Follow the Swedish Example and Keep Your Promises
We have been pursuing the wrong policy. Apparently we are being "led by the science" but the scientific community do not universally agree that lockdowns are the solution. Sweden has the same infections curve as us but they have managed to maintain a relatively open society and contain the infection. The basic social distancing and hygiene measures we had in place before the total lockdown are enough. The UK and Scottish government were panicked into acting after seeing modelling data from the Imperial College, London. Neil Ferguson has a track record of being very wrong when it comes to virus outbreaks. Why are we even listening to him? The Swedes have it right. The continuation of the lockdown is also a betrayal of trust. We were originally told that we needed a lockdown to "flatten the curve". We have done that. The NHS has masses of spare capacity. [The hospital at the SECC hasn't even been used.] There was no mention of a lockdown in perpetuity to deal with an as yet non-existent second wave. The SNP government was quick to remove our freedoms; it needs to be equally quick at returning them. This may go against the big state instincts of a partisan nationalist government, but it needs to follow the Swedish example and trust the people to look after themselves.
Why the contribution is important
The economic, educational and psychological well being of the nation is slowly being eroded. Quite simply, people have had enough. In order to maintain the trust of the Scottish people, the government needs to show that it trusts them. We are not stupid. We can follow the government advice without becoming prisoners in our own homes. If the NHS was created to look after the nation's health, then we must allow it to do so. If the virus is now mainly affecting care homes, then these places must be given maximum protection. Further research is now showing that many of the assumptions behind the lockdown are flawed. We need to be more open and avoid destroying the very society we are trying to save. The First Minister talks about the "grown up" conversation. Frankly, this is an empty sound bite. There has been no grown up conversation. Instead we are being talked down to and not trusted to look after our own lives.
by bingscot on May 05, 2020 at 02:42PM
Posted by mg68 May 05, 2020 at 15:04
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Posted by iwhelan May 05, 2020 at 15:05
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Posted by POR May 05, 2020 at 15:21
Not allowed visitors so effectively in prison. Who are we protecting. ?? Don’t sneeze or cough over anyone and wash our hands and lets get back to normal. We did none of this in winter of 2017-2018 when Uk had over 50,000 excess deaths in winter and we didn’t shut economy. Let’s me move on. The hospitals can cope now
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Posted by JDalgleish May 05, 2020 at 15:26
Finally. I wasn’t sure if I was alone in this thinking. We must be reasonable in our expectations. Children and young people are struggling. The long term effects of a protracted lockdown will be profound, long lasting and far reaching.
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Posted by WestEndGus May 05, 2020 at 15:30
For example, from the tables at Statistica:
https://www.statista.com/[…]/
As of May 5th, the number of Covid-19 related deaths per million of population:
Sweden: 271.92 deaths per million of population
UK: 432.16 deaths per million of population
Belgium: (the highest death rate in Europe) 693.42 per million of population
and yet Sweden has the least ( almost non-existent ) restrictive social distancing rules and no 'lockdown'.
This isn't to make a political point.
I can accept that in the early stages of the epidemic when the NHS was unprepared, then it was prudent to impose a temporary lockdown, but now that the health services are prepared, possibly even over-prepared ( witness the unused SEC emergency hospital ), and in view of the extreme social and economic damage that the lockdown is causing I can't really see any rationale for its continuance.
Will there be a 'second wave' of infections?
Yes, of course there will, because most of us have been in lockdown for the last month, but it will probably be less widespread in its effects than the first wave, and unless we're to remain in lockdown in perpetuity or until a vaccine is discovered, then it's inevitable, so we may as well get it over with.
Finally I'd like to congratulate the Scottish Government on its honesty, transparency and communications, as demonstrated by this website. Thankyou & good luck!
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Posted by lggl May 05, 2020 at 15:30
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Posted by mbooth May 05, 2020 at 15:37
The human race has dealt with viruses, bacteria, diseases for thousands of years. We cannot continue with these levels of restrictions for the foreseeable future.
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Posted by Markxd May 05, 2020 at 15:53
One size fit's all strategy is not working - it's time to trust the people otherwise we will be in economic ruin for years
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Posted by AlisonS May 05, 2020 at 15:54
There has been no adult conversations, I'm sick of hearing 'this lockdown isn't ending anytime soon'
What's happened is horrible and I feel for those who have suffered in this but its not just the virus, the impact for our mental wellbeing and other health issues is unmeasurable and our economy just gets worse.
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Posted by richardps May 05, 2020 at 16:37
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Posted by dbridge964 May 05, 2020 at 16:47
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Posted by lggl May 05, 2020 at 17:07
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Posted by Scotelka May 05, 2020 at 17:13
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Posted by ljk84 May 05, 2020 at 17:23
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Posted by Iridium242 May 05, 2020 at 18:09
The graph on this page (https://www.businessinsider[…]onses-fatality-rates-2020-4) suggests that the Swedish per capita death rate is 6x that of Norway and Finland.
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Posted by nltcthgc May 05, 2020 at 19:14
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Posted by AJL May 05, 2020 at 20:12
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Posted by whuang May 06, 2020 at 00:44
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Posted by lindyloo May 06, 2020 at 07:39
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Posted by lmjdear May 06, 2020 at 08:03
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Posted by scottishgal23 May 06, 2020 at 11:49
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Posted by LauraAR May 06, 2020 at 15:37
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Posted by Ossian May 06, 2020 at 15:47
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Posted by Alasdrum May 06, 2020 at 18:00
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Posted by Kylesku May 06, 2020 at 20:59
I was about to post something similar but no need now.
Since we started the lockdown, Sweden has lower infection & death rates. I really dont see any need for any furher analysis.
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Posted by John1911 May 06, 2020 at 21:01
It's inconceivable the parties that foisted these laws upon us will admit any miscalculation because the damage done is already huge. They're going to play out the long game, constantly telling us they've saved countless lives, when I firmly believe the outcome will not be too different to a Swedish approach in terms of people lost.
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Posted by ZoeK May 06, 2020 at 21:34
We must learn to live with it.
Social interaction between loved ones must be reinstated with immediate effect.
Mental health and domestic/child abuse is on the extreme rise.
As is violence in communities.
We must think what is best for us and our own.
NO ONE is in control of anothers life.
We can NOT be kept as virtual prisoners no more.
Restore our freedom!
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Posted by emmasmith May 07, 2020 at 00:53
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Posted by Arete May 07, 2020 at 03:19
Sweden is reported to have already suffered nearly 10x the number of deaths of every other Scandinavian country, and it's not over yet. All completely avoidable. In heedless pursuit of the rawest form of natural selection. And to the advantage of whom, exactly...?
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Posted by costap May 07, 2020 at 11:17
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Posted by Julie May 07, 2020 at 13:29
Try to look beyond the headlines to the behaviour of these nations. As just one example Scotland has an obesity epidemic, some reports say the second highest level in the world. Obesity is proving to make recovery from Covid more difficult.
There are many other areas where (unfortunately) we don’t live or behave in the same way as those in Sweden so our approach can’t possibly be the same.
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Posted by Stewart20 May 07, 2020 at 23:44
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Posted by Bryn May 08, 2020 at 10:37
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Posted by erdabrown May 08, 2020 at 15:25
Risk can never be eliminated and the government has a responsibility to support it's population to accept this. Death is not the worst thing that can happen to a person
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Posted by MikeJohnston May 08, 2020 at 17:57
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Posted by Slider21212 May 08, 2020 at 18:24
Population London 10m, population Stockholm less than 1m.
Trying to compare lockdown outcomes is impossible
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Posted by HighlandLass May 08, 2020 at 18:44
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Posted by Kylesku May 08, 2020 at 21:56
Why wouldnt we follow their example.
We have one of the highest rates of any country, surely that means what we are doing isnt working ?
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Posted by XR May 09, 2020 at 11:37
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Posted by JLMBD May 09, 2020 at 14:36
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Posted by kpm321 May 10, 2020 at 17:22
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Posted by Cathol May 11, 2020 at 15:34
I appreciate lockdown may have worked if we had done it soon enough but I feel we where two months too late,..
Little being said of antibody testing, probably as it could prove a larger percentage of the population had been exposed to the virus, many with no or mild Symptoms.
We need to start acting on what we know now rather than what we feared two months ago!
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Posted by KimCheeko May 11, 2020 at 15:53
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Posted by Bek2020 May 11, 2020 at 20:59
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Posted by Brett May 11, 2020 at 21:31
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