Europe Takes a Swedish Turn on Tackling Covid-19
A more nuanced approach on lockdowns can make political and economic sense, but it takes very little for this pandemic to spiral out of control.
Keeping their distance.
Photo: Bloomberg
Last spring, as the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic swept through Europe, Sweden became the continent’s controversial exception on how to tackle the virus. As other countries — from Italy to the U.K. — enforced draconian lockdowns, the Swedes went for a light touch. That sparked outrage among people concerned by a seemingly cavalier approach to the death toll and enthusiasm from those more worried about individual freedom and protecting the economy.
The result was a fatality rate higher than Sweden’s Nordic neighbors, but a smaller hit on the economy than most other European countries (the likes of Denmark excepted).