Sweden has nearly 10 times the number of COVID-19-related deaths than its Nordic neighbors. Here's where they went wrong.

• Sweden, which has yet to order any lockdown amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, has seen 14,777 COVID-19 cases so far, and 1,580 deaths from the virus.
• The virus has been more nearly ten times more deadly in Sweden than other Nordic countries.
• Norway, which has half as many people, has seen 7,127 cases, and just 181 deaths, and Finland, which has a population similar to Norway's, has seen 3,868 COVID-19 cases and 94 deaths.
• Charts released by Pantheon Macroeconomics show that Sweden's cases have yet to plateau, while Norway's case count appears to be on a downslide.
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Sweden's controversial coronavirus strategy has led to nearly ten times the number of deaths of other Nordic countries, and it serves as counter-argument to US citizens who are calling for the country to re-open.

Sweden has yet to order any lockdowns amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to AFP. The country has left schools, restaurants, and gyms open, and while the government banned gatherings over 50 people and urged residents to self-isolate, life appears to be mostly unchanged.

Sweden's lack of strict lockdowns is in contrast to the rest of Europe, and it has yet to see a downturn in COVID-19 cases. The country, which has a population of 10.23 million, has seen 14,777 cases so far, and 1,580 deaths from the virus.

Sweden's Nordic neighbors, Norway and Finland, approached the virus differently, and it could be why they're facing just a fraction of COVID-19-related deaths

Norway went into lockdown in mid-March, closing schools, restaurants, cultural events, gyms, and tourist attractions. It also banned outside travelers. Finland, which has been stockpiling medical supplies since the Cold War, restricted border traffic, banned gatherings of 10 or more people, and closed schools as part of its coronavirus guidelines.

Norway, which has only 5.368 million people, has seen 7,127 cases, and just 181 deaths. Finland, with a population of 5.5 million, has seen 3,868 COVID-19 cases and 94 deaths.

Anders Tegnell, the state epidemiologist who created Sweden's relaxed coronavirus response plan, told local media that the country's fatality rates show the spread of the virus is starting to "plateau," according to Bloomberg.

Charts released by Pantheon Macroeconomics, however, contradict Tegnell. Sweden's COVID-19 cases appear to still be rising, and Norway's appear to already be on a downslide.

Bo Lundback, professor of epidemiology at the University of Gothenburg, told Agence Frances-Press that a change needs to happen.

"The authorities and the government stupidly did not believe that the epidemic would reach Sweden at all," he said.

About 2,300 academics signed an open letter last month calling for Sweden to reconsider its approach to the virus, according to Fox News.

Cecilia Soderberg-Naucler, a professor at the Karolinska Institute who signed the letter, told Fox News: "We must establish control over the situation, we cannot head into a situation where we get complete chaos. No one has tried this route, so why should we test it first in Sweden, without informed consent?"

Swedes, so far, have been refraining from travel, according to Bloomberg, and Foreign Minister Ann Linde said in an interview with Radio Sweden that its rules "affect the whole society," according to Bloomberg.

While Sweden has had more COVID-19 deaths than Finland and Norway, HSBC Global Research economist James Pomeroy told Bloomberg that Sweden's COVID-19 strategy might help its economy bounce back more quickly than it will in other countries because businesses were able to remain open.

"While Sweden's unwillingness to lock down the country could ultimately prove to be ill-judged, for now, if the infection curve flattens out soon, the economy could be better placed to rebound," he said.

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