The Swede is healthier in general – due to the epidemic

Corona virus in Sweden

Keep your distance, wash your hands, and stay home if you are sick.

In more than one For years, the Swedish Public Health Agency has been bothering and disturbing the Swedish people about the one thing they really know that could affect the continued spread of infection.

However, the impact of this slogan on the corona pandemic is difficult to predict, as there is nothing to compare it to. On the other hand, it appears that a number of other infectious diseases have been affected, hence not only influenza and winter vomiting as previously reported.

For example, half of the Group A invasive streptococcus (GAS) cases were reported last year, 376, more accurately, compared to 768 the previous year. These bacteria can cause a variety of infections, including blood poisoning and destructive soft tissue infections, which gave them names such as “carnivorous” and “killer bacteria.”

“There is enough Two reasons for this decline. One is the travel drop. Some of these diseases, such as salmonella, are purely imported diseases. The second reason is most likely that we have already followed the recommendations. “ We washed our hands, kept a distance, and stayed home when we were sick, ” Anders Tegnell, a state epidemiologist at the Swedish Public Health Agency, tells TT.

The more intimate connections seem to have diminished. Because in the statistics for sexually transmitted diseases, such as gonorrhea and chlamydia, as well as diseases that are transmitted through the blood, a noticeable difference can be observed. HIV, hepatitis B and C are examples of the latter. The number of reported hepatitis B and C cases decreased by just over a quarter last year, while the number of newly reported HIV cases decreased by just over 15 percent.

Additionally, the number of food-related infections has also decreased. For example, the number of cases of Campylobacter infection, a germ that can be found in raw chicken and causes stomach ailments, has halved. The number of Salmonella, Yersinia and Hepatitis A also decreased, a decrease mainly associated with reduced travel and improved hand hygiene.

Reduced explained However, it can be seen among seasonal respiratory infections, such as influenza and RS virus, as well as callus virus (winter vomiting disease). For example, the curve for the number of flu cases last season was fairly flat.

Trinidad and Tobago: Do ​​you see this as evidence that the Swedes have indeed followed the restrictions?
“Absolutely. Influenza is only slightly affected by travel, while RS and winter vomiting are not affected at all whether or not we travel. They only spread through close contact with others,” says Anders Tegnell.

TT: What do you think, would we maintain this behavior, while improving hand hygiene and staying home if we were sick?
“If you look historically at the other major epidemics of the modern era, we haven’t changed our behavior that much. Both the Asian and Hong Kong (influenza) flu went almost unnoticed. Media coverage was minimal, almost superbly so compared to today. From the fact that the number of deaths can be compared. “

TT