Premium Only Content

The truth about Sweden's COVID policy
The Swedish government's decision to forgo lockdowns as most of Europe, Asia, and North America's political leaders forcibly closed businesses and schools in the early days of the pandemic became one of the most controversial COVID policies of 2020.
The New York Times in April 2020 designated Sweden "the world's cautionary tale," and President Donald Trump proclaimed that "Sweden is paying heavily for its decision not to lockdown" as an early wave of COVID deaths hit Sweden harder than its Nordic neighbors.
But to Swedish officials, "it looked like it was other countries that were engaging in a dangerous experiment," writes Cato Institute senior fellow Johan Norberg in a policy paper entitled "Sweden during the pandemic: Pariah or paragon?"
The attacks on Sweden's laissez-faire approach were short-sighted, says Norberg. Today, Sweden's COVID-19 death rate is not an outlier, and its excess death rate from 2020 to the present is the lowest in Europe.
In a retrospective report on the country's pandemic response, Sweden's public health officials say that they should have more aggressively protected senior citizens and tested and quarantined travelers from COVID hotspots in those early days, but consider the focus on public health recommendations that people can "follow voluntarily" over coercive lockdowns was "fundamentally correct."
Norberg also points out that Sweden avoided the economic contraction that its neighboring countries suffered, as well as the learning loss experienced in countries that closed schools for months or even years.
Join Reason's Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe for an in-depth discussion with Norberg about the lessons to draw from Sweden's pandemic policies this Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern on Reason's YouTube channel or on Facebook.
Sources referenced in this conversation:
Johan Norberg: Sweden during the pandemic
https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/sweden-during-pandemic
Trump: Sweden is “paying heavily” for not locking down - April 30, 2020
https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1255825648448348161
NYT: Sweden has become the world’s cautionary tale -
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/07/business/sweden-economy-coronavirus.html
Sweden’s Corona Commission: https://coronakommissionen.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/summary_20220225.pdf
Imperial College report on COVID-19 mitigation: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/medicine/mrc-gida/2020-03-26-COVID19-Report-12.pdf
Trump on Sweden, White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing, April 7, 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpaaOXZbKXY
Bernie Sanders: U.S. should look more like Scandanavia, May 3, 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz0u2FH5Bnk
Anders Tegnell talks on herd immunity on BBC HARDtalk, May 19, 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Biqq34aUJcQ
-
1:34:06
ReasonTV
1 month agoRichard Dawkins: Why atheism is winning
647 -
31:45
Uncommon Sense In Current Times
15 hours ago $0.40 earnedThe Fatherless Crisis in America | Healing Homes & Breaking Cycles Through Faith | Sean Teis
16.8K1 -
LIVE
Midnight In The Mountains
2 hours agoMorning Coffee w/ Midnight | Weed doubles risk of sudden heart disease death |
207 watching -
14:19
ARFCOM Reviews
17 hours ago $0.51 earnedA New Reflex Suppressor | The Troy Industries Kryptos 5.56
22.3K -
31:15
Esports Awards
21 hours agoDecade Awards Finalist Reveal
26.5K -
19:28
DeVory Darkins
1 day ago $5.02 earnedTrump announces two MAJOR UPDATES warns Iran to EVACUATE immediately
29.1K51 -
52:33
Coin Stories with Natalie Brunell
19 hours agoDylan LeClair on Metaplanet's Bitcoin Bet: How Corporate Treasuries are Transforming Global Finance
17.5K2 -
9:46
Nate The Lawyer
18 hours ago $0.69 earnedThe View's Sunny Hostin Says "It’s Not Illegal to Be Undocumented…" Really?
16.9K13 -
54:36
SinCityCrypto
20 hours ago $0.92 earnedBitcoin Drops as Volatility Spikes (Massive Liquidations!)
19.6K3 -
16:40
Actual Justice Warrior
3 days agoThe Riots Just Got More PEACEFUL
34.8K6