No Swedish School Children Died of Coronavirus during the Height of the Pandemic
In mid-March 2020, as many European countries closed schools in an attempt to limit the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing coronavirus disease Covid-19. Sweden, led by State Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell, decided to keep both preschools, for ages 1-6 and schools for ages 7-16 years open.
Data on Covid-19, as defined by intensive care unit (ICU) admission, were recorded in Sweden's nationwide intensive care registry. Children who were admitted to an ICU between March 1 and June 30, 2020 with laboratory-verified or clinically verified Covid-19, including patients who were admitted for multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).
• 65 deaths from all causes amongst the 1.95 million Swedish school children during pre–Covid-19 period of November 2019 to February 2020.
• 69 deaths from all causes during exposure to Covid-19 from March to June 2020.
• 15 with Covid-19, including those with MIS-C admitted to ICU from March-June 2020.
• 4 of those 15 had an underlying chronic co-existing condition (2) Cancer, (1) Chronic Kidney Disease and (1) Haematology disease.
No Swedish school child died from Covid-19.
In Sweden, total mortality without societal lockdown was in the range of a strong influenza season. 70% of all Swedish deaths occurred in nursing homes.
The median age of the Swedish covid deaths was 84 years old.
Sweden's Approach to Covid-19 saw below average All-Cause Mortality for those aged between 0-64
Sweden, along with keeping schools open, allowed bars, cafes, restaurants and businesses open. They gave guidance to respect (not enforce) social distancing and hygiene guidelines. Neither did the Swedes impose a face mask mandate.
Swedes between 0-64 years of age saw no increase in total number of deaths compared to the mean from years 2015- 2019. Only those over aged 65 saw an increase.
Indeed Sweden's 2020 deaths per 100k of population figures were lower than in 2011-2012 and remains on an overall downward trend since the Beijing Flu of 1988.
How Sweden Set its 'Pandemic' Response
Anders Tegnell was interviewed last year (July 2020) by Freddie Sayers from Unherdfn where he outlined Sweden's policy to continue with herd immunity and side against harsh lockdown.
Summary of Anders Tegnell Interview
• In terms of migrants, travel and urban areas Sweden is similar to the Netherlands and the UK than Norway or Finland.
• Lockdown may have made a difference, but closing schools and people being out of work is bad for public health.
• Eradication is not an option, ‘We have to learn to live with this disease.’
• Evidence for masks is very weak and may be counterproductive. With all the trends going sharply down, it would make no sense to introduce them now.
• Additional immunity such as T cells plays a substantial role in slowing spread.
• Sweden will be better placed than other countries to limit further waves and outbreaks because of higher immunity.
• IFR of Covid-19 in final account will be 0.1% to 0.5% 'and that is not radically different to what we see with the yearly flu'.
As excess mortality figures tracked in line (mostly under) with countries who locked their population up. Sweden is also is in a much better state to rebound from the economic and social impact devastation western countries enforced onto its citizens.
