Sweden’s coronavirus herd immunity plan ‘fails’ as it’s revealed just 15% of residents caught virus despite no lockdown
SWEDEN’S coronavirus herd immunity push appears to have failed as only 15 per cent of residents have antibodies despite there being no lockdown, new research shows.
However the study's lead author, Professor David Goldsmith, says it’s too soon to “judge” Sweden, as it’ll take up to another two years to gauge the full impact of measures.
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Sweden's policy of allowing coronavirus to spread among the population hasn't delivered the country's goal of herd immunity, according to University College London's analysis.
The country steered clear of imposing a strict lockdown on the population, and kept businesses including restaurants and shops open.
This was done intentionally, in line with health bosses' plan to boost antibodies naturally.
While officials predicted that 40 per cent of Stockholm's population would have become infected with the bug and acquired antibodies by May, the figure was around 15 per cent, says the university report.
Professor Goldsmith said: "It is clear the rates of viral infection, hospitalisation and mortality (per million population) are much higher than those seen in neighbouring Scandinavian countries."
He added: "Also the time-course of the epidemic in Sweden is different, with continued persistence of higher infection and mortality well beyond the few critical weeks period seen in Denmark, Finland and Norway."
According to stats from Worldometers, Sweden has had 5,770 deaths from coronavirus, compared to 621 in Denmark, 333 in Finland and 256 in Norway.
Prof Goldsmith attributes Sweden's neighbours' success in having low death tolls to strict - and rapidly organised - lockdowns at the start of the global pandemic.
He added: "We in the UK would do well to remember we nearly trod the same path as Sweden, as herd immunity was often discussed here in early March.
"Right now, despite strict - but tardy - lockdown in the UK, and the more measured Swedish response, both countries have seen high seven-day averaged Covid-19 death rates compared to other Scandinavian and European countries."
However, the points out, Sweden's antibody rate is fairly similar to the UK's.
The broadcaster said it compared with 17 per cent of Londoners found with coronavirus antibodies when tested in April and May, and five-to-ten per cent of people living in Geneva.
The researchers say in their findings - published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine - that further study is needed to check the the impact of measures, 12 months to two years after the pandemic began to judge which response worked best.
What is Sweden's advice during the coronavirus pandemic?
Sweden aims to "solve the crisis with as few negative consequences as possible for people’s lives and health".
Rather than carry out a strict lockdown, Sweden has issued numerous guidelines to help people through the coronavirus pandemic.
For example, it urges people to stay home if they're ill; maintain good hand hygiene; maintain physical distance from others; and avoid social gatherings like parties, funerals and weddings.
But it says that its "general guidelines are not binding, they are a recommendation".
The Swedish Government has banned all public gatherings and events with more than 50 people.
Public transport operators have been advised to provide enough services to "avoid crowding".
Shops have also been asked to limit the number of customers.
But there is no compulsory wearing of protective face masks.
No businesses have been shut down, as Sweden wants to limit the impact on its economy.
Sweden's health officials point out that, under the Swedish Communicable Diseases Act, "individuals can be put in quarantine but not town or cities".
The country is seeing a "very positive" decline in coronavirus cases following a controversial decision not to go into lockdown, its top epidemiologist said last month.
Andres Tegnell called current trends "promising" and said he saw "no point" in asking people in the country to wear a face mask.
Speaking to reporters recently in Stockholm, Tegnell said: "The curves go down, and the curves over the seriously ill begin to be very close to zero.
"As a whole, it is very positive."
He also addressed the question of face masks, which the World Health Organisation continues to recommend people use when social distancing isn't practicable.
“With numbers diminishing very quickly in Sweden, we see no point in wearing a face mask in Sweden, not even on public transport,” he said.
Daily Covid-19 death rates as well as the number of infected in intensive care have been slowing gradually since April.
Some Swedes remain upbeat about the country's laid-back approach.
Jan Arpi, a 58-year-old sales executive, said: “I’m not walking around thinking that we have a real disaster here in Sweden.
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“I think we have it more or less under control, but we have to be even more careful now after we learned how the virus is spread, especially among elderly people.”
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The recently reported that Swedish firms have "reaped" the benefits of the country's Covid-19 response.
It said that figures showed the no-lockdown strategy has "helped business".