By 'as Successful as Most Other Nations,' NYT Means Sweden Is '10th Worst in the World'
Jim Naureckas
 The relaxed attitude of Swedes towards the spread of the coronavirus "does not seem to have hurt them," reports the New York Times (4/28/20)—except for the ones who have died, of course.
"In Sweden...the government defied conventional wisdom and refused to order a wholesale lockdown to 'flatten the curve' of the coronavirus epidemic," the New York Times (4/28/20) reported. "And, to a large extent, Sweden does seem to have been as successful in controlling the virus as most other nations."
Reporters Thomas Erdbrink and Christina Anderson went on to marvel at "Sweden’s apparent success in handling the scourge without an economically devastating lockdown," presenting it as a model for other countries:
As other nations in Europe begin to consider reopening their economies, Sweden’s experience would seem to argue for less caution, not more.
Here's per capita deaths from Covid-19 in Sweden compared to "most other nations":
Looking at the chart, you can see that what the Times describes as being "as successful in controlling the virus as most other nations" really means having the tenth-worst per capita death toll from the coronavirus in the world—beaten only by San Marino, Belgium, Andorra, Spain, Italy, Britain, France, the Netherlands and Ireland. Swedish deaths per capita, at 238 per million, are 29% higher than those in the United States—whose response to Covid-19 few would describe as an "apparent success."
Sweden's results can best be compared with those of neighboring Scandinavian countries, with which it shares the advantages of comparatively low population densities, well-funded healthcare systems and relatively few international visitors in the winter months, when the virus was spreading across borders. The neighbors' rates of death from Covid-19 have been far lower: Norway and Finland's have been one-sixth as high, while more densely populated Denmark has had one-third as many deaths per capita.
It's safe to say that when comparing coronavirus outbreak strategies across countries, the New York Times ought to use more caution, not less.
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Featured image: New York Times depiction (4/28/20) of Swedish students celebrating graduation.
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