ABSTRACT
In Sweden, the task of responding to the coronavirus was handed over to the Public Health Authority (PHA), in line with the general approach of putting scientific bodies in control rather than political ones. The aim was clear from the beginning, namely to make sure that the number of citizens needing care was not rising above the capacity of the health system, not to stop the spreading completely. As health and elderly care are delegated to municipalities and regions, and as the obligation for these to keep a sufficient store of protective equipment for a pandemic has been abandoned, they were not able to uphold the necessary standard of protection. Furthermore, the absence of direct management prolonged the time of response, as did a lack of competence in the employees. This led to a large number of deaths among the sick and elderly. The general praise for the policy, to not close down society but rely on people’s own measures, setting Sweden aside in an international perspective, turned to strong criticism as the death toll kept rising and the PHA stuck to their explanation of the policy as the only viable one.
