Sweden COVID-19 Death Rate Lower Than Spain, Italy and U.K.,...

Sweden COVID-19 Death Rate Lower Than Spain, Italy and U.K., Despite Never Having Lockdown

While novel coronavirus cases have spiked across several parts of Europe, including Spain, France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, Sweden—where a countrywide lockdown was never issued—continues to report a downward trend in new cases and new deaths.

As of Sunday, the latest death rate in Sweden (deaths per 100,000 people) was reported to be 56.40. The figure is lower than that reported in the U.K. (69.60), Spain (60.88) and Italy (58.16), according to the latest report Sunday by Johns Hopkins University.

The U.K. currently has the world's fourth highest death toll, while Spain and Italy (which have the sixth highest and eighth highest death tolls, respectively) were formerly Europe's two countries worst hit by the outbreak.

Sweden's latest case-fatality ratio (portion of deaths compared to total cases) was reported to be 7.1 percent. The figure is more than half the percentage reported in the U.K. (15.1 percent), half that of Italy and Belgium (each reporting 14.2 percent) and nearly half that of France (13.4 percent), according to Johns Hopkins University.Click to expand

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Europe Fears Coronavirus Second Wave mid Spikes in Spain, France, Germany

Source: Johns Hopkins University (as of August 2)

• Sweden: 56.40
• Belgium: 86.19
• U.K.: 69.60
• Spain: 60.88
• Italy: 58.16

Sweden's seven-day rolling average of daily new deaths has been mostly declining since as far back as April 16, when the average was at 99. The average dropped to two on August 2, according to Worldometer.

COVID-19 case-fatality ratio of Sweden vs. Europe

Source: Johns Hopkins University (as of August 2)

• Sweden: 7.1 percent
• U.K.: 15.1 percent
• Belgium: 14.2 percent
• Italy: 14.2 percent
• France: 13.4 percent
• The Netherlands: 11.2 percent
• Spain: 9.9 percent

New infections per 100,000 people in Sweden reported in the past 14 days has dropped 46 percent, compared to that reported in the 14 days prior, according to the latest report Sunday from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Meanwhile, Spain, France, Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands have each reported a spike between 58 and 206 percent in new cases reported per 100,000 people in the past two weeks, compared to that reported 14 days prior, according to the WHO.

New cases in Sweden's Scandinavian neighbors (Denmark, Norway and Finland) have increased by as much as around three times the percentage drop in new cases seen in Sweden in the past two weeks, according to the WHO.

The seven-day rolling average of Sweden's daily new cases has been dropping consistently since June 29. Its daily case count has been mostly decreasing since June 24, when it reported 1,803 new infections, its largest single-day spike since the outbreak began, according to data compiled by Worldometer.

By contrast, the seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Spain, France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands have each been sharply increasing, starting from around July 6 to 14, according to Worldometer.

New COVID-19 cases in Sweden vs. Europe in past 14 days

Source: World Health Organization (as of August 2)

• Sweden: Down 46 percent
• The Netherlands: Up 205 percent
• Belgium: Up 150 percent
• Spain: Up 113 percent
• France: Up 72 percent
• Germany: Up 59 percent
• Finland: Up 160 percent
• Denmark: Up 81 percent
• Norway: Up 61 percent
• U.K.: Up three percent

The graphic below, provided by Statista, illustrates the average number of daily new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and the European Union.

© Getty ImagesThe seven-day rolling averages of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and European Union. Getty Images

While an official lockdown was never ordered in Sweden, the country aimed to develop "herd immunity," hoping that an increased number of people exposed to the virus would help to prevent a second wave of infections.

A
nders Tegnell, the chief epidemiologist at Sweden's public health agency, noted last week: "We have cut down on movement in society quite a lot. We have compared how much we travel in Scandinavian countries, and the decrease in travel is the same in Sweden as in neighboring countries," in an interview with UnHerd.

"In many ways the voluntary measures we put in place in Sweden have been just as effective as complete lockdowns in other countries," he added..

More here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/sweden-covid-19-death-rate-lower-than-spain-italy-and-uk-despite-never-having-lockdown/ar-BB17vdej