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In #Sweden #LongCovid is not yet recognized by the authorities. Head Physician @thomaslinden claims that ”there is no definition of this” and refuses to use the word ”LongCovid” or even ”PostCovid Syndrome”, choosing instead words like ”diffuse ailments” or ”residual symptoms”
When asked by swedish media how many #LongCovid patients Sweden has, the answer is that it’s too early to know and it needs to be defined first. The Health Authorities are ”looking at avaiable research” and waiting to learn more from international studies during the upcoming year
It is repeatedly implied that #LongCovid most often can be explained by other factors not related to SARS-CoV-2. Resources now directed towards a project that will scrutinize the Covid-19 mortality statistics in Sw, aiming to remove deaths possibly linked to other comorbidities.
There is still - almost after 1 year with the pandemic - no information available in #Sweden on #LongCovid - the risks or long-term health effects of the coronavirus.
Measures and restrictions have been voluntary, yet compliance has been problematic in a population that have been denied vital information regarding a serious infection outcome #LongCovid with high prevalence in the young and previously healthy.
The Chief Epidemiologist of #Sweden, Anders Tegnell, has stated that #LongCovid is not a concern of the swedish health authorities, but rather a potential problem for the health care sector.
The swedish health authorities and the #SwedishGovernment seem to be unaware that #LongCovid is recognized and well accounted for in the rest of the world, and that information re: #LongCovid has been provided by equivalent bodies since this past summer.
The swedish govt and authorities have made no attempt to measure the prevalence of #LongCovid In contrast to the UK Govt that gave ONS the assignment to assimilate data on the disease. Prel. data confirm earlier estimates showing that 1/10 continue to be sick after 12 w or more.
There is growing evidence that the Sw strategy was based on assumptions that herd immunity could be achieved through through widespread infection in the general poulation and younger age groups.
Official correspondence (leaked e-mails) forming the basis for the swedish strategy has never once mentioned serious morbidity as a possible factor, even though long-term illness was a distinct outcome of the 2003 SARS epidemic.
There is no questioning in #Sweden as to why there are only 2 follow-up clinics for post-covid here, in comparison to 81 post-covid clinics in #England. Or as to why #LongCovid is debated in the #BritishParliament, yet never mentioned by a swedish politician.
Further more, no one questions why, in the UK, there are health care guidelines:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng188
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng188
Information for the health care sector:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/publication/national-guidance-for-post-covid-syndrome-assessment-clinics/
https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/publication/national-guidance-for-post-covid-syndrome-assessment-clinics/
Information from the UK Govt to its citizens:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-long-term-health-effects
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/estimating-the-prevalence-of-long-covid-symptoms-and-covid-19-complications
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-long-term-health-effects
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/estimating-the-prevalence-of-long-covid-symptoms-and-covid-19-complications
And information from the National Healthcare Service (NHS) to the public: https://www.yourcovidrecovery.nhs.uk/
I personally find the stark difference between the response to #LongCovid in the UK compared to #Sweden quite extraordinary.
A once progressive country with high social standards, #Sweden today appears to be paralyzed, barely even reacting, let alone trying to do anything proactively. The simplest of conclusions are not made, and external monitoring ignored.
The swedish authorities clearly state that they will ”wait and see” at the expense if both its chronically ill citizens, but also of the economy at large which will suffer greatly by the overlooked morbidity factor, that is potentially huge according to all available estimates
