Sweden was harshly criticized regarding their Covid response.
faced rapid and continuous criticism. Unfortunately, the respectful debate centered around scientific evidence often gave way to mudslinging. However, the available data on excess all-cause mortality rates indicate that Sweden experienced fewer deaths per population unit during the pandemic (2020–2022) than most high-income countries and was comparable to neighboring Nordic countries through the pandemic.
Instead, the country relied on its citizens’ voluntary behavioral changes, considering them to be more sustainable.
Kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools remained open throughout the pandemic, which was a unique policy.
As did most bars restaurants, & businesses
However: 81.1% of the adult population of Sweden has received at least two doses
But:
Sweden, which avoided a lockdown during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, saw its economy shrink 8.6% in the April-to-June period from the previous three months.
The European Union saw a contraction of 11.9% for the same period.
Individual nations did even worse, with Spain seeing an 18.5% contraction, while the French and Italian economies shrank by 13.8% and 12.4% respectively.