First paragraph - "Unlike other countries, Sweden never went in to complete lockdown. Non-essential businesses have remained open, people have continued to go to cafés and restaurants, children have remained in school, and very few people have bothered with face masks in public."
"Now, increasing numbers of workers are also coming forward to criticise regional healthcare authorities for protocols which they say discourage care home workers from sending residents into hospital, and prevent care home and nursing staff from administering oxygen without a doctor's approval, either as part of acute or palliative (end-of-life) services.
"'We were told not to send them in'
"They told us that we shouldn't send anyone to the hospital, even if they may be 65 and have many years to live. We were told not to send them in," says Latifa Löfvenberg, a nurse who worked in several care homes around Gävle, north of Stockholm, at the beginning of the pandemic.
""Some can have a lot of years left to live with loved ones, but they don't have the chance... because they never make it to the hospital," she says. "They suffocate to death. And it's a lot of panic and it's very hard to just stand by and watch."" (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52704836)
My understanding is that Sweden avoided overcrowded hospitals by only offering palliative care (which doesn't include oxygen) to the elderly.
Sweden has adopted virtually every recommendations without it being mandated. This is an enormous difference from some Florida Man arguing why lockdowns are unnecessary. As much as people focus on face masks, in Sweden the sparsity of people given their response makes it much less of a necessity.
There you go -- read about Swedes talking about their COVID-19 experience. It is a universe removed from normal, or what Florida-man-using-Sweden-as-their-no-biggie-example claims.
Someone had an ill considered party. Despite the amazing herd immunity nonsense this guy is arguing (again, contrary to the entire expert community), most of the partiers got COVID. Ooops!
Swedish schools closed for the summer break just as COVID was peaking. They return in just over a week. Businesses are sparse because few people are shopping. Restaurants and bars were closed, and other than that have strict reduced occupancy.
But Florida man is sure that Everything Is Normal. It's hilarity. That "look they didn't close their schools"...when they were closed regardless. Hurr.
"And masks aren't mandated, but most people are wearing them?"
Masks are necessary when you're in close proximity to other people. Swedes aren't getting in close proximity to other people. Are you getting this?
The Cult of Idiocy that has overtaken the US isn't there in Sweden. Florida in their highest level of lockdown has dramatically more social interaction than Sweden minus it.
