Sweden Reports Worst Death Count Among Nordic Countries

Sweden has been slow in responding with measures, typically applied in other countries, to stop an outbreak of coronavirus, or to contain its spread.

Previously, the Swedish authorities chose to leave the isolation as a personal choice for every one, and stated that the people are rational enough to make this own healthy choices.

But now, the Sweden’s flawed coronavirus battle plan hits the poor & elderly, resulting in worst death count among Nordic countries.

Marcello Ferrada de Noli, Swedish professor emeritus of public health sciences, esp. epidemiology, and former research fellow at Harvard Medical School, wrote in Russia Today, that in only three days, the total fatalities in Sweden due to the current epidemic rose from 477 to 881. While the problem started roughly about the same time in all the Scandinavian countries, Sweden’s stats are among the worst.

He added: "Sweden has not only the highest rate of fatalities per capita, but also the total death toll is higher than that of all the other Nordic countries put together. As of April 10, Sweden has 86 Covid-19 fatalities per one million of population, while Finland has nine, Norway 20, and Denmark 43. (The US has 47, and Russia 0.5 Covid-19 fatalities per one million, respectively)."

"The authorities have been repeating for weeks that the paramount aim of their strategy is to protect the elderly. But 40 percent of all victims were infected in homes housing them. And while no testing has been provided to the personnel taking care of these elderly, the virus has reached one third of Stockholm nursing homes. The vast majority of Covid-19 deaths in Sweden corresponds to people aged over 70," he wtote.

The Swedish professor further noted to the immigrants, mainly inhabiting Stockholm, and said that they are overrepresented among those infected by the virus. On March 16, an independent organization of Somali physicians revealed that at least six out of 15 fatalities that occurred in Stockholm were of Somali origin.

He added: "Even if the authorities have now made efforts to increase bed availability, Sweden was, according to EU statistics, the country in Europe with the lowest number of curative care beds in hospitals. Local mainstream media reported that during the 90s Sweden dismantled most parts of their field hospitals which had been kept in case of major catastrophes."