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COVID-19

Number of coronavirus deaths in Sweden rises to 20

Authorities in Sweden reported on Saturday that the number of coronavirus linked deaths had risen to 20 and the number of people intensive care in hospitals was increasing.

Published: 21 March 2020 14:37 CET
Number of coronavirus deaths in Sweden rises to 20
A view of the virtually empty Stortorget square in Malmo, Sweden, March 18, 2020. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

On Saturday morning, 61 people were being treated in intensive care throughout the country's hospitals, compared to 50 people on Friday, figures from the Swedish Intensive Care Register show.

The average age of those in intensive care at the moment is 62.9 years.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Sweden is currently at 1746. But due to a change in how testing is carried out in order to best prioritise resources in the healthcare sector, the actual number of cases in Sweden is likely to be higher than the confirmed figure.

Sweden has changed the approach it's taking to coronavirus tests recently.

Authorities have shifted their focus away from testing all possible cases, and instead on protecting the most vulnerable groups. People with severe respiratory symptoms or who belong to a risk group will still be tested.

“The previous strategy of catching all cases of illness, by testing people who get symptoms after travelling in certain areas abroad, is no longer the most effective,” the Public Health Agency said. “This means that everyone who is sick with cold- or flu-like symptoms should be at home so as not to risk spreading the infection to others.”

That means anyone who is generally healthy but has symptoms of the coronavirus (including a fever and cough) is advised to stay at home and limit social contact until they have been symptom-free for at least two days, but they may not be tested.

READ ALSO: All the latest news about coronavirus in Sweden (paywall free)

 

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COVID-19

Public Health Agency recommends two Covid doses next year for elderly

Sweden's Public Health Agency is recommending that those above the age of 80 should receive two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine a year, once in the spring and once in the autumn, as it shifts towards a longer-term strategy for the virus.

Published: 23 December 2022 10:53 CET
Public Health Agency recommends two Covid doses next year for elderly

In a new recommendation, the agency said that those living in elderly care centres, and those above the age of 80 should from March 1st receive two vaccinations a year, with a six month gap between doses. 

“Elderly people develop a somewhat worse immune defence after vaccination and immunity wanes faster than among young and healthy people,” the agency said. “That means that elderly people have a greater need of booster doses than younger ones. The Swedish Public Health Agency considers, based on the current knowledge, that it will be important even going into the future to have booster doses for the elderly and people in risk groups.” 

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People between the ages of 65 and 79 years old and young people with risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, poor kidney function or high blood pressure, are recommended to take one additional dose per year.

The new vaccination recommendation, which will start to apply from March 1st next year, is only for 2023, Johanna Rubin, the investigator in the agency’s vaccination programme unit, explained. 

She said too much was still unclear about how long protection from vaccination lasted to institute a permanent programme.

“This recommendation applies to 2023. There is not really an abundance of data on how long protection lasts after a booster dose, of course, but this is what we can say for now,” she told the TT newswire. 

It was likely, however, that elderly people would end up being given an annual dose to protect them from any new variants, as has long been the case with influenza.

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