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As Europe enters a second wave, Sweden continues its routine.

How long?

After initially looking at the world with envy in Sweden in light of the paucity of restrictions, later the Scandinavian country suffered from nursing home failure and high mortality relative to its neighbors.

Now the situation has been reversed again, with the residents not needing masks at all but obeying recommendations.

However, authorities warn against complacency

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• Corona virus

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Tuesday, September 22, 2020, 6:00 p.m.

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Photo: Reuters, Editing: Nir Chen

With almost no masks on, the citizens of Sweden continued to live even during the corona plague.

While most of the continent locked its citizens in houses, Swedes continued to go to schools, restaurants and gyms.

The country's ten-million-strong easing strategy drew the world's attention, but its death toll relative to its size was higher than in other Scandinavian countries.

Now that the number of infections has risen again in most of Europe, the number of new infections in Sweden is among the lowest.

Only 14 patients are hospitalized in intensive care.

A senior World Health Organization member said the world could learn a lesson from Sweden when it comes to fighting the epidemic.

"We must acknowledge the fact that Sweden, at this stage, has avoided the increase seen in other Western European countries," said Catherine Smallwood, Europe's senior member of the World Health Organization.

"We really want to work and hear more about the Swedish approach," she said on Thursday.

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Swedes spend time in a park in Stockholm, May (Photo: Reuters)

Despite the optimism and praise, health authorities stress, once again, that it is still too early to know if this strategy is working, and that each country is at a different stage of the epidemic.

According to the European Center for Disease Control, Sweden reported 30.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days, compared with 292.2 in Spain, 172.1 in France, 61.8 in the UK, and 69.2 in Denmark.

They all imposed extensive restrictions at the beginning of the plague.

In all, in Sweden, 88,237 people were infected and 5,864 died from the virus - which is 57.5 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.

The way the Swedish strategy is perceived seems to depend mainly on the stage of the epidemic in which the same person is on the outside.

At first, many in the world were jealous of Swedes who continued to meet friends in restaurants and bars, and work as usual.

Later, however, the virus raged in the country's nursing homes and by mid-April, more than a hundred deaths a day were recorded in Sweden - while elsewhere mortality rates began to decline.

Now, Sweden is once again being praised while other European countries are going through a severe outburst to the point of considering a second closure, like Britain.

More on Walla!

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Expert responsible for corona policy in Sweden apologizes: "Too many have died"

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However, a government inquiry commission in Sweden addresses some difficult questions: Have the authorities waited too long to restrict access to nursing homes, where half of all deaths were recorded in the plague?

Is the protective equipment for staff in those institutions provided very slowly, when it has long been known about the shortage of equipment in the nursing sector.

Why did it take so long to perform extensive tests?

In addition, Sweden's chief epidemiologist Anders Tengel has not ruled out the possibility of a second wave in Sweden as well, including the return of high school students to school for the first time since March.

"We have to be very careful and find the first sign that something is happening, so that we can do everything possible to prevent the situation from getting worse," he told the Associated Press.

The world envied them.

Swedes hang out in pub during Corona crisis, May (Photo: AP)

Despite the prospect of local outbreaks, authorities in Sweden are planning a series of targeted measures based on testing, locating patients' contacts and isolating them quickly.

Health Minister Lena Langren said "it is very important that we have a quick and local response to the virus, without imposing restrictions on the whole country".

She does not rule out the effectiveness of masks and sees them as useful in cases of severe local outbreaks, but she emphasizes the approach that Stockholm has taken since the beginning of the epidemic - recommendations that the population can stand for years, if necessary, and not extensive nationwide restrictions.

"People will not wear masks for years," she said.

The phrase "this is a marathon, not a sprint" has become the motto of many ministers, in light of the work that there is no more vaccine or cure for the disease.

Sweden has imposed certain restrictions, such as limiting crowds to 50 people and closing bars, but most lifestyle changes have not been forced on citizens, rather they have cooperated based on expert recommendations.

Instead of fines or regulations, residents were called upon to demonstrate personal responsibility.

Success is also linked to Sweden's governmental model, in which the major authorities are made up of experts whom the ministers adopt.

Certain restrictions were imposed, but most of the responsibility was placed on the residents.

Park in Scotland, April (Photo: AP)

Thus, the residents trust the experts and scientists to develop a sensible policy, and the government trusts the people to follow the guidelines.

The Swedes were asked to work from home whenever possible, and to maintain social distance, and most agreed to this.

Although there is no obligation to wear masks or even a recommendation to use them extensively, there are also fewer people on public transport than in the past.

Health officials say the use of masks outside of medical facilities, by unskilled people, provides a false sense of safety.

This, they say, may cause sick people to leave the house and not keep their distance.

Instead, they believe in clear recommendations that can be implemented over time: staying home in the event of corona symptoms, hand washing and maintaining social distance.

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