Health

Herd Mentality: Sweden Blames Immigrants for High COVID-19 Rates

When the coronavirus pandemic hit Europe, governments moved at different paces  to impose strict restrictions on movement. Within days of its first infection, Poland banned large gatherings, going ahead to suspend border crossing, non-essential travel and schools shortly after. Four days after its first confirmed infection on March 12, the Czech Republic went into full lockdown. The German government enforced an early lockdown and embarked on swift mass testing to contain the virus’ spread. The United Kingdom acted more slowly but also imposed a lockdown on March 23.

Standing in contrast to the rest of the continent, and the world really, was Sweden.  Rather than initiate immediate lockdowns and respond with hysteria, the Swedes decided to take a unique approach. At the end of April, Sweden was yet to ban non-essential travel, elementary schools, office work, shops, restaurants, and gyms, nor enforce social distancing. The results have not been entirely pleasant. Case fatality rates for Germany, Czech Republic and Poland currently sit at 4.54%, 3.5% and 5.03% respectively. On the other hand, Sweden’s case fatality rate stands at 12.48% as at May 16.

However, this might be part of the plan. While not explicitly stated by the government, this method is clearly aimed at herd immunity i.e. the attainment of immunity after over 60% of a population is infected with a virus. According to Tom Britton, a mathematician at Stockholm University, a 40% immunity in the capital city might be enough to slow the spread there, and that could be reached by mid-June. But not everyone expects they would have to wait that long. A different estimate by the chief epidemiologist of Sweden’s Public Health Agency, Anders Tegnell, predicts that the country could reach herd immunity as early as this month.

Clearly, herd immunity is not a widely-beloved concept. The United Kingdom initially flirted with the idea of herd immunity i.e. letting people carry on life as before and get exposed to the coronavirus until the population develops immunity. The idea was soon abandoned after factoring in the disastrous burden it would impose on the healthcare system – there won’t be anything near enough beds for those who have to be hospitalised.

Different and Proud

Swedes have carried on with very minimal restrictions – people can still sit for coffee and meals and go to work. The approach has the support of 51% of the Swedish population, with nationalists calling the approach distinctive and evident of the “soul of Sweden”- a country with outstanding values. Some citizens are getting tattoos of Anders Tegnell, the country’s chief epidemiologist.

Yet, the cost in human lives cannot be swept aside.  Let us take a look at the stats: Sweden’s neighbouring countries have, per one million people, the following death rates: 42 [Norway], 51 [Finland] and 92 [Denmark]. In comparison, Sweden has 343 deaths for every 1 million citizens, one of the highest death rates in the world. That is 816% of Norway’s rate. Reports have also revealed that even the supposed economic benefits are not looking likely. Norway and Finland are expected to suffer a GDP drop of 5.5% and 6.5% respectively. Sweden, even with its lack of lockdown restrictions, will witness a similar level of a dip in GDP because the Swedish economy is intertwined to that of European countries like Germany which supplies inputs into manufacturing.

Some Swedes are asking what they have gained from the go-it-alone strategy – death rates are higher and the economic slowdown is largely shared with countries that have imposed lockdowns and had lower death rates.

Pointing Fingers Abroad

Many Swedes still support their unique strategy and think it would have worked perfectly if not for those who came from abroad to live in Sweden. The immigrants have been less rigourous in following protocols unlike the real Swedes. The Chief Epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell stated that the country’s “immigrant groups unfortunately have a high risk of becoming very ill from Covid-19.”  He added that the Somali immigrants particularly have five times more risk of contracting the virus than the citizens. Despite not making even a percent of the national population, the Somali account for 5% of hospitalized cases of COVID-19. 55% of the workforce in Stockholm’s nursing homes are immigrants. The spread in the immigrant community has been attributed to a failure to follow the government’s guidelines, disregard for authority, stubborn crowding at religious gatherings and continued socialisation in the face of the pandemic. But this is not necessarily due to a fault of the immigrants’, as there are many factors at play here.

In Stockholm, immigrants tend to live in overcrowded suburbs with unsanitary living arrangements due to limited income. More than half of Somalis in the city can be found in just one district. It is only natural than once the virus hits that particular community, the spread among the immigrant community will rise exponentially.

Furthermore, linguistic limitations contributed to the spread of the infection among immigrants. A huge part of Sweden’s strategy relied on written communication in a single language to the populace. With most immigrants handicapped when it comes to the written Swedish language, the instructions otherwise understood perfectly by the citizens were easily missed by the foreign-born. The information just did not get to them. A diverse approach in terms of language and cultural factors could have helped them to understand what is at stake.

Also, there is the urgent factor of economic risk. Just as in Nigeria, demographics with poor economic backgrounds are more likely to be averse to observing self-isolation. Immigrants do not exactly work in tech or other industries where remote working would be practical. Statistically, Sweden is one of the world’s worst countries for the integration of foreigners. Many are left with low-skilled jobs like taxi driving, fast food waitressing or construction which require them to leave their homes to earn their daily bread. Since the government does not technically stop them from going to work, they are likely to make the choice of stepping out of their houses and take chances than to stay indoors and die of starvation.

This factor of limited income also accounts for the high fatality rate, as the combination of poverty, lack of access to healthcare [both of which are prevalent amongst immigrants] often contribute to underlying health problems, which are catalysts for COVID-19 mortality. Rather that rush en mass to blame immigrants for the less than stellar outcome of the herd immunity strategy, Swedes ought to acknowledge the failure to integrate immigrants.

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