risk groups was its top priority.
Sweden, with 10m inhabitants, has kept more of society open than is the case in most of Europe.
'No one was there when my father died'"We did not manage to protect the most vulnerable people, the most elderly, despite our best intentions," Prime Minister Stefan Löfven admitted last week.
The Swedish Public Health Agency told the BBC that 48.9% of deaths were care home residents up to and including 14 May. Sweden did ban visits to care homes on 31 March. But as in many European countries, relatives, staff and union officials have shared concerns that protective clothing arrived too late, and that some staff may have gone to work at the start of the crisis despite showing symptoms of Covid-19.
Now, increasing numbers of workers are also coming forward to criticise regional healthcare authorities for protocols which they say discourage care home workers from sending residents into hospital, and prevent care home and nursing staff from administering oxygen without a doctor's approval, either as part of acute or palliative (end-of-life) services.
'We were told not to send them in'
"They told us that we shouldn't send anyone to the hospital, even if they may be 65 and have many years to live. We were told not to send them in," says Latifa Löfvenberg, a nurse who worked in several care homes around Gävle, north of Stockholm, at the beginning of the pandemic.
"Some can have a lot of years left to live with loved ones, but they don't have the chance... because they never make it to the hospital," she says. "They suffocate to death. And it's a lot of panic and it's very hard to just stand by and watch."
Ms Löfvenberg, a local politician with the nationalist Sweden Democrats, is now working on a Covid-19 ward in a major hospital in the Swedish capital, where she says the demographic of patients she's treating is further evidence that the elderly are being kept away. "We don't have many older people. It's a lot of younger people born in the 90s, 80s, 70s."
A paramedic working in Stockholm, who wanted to remain anonymous, told the BBC she had not had a single call-out to an elderly care home connected to Covid-19, despite putting in overtime during the crisis.
Mikael Fjällid, a Swedish private consultant in anaesthetics and intensive care, says he believes "a lot of lives" could have been saved if more patients had been able to access hospital treatment, or if care home workers were given increased responsibilities to administer oxygen themselves, instead of waiting for specialist Covid-19 response teams or paramedics.
"If you need care and you can benefit [from] care, for example, or oxygen for a short time, you should have it. Like any other age group in the population," says Mr Fjällid, a right-wing critic of the centre-left led government.
"If you have more than 20% that survive without nothing, you could assume that also perhaps the same amount or the same proportion would have survived with supplemental oxygen."
media captionSwedish state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell argued in April that Sweden’s strategy is largely workingIn April 10,458 people died in Sweden, making it the country's deadliest month since 1993, when there was an outbreak of seasonal flu, state-funded Statistics Sweden reports.
National guidelines
Decisions about healthcare staffing and resources are taken at a regional level in Sweden, although national guidelines suggest that elderly patients, whether in state or privately run care homes, should not automatically be taken to hospital for treatment.
Dr Thomas Linden, Chief Medical Officer at the National Board of Health and Welfare, says workers should "professionally weigh the potential benefits" against risk factors such as catching the virus in hospital and the "costs" of transporting patients, including the likelihood of disorientation and discomfort.
Healthcare workers are asked not to discriminate on age alone, he says, although biological age may be relevant in combination with other factors.
When it comes to providing palliative care, it is not mandatory to give patients oxygen, and Dr Linden admits "the opinions on the value of oxygen is divided between specialities and regions".
Gävleborg, the region where Latifa Löfvenberg worked at the start of the pandemic, says individual patients' needs are always put first and that nurses can call doctors to make assessments about the need for hospital care.
It is against the idea of care-home workers administering oxygen during palliative care, because it requires specialist training.
Christoffer Bernsköld, a spokesperson for geriatric care for Region Stockholm, insists there are enough resources to ensure patients in the capital get acute or palliative care, with a focus on "specialist homecare units" providing help in the first instance.
He points to a new, unused, military field hospital in southern Stockholm as proof that the elderly are not being held back from treatment because of a lack of beds.
But he says it can be an "ethical dilemma" whether to administer oxygen or transfer patients to hospital.
Critics like Mikael Fjällid see that field hospital as a sign that officials in the capital have been cautious about hospitalising the elderly because they fear overstretching resources, which would be needed to cope with a future spike in cases.
How do other countries prioritise patients?
Sweden is not alone in asking healthcare workers to consider the fragility of patients when deciding whether or not to send them to hospital.
But representatives of care homes in other parts of Europe have told the BBC they do not share Swedish critics' concerns about a lack of access to treatment.
In the UK, the National Care Association says it believes care has been available for Covid-19 patients "no matter how old or sick" they are.
The Association of German Aid for the Elderly and Disabled says every patient with coronavirus symptoms is seen by a doctor and there hasn't been a single patient who has not received the care they needed. In some cases, entire care homes have been moved into hospitals. Many homes also keep emergency oxygen on site.
The Danish Nurses Association says that all patients in need of oxygen are currently sent to hospital. This could be reviewed if there is a shortage of ventilators, although age would not affect future guidelines.
www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52395866
Coronavirus: Has Sweden got its science right?
24 April
Sweden's strategy to keep large parts of society open is widely backed by the public. It has been devised by scientists and backed by government, and yet not all the country's virologists are convinced.
There is no lockdown here. Photos have been shared around the world of bars with crammed outdoor seating and long queues for waterfront ice cream kiosks, and yet it is a myth that life here goes on "as normal".
On the face of it little has shut down. But data suggests the vast majority of the population have taken to voluntary social distancing, which is the crux of Sweden's strategy to slow the spread of the virus.
Usage of public transport has dropped significantly, large numbers are working from home, and most refrained from travelling over the Easter weekend. The government has also banned gatherings of more than 50 people and visits to elderly care homes.
Around 9 in 10 Swedes say they keep at least a metre away from people at least some of the time, up from seven in 10 a month ago, according to a major survey by polling firm Novus.
How serious is Sweden's outbreak?
Viewed through the eyes of the Swedish Public Health Agency, the way people have responded is one to be celebrated, albeit cautiously.
The scientists' approach has led to weeks of global debate over whether Sweden has adopted a sensible and sustainable plan, or unwittingly plunged its population into an experiment that is causing unnecessary fatalities, and could fail to keep the spread of Covid-19 under control.
In Stockholm, the epicentre of the virus so far, cases have largely plateaued, although there was a spike at the end of this week, put down partly to increased testing.
There is still space in intensive care units and a new field hospital at a former conference venue is yet to be used.
media captionSwedish state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell argued in April that Sweden’s strategy is largely working"To a great part, we have been able to achieve what we set out to achieve," says state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell. "Swedish healthcare keeps on working, basically with a lot of stress, but not in a way that they turn patients away."
In contrast with other countries where political leaders have fronted the national response to the crisis, Dr Tegnell has led the majority of news conferences.
His tone is typically matter of fact, with a strong focus on figures, and few mentions of the emotional impact of the crisis on victims and their families.
But the Swedish Public Health Agency has maintained high approval ratings throughout the pandemic.
Why Sweden chose a different path
Sweden's decision to leave larger parts of society open than most of Europe came after Dr Tegnell's team used simulations which anticipated a more limited impact of the virus in relation to population size than those made by other scientists, including those behind a major report by Imperial College, London.
That report apparently swayed the UK government to introduce a lockdown.
In addition, the Swedish Public Health Agency pushed the idea early on that a large proportion of cases were likely to be mild.
But it denied its strategy was based on the overall goal of herd immunity.
A core aim was to introduce less stringent social distancing measures that could be maintained over a long period time. Schools for under-16s have remained open to enable parents to keep working in key areas.
All other Nordic countries opted for stricter temporary restrictions, although some of these have since been relaxed.
- Can you compare different countries?
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What do the numbers tell us?
Sweden, with a population of 10 million, remains amongst the top 20 in the world when it comes to the total number of cases, even though it mostly only tests those with severe symptoms. More widespread checks on key workers are now being introduced.
It has higher death rates in relation to its population size than anywhere else in Scandinavia.
Unlike in some countries, Sweden's statistics do include elderly care home residents, who account for around 50% of all deaths. Dr Tegnell admits that is a major concern.
Foreign residents, particularly those from Somalia who are more likely to live in multi-generational households, are also overrepresented in the figures.
"There are too many people dying," says Claudia Hanson, an epidemiologist based at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden's largest medical research facility. She is critical of the government's approach and argues more of society should have been temporarily shut down in March while officials took stock of the situation.
Dr Hanson is among 22 scientists who wrote a damning piece in Sweden's leading daily last week, suggesting "officials without talent" had been put in charge of decision-making.
The man leading Sweden's response
But chief state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell is broadly popular in Sweden. An experienced scientist with more than 30 years in medicine, he is known for his relaxed demeanour and preference for pullovers.
"He's a low-key person. I think people see him as a strong leader but not a very loud person, careful in what he's saying," reflects Emma Frans, a Swedish epidemiologist and science writer. "I think that's very comforting for many."
She argues that many national and international media have been "searching for conflict" within the scientific community, whereas she believes there is a consensus that Anders Tegnell's approach is "quite positive", or at least "not worse than other strategies".
Will Swedes develop immunity?
History will judge which countries got it right. But the latest scientific discussion is focused on the number of Swedes who may have contracted the virus without showing any symptoms.
This is important because many scientists here believe Swedes may end up with much higher immunity levels compared with those living under stricter regulations.
A public health agency report this week suggested around a third of people in Stockholm will have been infected by the start of May.
That was later revised down to 26% after the agency admitted a calculation error. But several high-profile scientists have offered even greater numbers.
Prof Johan Giesecke, ex-chief scientist of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), believes at least half of all Stockholmers will have caught the virus by the end of the month.
It could even be up to half the population of Sweden, suggests Stockholm University mathematician Tom Britton.
And until a vaccine is developed, epidemiologist Emma Frans says immunity will "probably be important" for Sweden.
"When it comes to studies and other types of coronaviruses, they have shown that people get immune. Maybe not long-term immunity, but even if we only get this kind of short-term immunity, it may be enough to stop this pandemic," says Dr Frans.
Why not enough is yet known
The Swedish Public Health Agency believes it is still "too early to say" how much of an impact asymptomatic infection rates will have on protecting the general population.
"We don't know that much about immunity yet," says Dr Tegnell's deputy, Anders Wallensten. "We will know more as more people are tested for antibodies, but also the more time goes on, and if more accounts of re-infection etcetera are reported."
This uncertainty means there is no guarantee Swedes in areas with high infection rates will see social distancing recommendations lifted any time soon, he says.
Is this Swedish 'exceptionalism'?
What happens next in Sweden may largely depend on people carrying on with social distancing.
Some Swedes have responded with an "outburst of nationalism" and a "sense of pride, for Sweden deviating from the European norm", says Prof Nicolas Aylott, a political scientist at Stockholm's Södertorn University.
"It sort of chimes with a rather deep seated sense of Sweden's specialness."
That may encourage some Swedes to follow the recommendations but the country is by no means united.
On social media there has been vocal dissent from some foreign residents championing tougher measures.
Meanwhile, there are signs that others living in Sweden believe the worst of the crisis is over.
Mobile phone data suggests Stockholm's residents are spending more time in the city centre than a fortnight ago, and last weekend police raised concerns about overcrowding in nightlife hotspots.
Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has warned it is "not the time to relax" and start spending more time with friends and family.
But with spring weather arriving after Sweden's notoriously long, dark winter, that may be easier said than done.
Lockdown, what lockdown? Sweden's unusual response to coronavirus - BBC News
Lockdown, what lockdown? Sweden's unusual response to coronavirus
By Maddy Savage
29 March
While swathes of Europe's population endure lockdown conditions in the face of the coronavirus outbreak, one country stands almost alone in allowing life to go on much closer to normal.
After a long winter, it's just become warm enough to sit outside in the Swedish capital and people are making the most of it.
Families are tucking into ice creams beneath a giant statue of the Viking God Thor in Mariatorget square. Young people are enjoying happy-hour bubbles from pavement seating further down the street.
Elsewhere in the city, nightclubs have been open this week, but gatherings for more than 50 people will be banned from Sunday.
Compare that to neighbouring Denmark, which has restricted meetings to 10 people, or the UK where you're no longer supposed to meet anyone outside your household.
'Each person has a heavy responsibility'
On the roads in Sweden, things are noticeably quieter than usual. Stockholm's public transport company SL says it saw passenger numbers fall by 50% on subway and commuter trains last week.
Polls also suggest almost half of Stockholmers are remote working.
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Stockholm Business Region, a state-funded company that supports the city's global business community, estimates that rises to at least 90% in the capital's largest firms, thanks to a tech-savvy workforce and a business culture that has long promoted flexible and remote working practices.
"Every company that has the possibility to do this, they are doing it, and it works," says its CEO Staffan Ingvarsson.
His words cut to the heart of the government's strategy here: self-responsibility. Public health authorities and politicians are still hoping to slow down the spread of the virus without the need for draconian measures.
There are more guidelines than strict rules, with a focus on staying home if you're sick or elderly, washing your hands, and avoiding any non-essential travel, as well as working from home.
Sweden has so far reported nearly 3,500 cases of the virus and 105 deaths.
"We who are adults need to be exactly that: adults. Not spread panic or rumours," Prime Minister Stefan Löfven said in a televised address to the nation last weekend.
"No one is alone in this crisis, but each person has a heavy responsibility."
High level of trust
A majority of Swedes watched and approved of his speech, according to a nationwide survey for Novus, a major polling company.
Meanwhile, there is a high level of trust in public authorities in Sweden, which many believe is driving locals to adhere to voluntary guidelines.
Demography may also be a relevant factor in the country's approach. In contrast to the multi-generational homes in Mediterranean countries, more than half of Swedish households are made up of one person, which cuts the risk of the virus spreading within families.
Meanwhile, Swedes love the outdoors and officials have said that keeping people physically and mentally healthy is another reason they're keen to avoid rules that would keep people cooped up at home.
"We have to combine looking at minimising the health effects of the virus outbreak and the economic impacts of this health crisis," says Andreas Hatzigeorgiou, CEO at the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce.
"The business community here really thinks that the Swedish government and the Swedish approach is more sensible than in many other countries."
'History will be the judge'
But as Swedes watch the rest of Europe grind to a halt, others are starting to question their country's unique approach.
"I think people are prone to listen to the recommendations, but in this kind of critical situation, I am not sure that it's enough," says Dr Emma Frans, an epidemiologist based at Swedish medical university The Karolinska Institute.
She's calling for "clearer instructions" for people on how they should interact in public places such as shops and gyms.
And while business is ticking over for some, others are struggling. Around the corner from Mariatorget's busy bars, popular hipster barber shop Honest Al's has seen customer numbers plummet, despite efforts to improve safety by staggering staffing and appointments.
"My wife is also having her own company, so we pretty much depend on ourselves. Business is bad. I still have bills to pay. We're gonna have to call the banks," says owner Al Mocika.
He's putting his money on Sweden switching tactics and imposing a lockdown, something officials haven't ruled out doing in the future.
Dr Emma Frans says history will be the judge of which politicians and scientists around Europe have made the best calls so far.
"Nobody really knows what measurements will be the most effective," she says. "I'm quite glad that I'm not the one making these decisions".
Dalla Nuova Zelanda (sulla Svezia)
Covid 19 coronavirus: Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf says his country has failed the elderly - NZ Herald
Covid 19 coronavirus: Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf says his country has failed the elderly
17 Dec, 2020 04:54 PM
Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf said on Thursday he believes his country has failed to protect the elderly in care homes from the effects of the pandemic.
"I think we have failed. We have a large number who have died and that is terrible. It is something we all suffer with."
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• Covid-19: Sweden's herd immunity strategy has failed, hospitals inundated
His comments followed the conclusions presented on Tuesday by an independent commission that looked into Sweden's handling of the pandemic. It said that elderly care in Sweden has major structural shortcomings and authorities have proved unprepared and ill-equipped to meet the pandemic.
Sweden has stood out among European and other nations for the way it has handled the pandemic, long not mandating lockdowns as in other nations but relying on citizens' sense of civic duty. The Scandinavian country has experienced more than 7800 virus-related deaths.
TO READ THE HERALD'S FULL CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE CLICK HEREIn September, Sweden lifted a national ban on visiting elderly people in care homes, saying the need had decreased. The ban came after the bulk of Sweden's deaths earlier this year were recorded among people above the age of 70, and many in nursing homes.
"You think of all the family members who have not been able to say goodbye to their deceased family members," the king said in an excerpt of a pre-recorded Christmas interview to be broadcast Dec. 21 on Swedish broadcaster SVT. "I think it is a heavy and traumatic experience not to be able to say a warm goodbye."
The excerpt was broadcast on SVT.
"The Swedish people have suffered enormously in difficult conditions," Carl Gustav said, adding, "Lately, it has felt more obvious, it has crept closer and closer. That's not what you want."
His son, Prince Carl Philip who is fifth in the line of succession, and his wife Princess Sofia have both tested positive and had milder flu symptoms. They were quarantined at home with their two children.
17 Dec, 2020 05:21 AMQuick Read
Carl Gustaf is Sweden's head of state, but his duties are ceremonial, and he holds no political power.
Sweden's strategy had been expected to spare the country a resurgence of the disease this fall. Before the conclusions of the report were published, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said health officials had misjudged the impact of the latest wave of the pandemic.
"The commission criticises different governments and different municipal instances," Lofven said of the stinging official report. Mats Melin, head of the commission that penned the report, said the blame for structural shortcomings in Sweden's health care system could be placed on several authorities and organisations.
"One should be able to trust that society works and it also exists when you get older. Anything else is not worthy of a welfare state like ours," Lofven told a news conference.
Sweden has seen a rapid increase in new coronavirus infections that strained its health care system. The virus has spread quickly among medical staff, pushing the government to back more restrictions, including a nationwide ban on the sale of alcohol after 10pm in bars and restaurants.
Sweden, known for its taxpayer-funded social welfare system, built over generations to protect citizens from cradle to grave, has also imposed its tightest virus restrictions to date by banning public gatherings of more than eight people.
"Unfortunately, the death toll is likely to continue to rise in the coming weeks," Sweden's chief epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell told a different press conference.
The country of 10 million has seen 357,466 cases and reported 7893 deaths, according to the latest figures. - AP
Covid 19 coronavirus: Sweden running out of intensive care beds as cases soar - NZ Herald
Covid 19 coronavirus: Sweden running out of intensive care beds as cases soar
12 Dec, 2020 07:55 PM
Sweden is running out of intensive care beds amid soaring cases of Covid-19 and may have to reach out to other nations, an expert has warned.
Intensive care units in the capital, Stockholm, hit hardest during the country's second wave, hit 99 per cent capacity this week, the Daily Mail reports.
Sweden, which remained staunchly lockdown-free while most of the world adopted restrictions, may soon need to reach out to its neighbours for help.
Sten Rubertsson, head of Sweden's National Board of Health and Welfare, has warned that the country may have to reach out to neighbours such as Finland, which has made use of lockdowns, for help.
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While the country has not yet exceeded that capacity, the beds are scattered across the country and the expert has pointed out that could soon become a problem, as big cities such as Stockholm hit their limits.
The capital is already operating at maximum capacity.
Other badly affected cities include Malmo and Gothenburg, which are close to reaching their limits.
Finland has already said it is ready to help its neighbour.
"With intensive care, with test capacity, with everything we can. We are here for you," Finland's Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo said a few months ago.
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven self-isolates as nation passes grim threshold - NZ Herald
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven self-isolates as nation passes grim threshold
5 Nov, 2020 10:03 PM3 minutes to read
Stefan Lofven, Sweden's prime minister, is in self-isolation after a person close to him came into contact with the virus. Photo / Getty Images
Other
Sweden's prime minister has gone into protective self-isolation after a person close to him came into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, as Sweden experiences a fall surge of coronavirus infections.
Stefan Lofven broke the news on Facebook on Thursday, when the Scandinavian country passed the threshold of 6,000 overall coronavirus deaths.
"The developments are going in the wrong direction fast. More are infected. More die. This is a serious situation," he wrote.
"On the doctor's advice, my wife Ulla and I will stay isolated for the time being," Lofven wrote. "We are fine and have no symptoms. In accordance with recommendations from health officials, we will take a coronavirus test as soon as possible."
"This is the only responsible thing to do in this situation," he added, saying the person close to him had been in contact with another person who had tested positive.
Earlier this year, when European nations locked down to fight the virus, Sweden drew worldwide attention by keeping schools, gyms and restaurants open and not requiring people to wear masks. But now that daily new infections are on the rise again, Swedes may not have had much practice in making sacrifices for the national good.
In recent weeks, the government has ruled that a maximum of eight people can be seated at a restaurant together. It has also rolled out local restrictions — urging people to avoid crowded places, avoid public transportation and work from home if possible — that now affect seven in 10 Swedes.
"The Swedish population must understand that what happens in Europe, can, of course, also happen here. We see an increase (in new cases) that we must deal with," Health Minister Lena Hallgren said. "Now what is important is to understand what the purpose is ... which is to stop a pandemic."
At first, the Nordic country of 10 million people had some of the lowest numbers of new coronavirus cases. However, the latest figures tell a different story.
For the week beginning Oct. 19, Sweden reported 9,165 new infections, an increase of 63% compared to the previous week and the highest number of cases seen so far in one week, according to Sweden's Public Health Agency.
Overall, Sweden reported another 4,034 infections Thursday, and 141,764 in total, and five more deaths that brought the overall toll to 6,002.
In comparison, neighbouring Denmark has had 50,530 cases and 729 deaths and Norway, which shares a more than 1,600-kilometer (994-mile) border with Sweden, has recorded 21,954 cases and only 282 deaths.
As to the two-week cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000, Sweden has 293, Denmark 233 and Norway 97.3. The corresponding number of deaths is 0.7 in Sweden and Denmark, and 0.1 in Norway.
Experts say all reported numbers understate the true toll of the pandemic, due to missed cases, limited testing and other factors.
Covid 19 coronavirus: Sweden's strategy takes a turn as cases spike - NZ Herald
Covid 19 coronavirus: Sweden's strategy takes a turn as cases spike
22 Oct, 2020 03:34 AM
By: Rohan Smith
Coronavirus cases have exploded in Sweden as authorities try to keep hold of twin battles – containing the virus and controlling the narrative.
The breakaway Nordic nation divided experts by refusing to lock down its citizens when the virus swept through the country this year.
But a devastating second wave has forced a dramatic rethink as infections threaten to derail any gains that were achieved by taking a now notoriously relaxed approach to the pandemic.
Regions have been effectively locked down to contain a doubling of Covid-19 cases in just three weeks.
Australian David Steadson, a former public health researcher now living in Sweden, told news.com.au the region where he lives is experiencing a disturbing rate of new infections.
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"Hospitalisation and ICU numbers are also starting to increase."
He said infections in Uppsala, north of Stockholm, where he and his family live, have more than doubled
in the past two weeks, forcing authorities to introduce new restrictions.
"While most Swedes won't call it lockdown, the key take-away is, where possible, to avoid all contact with people outside your own family.
"[Authorities are] explicitly stating not to have social events and to work from home if at all possible."
Time magazine reports that Sweden's per-capita death rate as of last week was 58.6 per 100,000 people and that average daily cases rose by 173 per cent from early September to early October "with particularly dramatic increases in cities such as Stockholm and Uppsala".
The Washington Post reports that Sweden's cumulative death total from infections is 10 times higher than neighbouring Norway and Finland and five times higher than Denmark.
"Registered cases in Sweden are slightly above 106,300, compared with around 13,800 in Finland and 16,600 in Norway – each with about half the population of Sweden," the Post reports.
And the UK Times reports that new cases each day have risen on average from 160 in September to almost 700 in October.
Steadson, who used to work for the University of Queensland, says the Swedish government is looking at changing the law – "and if necessary the constitution" – to make requirements "law" rather than expect the population to do the right thing voluntarily.
"They expect it will take months to do, so it's in anticipation of future crises and won't be ready until next summer," he said.
Sweden's chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell is reportedly travelling to regions hit by Covid-19 to discuss their respective lockdown measures.
He told the public broadcaster: "If they don't seem to have an effect… then of course we need to consider other ways to constrain these opportunities for transmission."
Tegnell, who has achieved a cult status in Sweden, has rarely swayed from his position.
He told New Statesman in April that "locking people up at home won't work in the longer term".
"Sooner or later, people are going to go out anyway," he said. "I want to make it clear, no, we did not lock down like many other countries, but we definitely had a virtual lockdown."
He said Swedes "changed their behaviour enormously" and did so without laws needing to be enforced as they are in other countries.
"We stopped travelling even more than our neighbouring countries. The airports had no flights anywhere, the trains were running at a few per cent of normal service, so there were enormous changes in society."
But Steadson, who caught Covid-19 in March and is still suffering from a range of symptoms, including difficulty breathing, said the goal for Sweden was to achieve "herd immunity", which, as a scientist, made no sense to him.
"Allowing a deadly virus to just spread in the hope of eventual 'herd immunity' made no sense to me scientifically, given our then limited knowledge, and it absolutely made no sense to me ethically," he told news.com.au this year.
"People would die unnecessarily and I was frankly disgusted with what I was hearing from the Swedish Public Health Authority."
Dr Nick Talley, editor-in-chief of the Medical Journal of Australia, agreed that Sweden got it wrong.
"The Swedish model has not been a success, at least to date," he said.
"One clear goal at least early on was to reach herd immunity – but this was not achieved, not even close, and this was arguably predictable.
"There were restrictions put in place but the philosophy was voluntary rather than compulsory."
Covid 19 coronavirus: Fears Sweden's controversial tactic has backfired - NZ Herald
Covid 19 coronavirus: Fears Sweden's controversial tactic has backfired
27 Sep, 2020 07:44 AM
From the start of the Covid-19 pandemic there has been one strategy of suppressing the virus that has proved more controversial than any other tactic: herd immunity.
Despite tough criticism from experts and governments around the world, Sweden chose to go down this path in order to avoid locking down the economy.
The controversial approach meant coronavirus cases and deaths in the country initially skyrocketed but by July the daily figures had dropped dramatically, with the country successfully keeping infections and deaths low for months.
By mid-July deaths were in the single figures, with the whole country faring even better than Victoria.
Sweden's approach meant businesses were kept open and no lockdown was imposed. Photo / Getty ImagesThere were multiple days in August when Sweden was recording case numbers in the double digits, but numbers jumped a few weeks into September, with authorities struggling to understand why.
Daily case numbers have remained worryingly high ever since, with more than 1700 new cases recorded in the past week.
The country's capital of Stockholm appears to be the epicentre of the spike in infections with health authorities revealing on Tuesday the city had recorded more than 1200 new cases in just a few days.
Stockholm health chief Bjorn Eriksson said the "downwards trend is broken", warning people not to act as if the virus was no longer in the community.
"The pandemic is still ongoing, and I am pretty exasperated by people who act as if this is over," he said on Tuesday.
"Everyone needs to help in reducing transmission."
Swedish authorities have continually pushed back against introducing mandatory lockdown or restrictions, choosing to keep schools, retailers and restaurants open throughout the whole pandemic.
Wearing a mask is also optional for residents.
But now authorities are considering bringing in restrictions to deal with this unexpected surge in cases.
"Stockholm has seen a clear increase recently, across all age groups," Sweden's state epidemiologist Dr Anders Tegnell, who has headed the country's response, told reporters.
"We are discussing with Stockholm whether we need some additional possibility to take measures to reduce transmission."
Tegnell said experts were now finalising what restrictions may need to be put in place.
"We have a discussion with Stockholm about whether we need to introduce measures to reduce the spread of infection," he said.
"Exactly what that will be, we will come back to in the next few days."
Sweden has recorded more than 90,000 Covid-19 cases and 5878 deaths, with almost half the fatalities occurring in Stockholm.
Just a few days ago there was suggestions from some health experts that Sweden may have successfully reached herd immunity and beaten the virus.
Professor of biocomplexity at Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, Kim Sneppen, said the partial immunity already built could be enough to contain the spread.
"There is some evidence that the Swedes have built up a degree of immunity to the virus which, along with what else they are doing to stop the spread, is enough to control the disease," Sneppen told Danish newspaper Politiken.
Before Sweden saw its most recent surge in cases, another health expert said the drop in cases and deaths was a "vindication" of the country's herd immunity strategy.
However, a study published in August found Sweden had actually "failed" in its bid to achieve herd immunity.
Il discorso del Re
E sopratutto, se vai sulla TV di stato svedese, trovi il Re che dice:
''Penso che abbiamo fallito. Abbiamo un gran numero di morti e questo è terribile. È qualcosa di cui soffriamo tutti, dice nel programma.
Più di 7.000 persone sono morte nel covid-19 in Svezia e molte non hanno avuto l'opportunità di salutare i loro parenti. Qualcosa che il re vede come profondamente deplorevole.
- Il popolo svedese ha sofferto enormemente in condizioni difficili, dice e continua:
- Pensi a tutti i membri della famiglia a cui è capitato di non essere in grado di dire addio ai loro familiari deceduti. Penso che sia un'esperienza pesante e traumatica non poter dire un caloroso arrivederci.
Alla domanda se il re stesso ha paura di essere infettato dal covid-19, risponde:
- Ultimamente, è sembrato più ovvio, si è avvicinato sempre di più. Non è quello che vuoi.''
www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/kungen-jag-anser-att-vi-har-misslyckats