Throughout large parts of the pandemic, Sweden has had a higher infection pressure than its neighboring countries, and at most there were more than ten times as many hospitalized in Swedish hospitals as in Norway.
When the omicron variant of the coronavirus was discovered in late November, Europe was hit by another wave of infections. Country after country – including Norway – constantly reported new infection records. But in Sweden the situation was different, and in early December, Sweden was one of the countries in Europe that was least affected by the pandemic, according to Aftonbladet.
Now, however, the spread of infection has accelerated in Sweden as well, and it is only a matter of time before the country’s infection record (11,376 cases) from 2020 is broken.
Now they fear a repeat
– A pressured situation
In Jämtland and Härjedalen, the infection has increased at record speed after Christmas. Never before has the region registered so many daily cases of infection as now.
This week, almost 900 new cases of infection have been registered so far. That is more than twice as many as the week before, when the total number was 382, writes Expressen.
– This is probably the strongest increase we have seen, says infection control doctor Lisa Fohlin to the radio channel Ekot.
About half of the cases are omicron.
There are several popular winter sports resorts in the region, such as Åre, Vemdalen and Östersund. Several of these resorts experienced a large order pressure ahead of Christmas and New Year, and assistant infection control doctor in the region, Lisa Fohlin, does not rule out that the increase in infection may be related to many visitors during the holidays.