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Sweden has a rather different welfare system, typical population density, income distribution, typical household demographic, urban planning and culture regardi

Sweden has a rather different welfare system, typical population density, income distribution, typical household demographic, urban planning and culture regarding social interactions, compared to many places that would use it as an example for what to do in this crisis. I think following the available evidence, interpreted by experts is the way to go. Ultimately the argument for Sweden's policy seems to be less based on cost saving than general wellbeing. A good bit of insight here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfN2JWifLCY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfN2JWifLCY

tsimionescu 6y ago
Sweden's strategy is also unique in the world and failing badly at protecting some of their most vulnerable citizens. It's also based on unproven ideas, like immunity from Covid19 after you get it once.
- concordDance 6y ago
  If immunity after getting it isn't viable, then surely a vaccine isn't either? Stamping out COVID19 worldwide simply isn't practical, so isn't the omly option to just live with it? We manage to live with far worse things, like ageing.
  - tsimionescu 6y ago
    Aging is not killing hundreds of people in short succession in the same hospital. The only option to avoid much more significant disturbances in our daily life then we see now is to isolate for as long as possible, and then work tirelessly to perform contact tracing of the newly infected and catch outbreaks while they are small. And I believe that a vaccine can succeed where natural immunity doesn't. For example, there are viruses where you only gain partial immunity from contacting the disease, but can end up with a worse form of the disease if exposed again, like with chicken pox (varicella) leaving the door open to shingles (zoster).
- dcanelhas 6y ago
  I don't know that any ideas are "proven". Evidence based medicine works on just that:evidence. The hypothesis that you do not get immunity, given the evidence from all previously observed cases of coronaviruses is the least likely. Why would you then act as if it were true?

tsimionescu 6y ago

Sweden's strategy is also unique in the world and failing badly at protecting some of their most vulnerable citizens. It's also based on unproven ideas, like immunity from Covid19 after you get it once.

concordDance 6y ago
If immunity after getting it isn't viable, then surely a vaccine isn't either? Stamping out COVID19 worldwide simply isn't practical, so isn't the omly option to just live with it? We manage to live with far worse things, like ageing.
- tsimionescu 6y ago
  Aging is not killing hundreds of people in short succession in the same hospital. The only option to avoid much more significant disturbances in our daily life then we see now is to isolate for as long as possible, and then work tirelessly to perform contact tracing of the newly infected and catch outbreaks while they are small. And I believe that a vaccine can succeed where natural immunity doesn't. For example, there are viruses where you only gain partial immunity from contacting the disease, but can end up with a worse form of the disease if exposed again, like with chicken pox (varicella) leaving the door open to shingles (zoster).
dcanelhas 6y ago
I don't know that any ideas are "proven". Evidence based medicine works on just that:evidence. The hypothesis that you do not get immunity, given the evidence from all previously observed cases of coronaviruses is the least likely. Why would you then act as if it were true?