Sweden’s unorthodox response to COVID-19: A mistake? | Talk to Al Jazeera

Sweden’s unorthodox approach to handling the health crisis has made headlines throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unlike most European Union members, the Swedes did not impose any strict lockdown measures. It remained business as usual in Stockholm and elsewhere, even when cases peaked there.

While the relaxed strategy is expected to ease the impact on the economy, Sweden has the worst death toll by far in Scandinavia.

So what went wrong? And what should have been done differently?

Sweden’s minister for health and social affairs, Lena Hallengren, talks to Al Jazeera.

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In This Story: COVID-19

Covid-19 is the official WHO name given to the novel coronavirus which broke out in late 2019 and began to spread in the early months of 2020.

Symptoms of coronavirus

The main symptoms of coronavirus are:

  • a persistent new cough (non productive, dry)
  • a high temperature (e.g. head feels warm to the touch)
  • shortness of breath (if this is abnormal for the individual, or increased)

Latest News about Covid-19

Below are stories from around the globe related to the 2020 outbreak of novel Coronavirus – since the WHO gave the Covid-19 naming. Most recent items are posted nearest the top.

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In This Story: Lockdown

During the 2020 Covid-19 epidemic, lockdown has come to mean the practice of attempting to control transmission of the virus by means of restricting people’s movement and activities on a broad scale, usually on a national or state-wide basis.

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In This Story: Sweden

Sweden is a Scandinavian nation with thousands of coastal islands and inland lakes, along with vast boreal forests and glaciated mountains. Its principal cities, eastern capital Stockholm and southwestern Gothenburg and Malmö, are all coastal. Stockholm is built on 14 islands. It has more than 50 bridges, as well as the medieval old town, Gamla Stan, royal palaces and museums such as open-air Skansen.

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