As Sweden's COVID-19 Measures Hint At Herd Immunity, US Experts Rethink Lockdown Strategies

As Sweden continues to enjoy a falling COVID-19 infection rate, leading health experts have suggested the country's decision not to lock down or require masks has resulted in herd immunity, according to MarketWatch.

According to the European CDC, Sweden has an infection rate of 37 cases per 100,000 people - far lower than France's 60 per 100,000 and Spain's 152.7 cases per 100,000 despite imposing months of lockdowns of varying degrees.

While the New York Times and MarketWatch said that Sweden's economy is doing 'just as bad' as countries which imposed lockdowns, the BBC pointed out earlier this month that Sweden's economy 'only' contracted 8.6% in the April-June period vs. the previous three months, while the European Union saw a contraction of 11.9% over the same period based on newer economic data.

The Journal also notes that "Sweden's current infection and death rates are as low as the rest of Europe's, suggesting to some experts the country may be close to herd immunity."

According to Nobel laureate economist Paul Romer, the US couldn't decide on whether we were "Going for mitigation or suppression," who added that mitigation efforts to achieve herd immunity means accepting hundreds of thousands of additional deaths, and that a total lockdown strategy "Doesn't make sense unless you're going to stick with it as long as it takes."

Despite conflicting information from the World Health Organization and CDC on masks, countries and cities which quickly donned face masks did better than those who did not, such as the city of Jena, Germany vs. similar cities which did not require them, according to a study for the IZA Institute of Labor Economics, which concluded that masks resulted in a 40-60% reduction in infections.

"We're on the cusp of an economic catastrophe," according to Harvard economist James Stock, who is working with Dr. Mina on models which would avoid a surge in deaths without engaging in an economically devastating lockdown.

https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/swedens-covid-19-measures-hint-herd-immunity-us-experts-rethink-lockdown-strategies