Epidemiologist Who Refused Lockdown: Herd Immunity Isn’t Slowing COVID-19 in Sweden

Sweden’s strategy of dealing with COVID-19 without implementing a lockdown has not led to herd immunity, the country’s lead epidemiologist said Tuesday. “We see no signs of immunity in the population that are slowing down the infection right now,” said Anders Tegnell, the state epidemiologist for Sweden’s public health agency. Under Tegnell’s guidance, Sweden has rejected much of the public health guidelines other countries have used to fight the pandemic, including not recommending protective face masks be worn in public. COVID-19 cases are currently surging in Sweden, and Prime Minister Stefan Lovren introduced a limit of eight people in public gatherings, down from 50. While Sweden’s per-capita death rate is lower than that of the United Kingdom and Spain, it remains higher than its neighbors in Finland and Norway, per the Financial Times. Tegnell told the Times that he likened lockdowns to “using a hammer to kill a fly.”