“The catastrophe never arrived. As in most other European countries, Sweden saw a peak in Covid-19 deaths in the first half of April followed by a steady decline. Shown on a graph, the pattern of mortality is indistinguishable from that of many countries that locked down. Its daily death toll rarely exceeded double figures and has been below 30 since mid-June. As in Britain, half the deaths were in care homes and two-thirds of those who died were aged 80 or over.
Once it became clear that their apocalyptic prophecy had failed, critics of the Swedish approach turned to post hoc rationalisation. They cited low population density and a high rate of single person households as the explanation for Sweden’s lucky escape. Some claimed that social distancing was a natural part of Swedish culture or that Swedes did not talk enough for virus droplets to be transmitted. Some of this was true and much of it was nonsense, but none of it had been mentioned in March when Sweden was said to be doomed.
It is now considered gauche to compare Sweden to Britain, Italy, Spain or any other country that had a higher death rate. You are only allowed to compare it to its immediate neighbours where the death rate is lower. Mention the UK or, heaven forbid, Belgium (which locked down a week before the UK and has the highest COVID-19 death rate in the world) and you will be told that they should have locked down sooner. The proposition becomes unfalsifiable. Heads they win, tails you lose. “
^that sums up talking to a dementor - heads they win tails you lose. They are such believers.
Anyway it’s a good article ... www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/07/11/second-wave-covid-swedish-approach-will-have-right-along/#comment
The rewriting of history - they predicted that suppressing it in the summer would lead to a peak in the autumn unless there’s a vaccine (which there won’t be) - now if/when there is it won’t be because that’s exactly what the model showed would happen it’ll be our fault. The shifting goals posts - from protect health services, set up test & trace & good test capacity, develop some treatments ... to eradicate the virus & DEFEAT death. So depressing, it’s like wading through treacle.