# Sweden do-nothing approach good, US/UK/other countries' early do-nothing approach bad. Why?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweden-do-nothing-approach-good-us-uk-other-countries-early-do-nothing-approach-bad-why/850962
**Category:** The Quarantine Zone
**Tags:** covid-quarantine
**Created:** [April 3, 2020, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweden-do-nothing-approach-good-us-uk-other-countries-early-do-nothing-approach-bad-why/850962 "2020-04-03T14:44:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 47
### Author:  [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2021, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweden-do-nothing-approach-good-us-uk-other-countries-early-do-nothing-approach-bad-why/850962/922 "2021-04-20T16:11:55Z")
Personally, I consider the _we’ll-get-sick-and-die-until-we-finally-become-immune_ approach as only a last resort. History has shown that vaccines save MILLIONS of lives that would otherwise be lost. The estimated death toll worldwide from Smallpox during its reign of terror is between 300 and 500 million people. Because of the vaccine, the last identified/reported case of Smallpox anywhere in the world was on October 26, 1977, in Merka town, Somalia.
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### Author:  [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2021, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweden-do-nothing-approach-good-us-uk-other-countries-early-do-nothing-approach-bad-why/850962/923 "2021-04-21T10:20:12Z")
> [@DMC](#):
>
> Many of us who were calling the Swedish experiment a mistake (Sweden Fucked Up!) early on were told that we should reserve final judgement until Spring. Well, we’re now 1 month into Spring and vaccines are pretty readily available to the richer countries, so I think it’s fair to start judging now.
Thanks for posting the graphs.
Beyond the death and hospitalizations, there’s also long covid to consider. A study out of Sweden shows that 1 in 10 health care workers who were relatively young and healthy have long covid.
> **[Study Finds 1 in 10 Healthcare Workers with Mild COVID Have Lasting Symptoms](https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2021/04/20/study-finds-1-in-10-healthcare-workers-with-mild-covid-have-lasting-symptoms/)**
>
> It’s become increasingly clear that even healthy people with mild cases of COVID-19 can battle a constellation of symptoms that worsen over time—or which sometimes disappear only to come right back…
> [@](#):
>
> Now, a new study of relatively young, healthy adult healthcare workers in Sweden adds needed information on the frequency of this Long COVID Syndrome. Published in the journal _JAMA_ , the study found that just over 1 in 10 healthcare workers who had what at first seemed to be a relatively mild bout of COVID-19 were still coping with at least one moderate to severe symptom eight months later [1]. Those symptoms—most commonly including loss of smell and taste, fatigue, and breathing problems—also negatively affected the work and/or personal lives of these individuals.
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### Author:  [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2021, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweden-do-nothing-approach-good-us-uk-other-countries-early-do-nothing-approach-bad-why/850962/924 "2021-04-21T10:55:36Z")
Another side effect of the pandemic. Sperm shortage.
> **[Sweden faces sperm deficit as pandemic keeps donors away from clinics](https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/sweden-faces-sperm-deficit-pandemic-keeps-donors-away-clinics-2021-04-15/)**
>
> Sweden is facing an acute shortage of sperm for assisted pregnancy as would-be donors avoid hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic, halting inseminations in large parts of the healthcare system and driving up waiting times by years.
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### Author:  [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2021, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweden-do-nothing-approach-good-us-uk-other-countries-early-do-nothing-approach-bad-why/850962/925 "2021-04-21T22:09:27Z")
That dramatic difference runs over the better part of the year. It is even more stark when you look at other cross-national areas. Neighbouring countries in the per capita case table on Worldometers are tending to similar numbers - eg the cluster Bosnia, Czechia, Slovakia, Montenegro, Bulgaria are all experiencing similar rates. Unsurprising with long, largely arbitrary land borders and close cultural ties.
Yes, they have well and truly fucked up. I find it hard to believe that this can be a recent revelation to Swedes, esp those in leadership.
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### Author:  [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2021, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweden-do-nothing-approach-good-us-uk-other-countries-early-do-nothing-approach-bad-why/850962/926 "2021-04-22T00:24:33Z")
> [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#):
>
> Another side effect of the pandemic. Sperm shortage.
And to think there’s a whole container load of it stuck in the Suez Canal.
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### Author:  [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2021, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweden-do-nothing-approach-good-us-uk-other-countries-early-do-nothing-approach-bad-why/850962/927 "2021-05-12T09:15:58Z")
Finally. FINALLY.
I’m so proud to say this, guys, but after months of battling again other countries, notably Turkey and Cyprus of late, Sweden can finally say they have the worst rolling 14 day average of new cases in the whole of Europe.
WE DID IT! WE’RE NUMBER ONE!
HEJA SVERIGE!
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### Author:  [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2021, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweden-do-nothing-approach-good-us-uk-other-countries-early-do-nothing-approach-bad-why/850962/928 "2021-05-12T14:11:03Z")
What data source are you looking at?
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### Author:  [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2021, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweden-do-nothing-approach-good-us-uk-other-countries-early-do-nothing-approach-bad-why/850962/929 "2021-05-17T09:29:33Z")
Dagens Nyheter, one of the biggest newspapers in Sweden, has a live blog where they track it. You can find it at the bottom of this link. You’ll see a map of Europe and a slider so you can check previous dates.
> **[Följ DN:s direktrapportering om coronapandemin](https://www.dn.se/sverige/det-nya-coronaviruset-folj-utvecklingen-live/)**
>
> I direktrapporteringen uppdaterar DN löpande om coronapandemin.
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