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COVID-19

Tell us: Has the pandemic affected your friendships in Sweden?

People in Sweden are expected to limit socialising only to a small bubble, but it's not only the restrictions that may have have impacted friendships in a country that's already known as being a difficult place to meet people.

Tell us: Has the pandemic affected your friendships in Sweden?
Have your friendships been strengthened by one-on-one outdoor meetings, or worsened by restrictions and differing views? Photo: Tina Axelsson/imagebank.sweden.se

Note: We have now closed the survey below, and published an article featuring some of the responses. Thanks to those who responded and shared your thoughts, which we are sure will help other The Local readers. If you missed the survey but want to share a story or question about Covid-19 or life in Sweden, please email [email protected].

We want to hear from our readers about whether and how the pandemic has changed your personal relationships.

Whether you feel your friendships have grown stronger, weaker, or just different, let us know by filling out the short form below, and we will share some of your responses in a future article.

Perhaps you’ve got to know a neighbour through helping them with their shopping, or have found more time to keep in touch with friends ‘back home’?

Perhaps different views on how to apply Sweden’s coronavirus restrictions to your daily life have caused a rift, or being required to limit socialising has changed what your days look like? 

Share your perspective, and any tips you have for maintaining friendships during a pandemic. 

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Thanks for sharing your thoughts with The Local.  

In the past year, we have made an extra effort to raise your voices on The Local, for example by asking for your opinions on the Swedish response to the pandemic (we did this in April, in June, and in December).

We have also written about specific situations and challenges facing groups of readers, including people belonging to risk groups, those who moved to Sweden during the pandemic, the international student experience, how your workplaces responded, long-distance relationships, challenges facing new parents, and what the pandemic meant for you Christmas plans

If you want to tell us something or ask a question, whether related to Covid-19 or life in Sweden more generally, you can always contact our editorial team at [email protected] as well as keeping an eye out for reader surveys.

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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.

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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