Sweden is beating coronavirus because of widespread immunity after refusing to lock down, country claims
SWEDEN'S health experts have claimed they are beating coronavirus because of immunity after refusing to go into lockdown.
Sweden, which controversially never went into lockdown and has rejected the use of masks, currently has a 14-day case rate of 36.6 per 100,000, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
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In France, that rate is 59.8 per 100,000 - despite implementing a strict lockdown and stringent mask measures.
Spain's 14-day case rate is 152.7 and the UK is 22.3.
Arne Elofsson, a professor in biometrics at Stockholm University, said: "Sweden is doing fine. Strict rules do not work as people seem to break them."
The Scandinavian country recorded 399 new cases on Friday and 258 on Saturday.
Stefan Lofven, the prime minister, insisted on Friday their response to the pandemic was right.
He told the newspaper Dagens Nyheter: "The strategy that we adopted, I believe is right - to protect individuals, limit the spread of the infection.
"What has been discussed most, and what we did differently in Sweden, was that we did not close schools. Now there are quite a few people who think we were right."
From the beginning in the global outbreak, Sweden introduced voluntary social-distancing rules, home-working and recommendations for people to avoid public transport.
The compulsory measures that were brought in included a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people, restrictions on visiting care homes, and table-only service in bars and restaurants.
However, the decision to not lockdown has come with consequences.
A total of 5,810 Swedes have died of Covid-19 - significantly higher than its neighbours Norway, Denmark and Finland.
Anders Tegnell, the top epidemiologist leading the response to Sweden's pandemic, claimed the infection rates of Spain, Belgium and France have increased after mask mandates in public spaces came in.
He said last week: "The belief that masks can solve our problem is very dangerous."
When looking at the total number of people infected since the pandemic began, Sweden has one of the highest figures in Europe with 843 cases per 100,000.
That is more than double of France - recording 349 cases per 100,000.
However, Dr Tegnell claims the higher level of cases indicates a form of immunity among the population by people carrying antibodies for Covid-19.
Dr Tegnell told the Unherd website last month: "What we are seeing now in Sweden is a rapid decline in the number of cases, and of course some sort of immunity must be responsible for that since nothing else has changed."
A study published last week by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm people who test negative for antibodies may still have a high level of immunity.
Dr Tegnell said: "I think it is likely that such outbreaks will be easier to control in Sweden because there is immunity among the population."
Professor Marcus Buggert, an immunologist at the institute, said: "T-cells are a type of white blood cells that are specialised in recognising virus-infected cells.
"Our results indicate that roughly twice as many people have developed T-cell immunity compared with those who we can detect antibodies in."
Earlier this month, the BBC pointed out that Sweden's antibody rate is fairly similar to the UK's.
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The broadcaster said it compared with 17 per cent of Londoners found with coronavirus antibodies when tested in April and May, and five-to-ten per cent of people living in Geneva.
Sweden has faced sharp criticism for the government's decision to not lockdown.
In April when the country's death toll surpassed 1,000, the country's scientists accused "officials without talent” of having “no well-thought-out, well-functioning strategy".