Interview with GOD and a Swede

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

Two interesting interviews on Radio 4's the Today prog between 7.15 and 7.30. One with Lord Gus O'Donnell and the Swede credited with Sweden's very different approach to the rest of Europe.

O'Donnell was asking the question 'How much consideration is being given to people's other health and mental problems when deciding how and when we proceed with ending the lockdown' He made the point that the make up of the SAGE Group is unknown. Are there any 'behavioural experts included' He stopped short of saying folk might have to die for the good of others.But only just.
Just to make it clear. He was only asking questions not saying he was correct on what is an emotional subject. And I wouldn't put my summary of a few lines as necessarily an accurate account of what he said.

Anders Tegnell is a Swedish epidemiologist and expert who reckons it is OK to have gatherings up to 50 and leave pubs and restaurants open. They do have more deaths than other Nordic countries but he believes the immunity Swedes will get will protect them better in the future. When asked 'If he was sure if this was the best way forward' he replied 'No one can be sure'

If interested listen back rather than accept my recall of what was said. It does highlight how even the most eminent scientists can't agree

[SwedishBaggie]

Two interesting interviews on Radio 4's the Today prog between 7.15 and 7.30. One with Lord Gus O'Donnell and the Swede credited with Sweden's very different approach to the rest of Europe.

O'Donnell was asking the question 'How much consideration is being given to people's other health and mental problems when deciding how and when we proceed with ending the lockdown' He made the point that the make up of the SAGE Group is unknown. Are there any 'behavioural experts included' He stopped short of saying folk might have to die for the good of others.But only just.
Just to make it clear. He was only asking questions not saying he was correct on what is an emotional subject. And I wouldn't put my summary of a few lines as necessarily an accurate account of what he said.

Anders Tegnell is a Swedish epidemiologist and expert who reckons it is OK to have gatherings up to 50 and leave pubs and restaurants open. They do have more deaths than other Nordic countries but he believes the immunity Swedes will get will protect them better in the future. When asked 'If he was sure if this was the best way forward' he replied 'No one can be sure'

If interested listen back rather than accept my recall of what was said. It does highlight how even the most eminent scientists can't agree

Anders Tegnell is ”the State Chief Epidemiologist of Sweden”, or whatever that would be called in English.

There are other reasons to Sweden having more deaths than eg Norway and Finland. Our homes for the elderly have been sadly neglected over the years, people who work there are orten not esp trained/skilled/educated, many work zero hour contracts, and generally have poor working conditions. In Norway homes for the elderly are more like nursery homes with better qualified staff, better possibilities to seal off wards that have been infected etc.

A majority of our deaths are of Somali and Iraqi descent, Finland have over the years almost zero immigration.

Then, the overall view here is to look at the bigger picture, and also take into account how many deaths and health problems lock downs and similar measures cause, many believe they’d cause more, and I tend to agree.

Then, the international media picture sometimes say ”Sweden haven’t done anything, everything goes on as usual” - well, that’s simply not true.

Some countries with early and severe lock downs have been hit really hard, eg Belgium.

This is very complex and there is no way now to know about ”the best and most correct way to go about it”.

And, yes, I do blame China.

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

Anders Tegnell is ”the State Chief Epidemiologist of Sweden”, or whatever that would be called in English.

There are other reasons to Sweden having more deaths than eg Norway and Finland. Our homes for the elderly have been sadly neglected over the years, people who work there are orten not esp trained/skilled/educated, many work zero hour contracts, and generally have poor working conditions. In Norway homes for the elderly are more like nursery homes with better qualified staff, better possibilities to seal off wards that have been infected etc.

A majority of our deaths are of Somali and Iraqi descent, Finland have over the years almost zero immigration.

Then, the overall view here is to look at the bigger picture, and also take into account how many deaths and health problems lock downs and similar measures cause, many believe they’d cause more, and I tend to agree.

Then, the international media picture sometimes say ”Sweden haven’t done anything, everything goes on as usual” - well, that’s simply not true.

Some countries with early and severe lock downs have been hit really hard, eg Belgium.

This is very complex and there is no way now to know about ”the best and most correct way to go about it”.

And, yes, I do blame China.

Your comments re care homes for the elderly could have been written about the UK.

He came across really well. I really liked his candour and made some sense to me. He freely admitted that even as an expert he didn't know if his ideas were the best in contrast to many both experts and non-experts here and I guess everywhere who are convinced they have all the answers. It was called 'herd immunity' here. Let people catch it in a 'controlled' way ensuring hospitals could cope. He commented Sweden had managed this.

I certainly don't see it as 'Sweden doing nothing.' I said early on not locking down early etc and taking a different approach was the brave approach not the cowardly way our govt was, and still is being accused of.

Stay safe.

Here is a link to the programme if you are able to access. Your guy is on at about 1hour 21mins in

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000hhsn

[SwedishBaggie]

Your comments re care homes for the elderly could have been written about the UK.

He came across really well. I really liked his candour and made some sense to me. He freely admitted that even as an expert he didn't know if his ideas were the best in contrast to many both experts and non-experts here and I guess everywhere who are convinced they have all the answers. It was called 'herd immunity' here. Let people catch it in a 'controlled' way ensuring hospitals could cope. He commented Sweden had managed this.

I certainly don't see it as 'Sweden doing nothing.' I said early on not locking down early etc and taking a different approach was the brave approach not the cowardly way our govt was, and still is being accused of.

Stay safe.

Here is a link to the programme if you are able to access. Your guy is on at about 1hour 21mins in

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000hhsn

Cheers mate, I’ll have a look, stay safe. 😊

[SwedishBaggie]

Your comments re care homes for the elderly could have been written about the UK.

He came across really well. I really liked his candour and made some sense to me. He freely admitted that even as an expert he didn't know if his ideas were the best in contrast to many both experts and non-experts here and I guess everywhere who are convinced they have all the answers. It was called 'herd immunity' here. Let people catch it in a 'controlled' way ensuring hospitals could cope. He commented Sweden had managed this.

I certainly don't see it as 'Sweden doing nothing.' I said early on not locking down early etc and taking a different approach was the brave approach not the cowardly way our govt was, and still is being accused of.

Stay safe.

Here is a link to the programme if you are able to access. Your guy is on at about 1hour 21mins in

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000hhsn

Link worked - as you say he comes across really well.

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

Your Anders guy is making a name for himself with the BBC. This from the website.

Interesting how it's him fronting the response not the political leaders and how much public support the measures have. Was he known before coronavirus?
Some seem to think there are simple solutions but I reckon nothing in this is simple or straightforward. If you got 10 experts in a room you'd get 11 different solutions.

I really hope this immunity thing works for all our sakes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-52395866

[SwedishBaggie]

Your Anders guy is making a name for himself with the BBC. This from the website.

Interesting how it's him fronting the response not the political leaders and how much public support the measures have. Was he known before coronavirus?
Some seem to think there are simple solutions but I reckon nothing in this is simple or straightforward. If you got 10 experts in a room you'd get 11 different solutions.

I really hope this immunity thing works for all our sakes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-52395866

A good read and sum up.

Someone said that if all scientists were united and said the same thing, then we should really be worried. No simple solutions as you correctly say, and scientists always do tend to have different opinions.

I think Tegnell has been with the Swedish Public Health Agency for, at least, more than a decade, not as State Epidemiologist all the time though (think he was Deputy State Epidemiologist before). Famous before, to the public I’d say no - but without epidemics or pandemics I think these kind of people are not known to the public.

I think it is better to have him as an expert answering questions and delivering messages than politicians without a clue.

And one also has to take into account what will happen after a severe lock down? And, the health hazards of lock downs etc. Eg, there is a 63 % higher risk of mortality if you are unemployed.

Written from my local, with social distancing. 😎

[Albionic68]

......Written from my local, with social distancing. 😎

No need to rub it in you piss taking tw@t, written from a chair in the back garden with the sun beating down and a nice cold Henry Westons Oak Aged Vintage Cider (8.2%) on the go 😎 .

[SwedishBaggie]

No need to rub it in you piss taking tw@t, written from a chair in the back garden with the sun beating down and a nice cold Henry Westons Oak Aged Vintage Cider (8.2%) on the go 😎 .

🤣😂🤪

Take care and stay safe mate. 😊

[SwedishBaggie]

Interesting read today what the State Epidemiologist of Finland had to say in an interview. Finland have much fewer deaths than Sweden, and have had a very strict lock down from early on.

He said that they have contained the virus too well, too few have caught the virus, which means that they will ”never” see the end of the pandemic and may face a peak mid autumn.

And, one should of course not forget considering the health hazards of strict lock downs.