Tuesday, May 12, 2020

WHY SWEDEN IS FAILING

In support of arguments to re-open society, people point to Sweden- a country that did not engage in lockdowns and only asked it's citizens to practice safe social distancing. Gyms and restaurants and salons all remained open in Sweden.  In the comments sections of this humble blog, arguments flew back and forth much like the current eruption of questions by  Justice Thomas recently at Supreme Court Oral Arguments, on whether it was safe to re-open. "Sweden proves you are wrong Rumpole" is  the main thrust of our opponents argument. 

But Sweden is failing and people are dying. 

"Sweden will adjust a key corner of its strategy for dealing with Covid-19, after the death rate at care homes spiraled out of control." is part of this article on all the things going wrong in Sweden. 
Fact: The death rate of the virus in Sweden is 32 per 100,000- higher than the US and Denmark. From the article: 

Swedish gyms, schools, restaurants and shops have all remained open throughout the spread of the pandemic. The strategy has so far helped shield the economy from the worst, but Sweden’s death rate is about 32 per 100,000, compared with 24 in the U.S. and roughly 9 in neighboring Denmark.

Not locking society down has consequences, including a higher death rate and a higher infection rate amongst the most vulnerable, including the elderly. 



9 comments:

  1. Sweden is not failing. Neither is Iowa or other states without stay at home orders.

    The ONLY reasons that their numbers of Covid positive cases are now increasing is because the TESTING numbers are substantially increased. That gives us a greater raw number.

    Mortality rates as a percentage continue to decrease to below 1%.

    Time to wear face covering, stay 6 feet away - and start the economy. Every analysis should include a careful consideration of BALANCE. Keep minimum standards. Let’s pray for Monoclonal Antibody therapy, effective and safe vaccines and some type of treatments to minimize morbidity and mortality.

    Believe me. America is GREAT. Our scientists are number one in the world.

    PS. Ba-ba-boo-y to Judge Sayfie

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  2. What is the purpose of the cheap shot at Justice Thomas?

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  3. Yesterday I asked if you had any objection to me naming my new kitten Fauci. Today, as Dr. Fauci testifies I am sitting with my kitten and he is very content and appears to like it when people say "Fauci" My GF has relented and our little guy is now officially named Fauci.

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  4. Cheap shot? I don't think so. Speaking more in the last week then in the last 15 years is comment worthy. I read an article in which because they are now questioning by seniority and he goes first, Thomas is asking questions which in the past other justices asked before he did. I am a big fan of a lot of what Thomas does, rights, and the way he handles things. I thing he is underrated as a Justice and in that same article about Thomas now speaking, was a very touching sidebar in which at the end of OA recently (but before the virus) he would take Justice Ginsberg's hand and help guide her off the bench.

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  5. I disagree with almost everything 1053 wrote except I think every comment for the foreseeable should end with "and a babba booey to Judge Sayfie".

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  6. Is it true Ye Olde Cigar Shoppe will be opening this weekend with a blowout sale of Macanudos treated with Remdesivir?

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  7. imagine that. a country whose aim is to seek herd immunity and test as much as possible shows an increase in infection.

    The IFR in Sweden is essentially unchanged from anywhere else in the world, including the US. For society at large, from children to the very elderly, somewhere around 0.1-0.3% of infected people succumb. This scales heavily when you reach an age close to life expectancy.

    If we emerge from shelter on July 1, or on Nov 1, or in 2021, that rate will hold true for us as well.

    The choice Sweden is making is fair game for criticism. It may even be the wrong choice. But attacking it for increasing the number of positives is sophistry. Their choice is based on a determination that restrictive sheltering, with the goal of delaying mass infection, causes more harm than allowing normalcy, understanding it will accelerate mass infection.

    The US won't have fewer per capita infections. Be clear about that. The US won't have fewer per capita infections. If the status quo holds, it will just have later infections. The essential question, of course, is what is the cost of the delay.

    Address that calculus head-on.

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  8. Sweden has a higher death rate **so far**.

    You fundamentally misunderstand the herd. The herders dont care the deaths come earlier in the course of the pandemic. In fact, getting to herd quickly (with more deaths faster as opposed to being painfully spread out, to the total destruction of the economy) is the point. Get to 60%.

    If u think we can actually get a vaccine this fall, then yes, sweden miscalculated.

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  9. The problem is that our executive branch is incapable of preparing a long term strategy. There is no plan for mass testing, there is no plan for how you will make the hospitality industry safe again. All you hear from this idiot is “open up”. Really?! Open up the bars? Open the airports to our well heeled Chinese visitors? To our Spanish, Italian and British friends? Force people to pay for cruising when they know that if there is a problem they may be forced to die out in the ocean while our politicians debate wether to let them get off the boat? This shit is real and the president is way not up to it. We need a person who can think, read, write, speak and lead. This man hasn’t been able to put together a cabinet much less a government. Open up! Sure, keep drinking the bleach and applying the UV enemas. Sweden at least has a strategy and a plan. It may or may not work but shit at least they are thinking farther than tomorrow. We’ve got a lunatic. God help us because Trump can’t and won’t.

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