Sky-high death rates and a "life-threatening experiment". This has been reported in foreign media about Sweden's corona strategy.
A picture that journalist James Longman, 34, from the American television giant ABC wanted to nuance during his trip to Stockholm.
But he was not convinced that Sweden had chosen the right path.
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The picture I had before I came here was that life is as usual here, while the death toll shoots up. That's how foreign media have reported on Sweden, says James Longman when Aftonbladet meets him in Stockholm.
The picture of Sweden is changing
But while the closures are being extended around the world, he says he sees a shift in both public opinion and media reporting in the United States regarding Sweden's strategy. This is despite the fact that President Donald Trump has repeatedly pointed out Sweden as a terrible example.
- I would not be surprised if Trump too starts talking positively about Sweden's strategy soon, says James Longman.
He says that critics of the US shutdowns and quarantine have begun to highlight Sweden as an example of success.
Many Americans now want the United States to go the same route as Sweden to deal with the pandemic.
- Americans are bored. They don't want to quarantine anymore. So they have a simplified picture of: "Look, we can do what Sweden does!". But we are trying to explain to them why Sweden can handle the virus in a way that is not possible in the US.
"You look at the whole"
He emphasizes Swedish welfare, that the number of people with underlying illnesses is fewer and that the inequalities are smaller in society. Factors that he believes allow Sweden to handle the crisis without having to shut down the entire country.
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In his report to millions of American viewers, James Longman has tried to explain that Sweden is in a "voluntary shutdown". But after a few days in the Swedish capital, he is not convinced that we have chosen the right path. In cafes, restaurants and in parks he has seen people crowding and not keeping distance from each other.
- The idea of a voluntary shutdown is nice in theory, but seems to be difficult for people in practice. It seems stressful for individual business owners to understand what is right or wrong. We have talked to cafe owners who thought it would be easier if the government just told them to shut down, because now they do not understand the recommendations.
- In the United States, there is a kind of relief that someone tells you what to do. In Sweden, it seems tough for people to make all the decisions themselves, says James Longman.
He points out that no one yet knows the outcome of how the pandemic is handled in different countries.
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. Furthermore, we are quite dependent on the success of the economies of other countries, so our economy will suffer (and is suffering) regardless of our strategy. What I have seen discussed, though, is financial support to businesses.