The Swedish Experiment
Like it or not, Sweden might be a glimpse at the future
The Swedish Experiment: What people need to know. Sweden has gained attention for its unique approach to Covid-19. The country hasn’t completely locked down—some restaurants and retailers remain open and children up to age 15 are still going to school. The approach is controversial, and as Matthew Zeitlin reports for GEN, there are some key aspects of the approach that people should keep in mind. For one, when people in Sweden are given a recommendation, it’s often viewed culturally as a demand. “There’s a basic misconception that there’s one big huge after-ski party,” said Lars Trägårdh, a Swedish historian. “That’s not true.”
Sweden’s approach has been hailed by critics of American and European pandemic policies as a less restrictive — and less economically devastating — alternative to state or national shutdowns, but it’s also been lambasted by others as an unnecessarily risky strategy that has led Sweden to have the highest Covid-19 death toll among the Nordic nations. As more and more areas of the United States re-open, Sweden may not be so much an alternative as a glimpse of the future.
Read the full story below.
