Sweden Sees No Signs So Far Herd Immunity Is Stopping Virus

[TexasTowelie]

There’s little evidence that herd immunity is helping Sweden combat the coronavirus, according to the country’s top epidemiologist.

“The issue of herd immunity is difficult,” Anders Tegnell said at a briefing in Stockholm on Tuesday. “We see no signs of immunity in the population that are slowing down the infection right now.”

Swedes have been more exposed to the virus than their neighbors elsewhere in the Nordic region, and every third Stockholmer tested has antibodies, according to figures published this week. That’s after the country famously opted against a lockdown, relying instead on voluntary measures.

Tegnell has in the past said that herd immunity is hard to measure and even questioned official figures. Swedish authorities have made clear that immunity isn’t a policy goal, but the nation’s exposure to the virus makes it an obvious test case for observing the theory.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-24/sweden-says-it-sees-no-signs-herd-immunity-is-stopping-the-virus

[Aussie105]

1. We see no signs the infection is slowing down?

No, of course not.

For herd immunity, either through exposure and survival or vaccination, the antibody must be present in at least 95% of the population.
That reduces the transmission rate to below that of a pandemic.

Currently it's at 1 in 3, and that has taken about 1 year.
So give it another 3 years, with three times the infected people and three times the deaths, you may have natural herd immunity.
Are they prepared to do that?

Don't these Swedes know anything?

Fortunately, there will be a vaccine long before that.

[Terry_M]

4. Where did you get 95% from?

Some viruses might need 95%. Common estimates for Covid are 70%. Now even that's finicky - that is if you have 70% immune evenly everywhere you go, if you have it, you spread it to less than 1 person and they spread it to less than 1 person on average. A 70% that isn't even (ie 75% in most places but 50% in anti-vaxx pockets) will mean it will keep flaring up in those anti-vaxx pockets.

[underpants]

2. Oh they did a "recalibrate" did they? Hmm they were the rightwing gold standard

of ignoring basically science and casting the elderly off to die. Gee, hadn’t heard much about them until now. Funny that.

[Buckeyeblue]

3. I still wonder if this is really a 1 and done virus

Maybe they only see antibodies in 1 in 3 is that the antibodies go away after time. They (we) are chasing an immunity that does exist.

[Gothmog]

5. Herd immunity does not work

[robbedvoter]

6. It does. But with vaccinations. Not with getting people sick.

Sweeds and Agolf got it genocide wrong.

[Renew Deal]

7. Because it doesn't stop the virus

It accelerates it until around 70-80% are infected.

[ironman99]

8. Herd Immunity?????

Every time I hear this moronic term I think back to pre-vaccine Anthrax. Did farmers and ranchers let an infected animal run around with the rest of the herd? NO!!!!!!

It was isolated behind the barn and put down for the good of the rest of the herd.

[WyattKansas]

9. So with tRUMP's overwhelming DEFEAT, did his snake oil quack Scott Atlas go into hiding?

I haven't heard him in the news lately, especially after cases began exploding all over the U.S. with his 'herd mentality' nonsense... Did he just disappear under a rock somewhere to hide his ignorance?