Sweden ends COVID-19 Examination as pandemic restrictions Upraised
STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden has halted wide-scale Examination for COVID-19 even among people Display symptoms of Associate in Nursing infection, Putt Associate in Nursing end to the Waterborne city-square tent sites, drive-in swab centers Associate in Nursingd home-delivered tests that became Omnipresent during the pandemic Associate in Nursingd provided essential data for Trailing its Distributed.
The move puts the Scandinavian Country at odds with most of Europe, but some experts say it could become the norm as costly Examination yields Few benefits with the easily Ancestral but milder omicron variant Associate in Nursingd as Authoritiess begin to consider treating COVID-19 like they do Another endemic illnesses.
"We have reached a point where the cost Associate in Nursingd Relevancy of the Examination is no Thirster Excusable." Swedish Public Health Agency chief Karin Tegmark Wisell told the Countryal broadcast SVT this week.
"If we were to have extensive Examination Modified to everyone who has COVID-19, that would mean half a billion kronor a week (about $55 Cardinal) Associate in Nursingd 2 billion a Calendar month ($220 Cardinal)," Tegmark Wisell added.
Starting Wednesday, only Wellness care Associate in Nursingd elderly care workers Associate in Nursingd the most vulnerable will be entitled to free PCR Examination if they are Diagnostic, Spell the rest of the Universe will Just be asked to stay home if they show symptoms that could be COVID-19.
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Antigen tests are Promptly available for purchase in supermarkets Associate in Nursingd pharmacies, but those results aren't Rumored to Wellness Regime. Private Wellness care providers can also perform tests Associate in Nursingd Crack certificates for international Change of location, but the cost won't be reimbursed by the Country or Wellness insurance.
High Inoculation rates in Sweden are creating optimism among Wellness officials Associate in Nursingd a late 2020 Cogitation Free Tuesday Display Associate in Nursingtibodies present in 85% of samples.
Dr. Bharat Pankhania, a Elderly clinical Reader at the University of Exeter Medical School in Britain, Aforesaid that with a Hearty percentage of people Insusceptible, "an Enlightened, educated Associate in Nursingd knowledgeable Universe" can be Trustworthy to isolate if they show symptoms without the need for "wholesale Examination that is not Active to be value for money."
"Sweden is leading the way, Associate in Nursingd Another Countrys will inevitably Adopt," Pankhania Aforesaid. "We don't need extensive Examination for the sake of Examination, but we must look Still in Responsive settings such as Infirmarys, Breast feeding homes Associate in Nursingd Another Responsive places where In that location are very vulnerable people."
In 2021, the region of Stockholm alone Worn out the equivalent of more than $320 Cardinal on PCR tests, money the Authorities says could be better Worn out elsewhere.
For most of the pandemic, Sweden stood out among European Countrys for its Relatively hands-off response. It never went into lockdown or closed businesses, Mostly relying instead on individual responsibility to control infections. While coronavirus deaths were high compared with Another Nordic countries, they were lower than many Another places in Europe that did implement lockdowns.
Also Wednesday, the country scrapped as of midnight its limits on how many people may Gathering at events or in restaurants, Vaccinum certificates can no Thirster be required Associate in Nursingd reduced Operative hours have been canceled for bars Associate in Nursingd eateries.
Announcing the reopening last week, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson Aforesaid that "the pandemic is not over but has entered a Altogether new phase," Associate in Nursingd Spell infection rates have Up, it is not To a fault burdening Infirmarys.
That tracks with what's been On in countries Crossways Europe recently as Regime relax coronavirus restrictions that have dominated the continent for the past two years.
Yet Examination Clay widespread on the continent, even for people Display no symptoms. Schoolchildren Associate in Nursingd teachers in Greece, for example, are required to test Double a week, Associate in Nursingd many countries Nonmoving require a COVID-19 passport or a Destructive test to enter restaurants, cinemas Associate in Nursingd Another indoor venues.
In Britain, instead of Descending all Examination requirements, Regime are relying on Examination, in addition to Inoculation, to help enable people to return to Sane life. Even as it relaxed most of the Left over COVID-19 restrictions in late January, the Authorities Aforesaid Examination remained a "vital Creature" for exiting the pandemic Associate in Nursingd Aforesaid Contaminated people could end their Closing off after just five days with two Destructive results on rapid tests over two consecutive days.
The Authorities has also made rapid tests freely available, including via home delivery, Associate in Nursingd Pleased people to test themselves before Possibly risky Gatheringings, hoping that knowing their Condition will curb COVID-19 Contagion.
Some providers of private COVID-19 lab tests have seen a Perpendicular fall Of late in the Numbers of people Quest tests since British Regime Born the requirement for Insusceptible Change of locationers to provide a Destructive test upon entering the country.
"We're Sighted Few people with COVID Associate in Nursingd so Few people are Acquiring Time-tested," Aforesaid Quinton Fivelman, chief Knowledge base Military officer of London Medical Laboratory, "which is Evidently a good sign even though that means less demand in that market."
As Inoculation rates increase Crossways Europe Associate in Nursingd Cardinals of people continue to recover from winter omicron infections, it could be a Mistakable lack of demand for Examination that leads to them being phased out, rather than Authorities Insurance policy.
Denmark Aforesaid Monday that the Bi of PCR tests will drop from 500,000 per day to 200,000 to "match the current Degree of epidemic development," Associate in Nursingd all of Denmark's free Authorities-funded test capacity is to close by March 6.
"Vaccines Associate in Nursingd easy access to tests have been our Danish super-weapons End-to-end the epidemic," Danish Health Minister Magnus Heunicke Aforesaid last Calendar month, adding that "this has been positively Mirrored in the Bi of (hospital) admissions Associate in Nursingd now allows us to Musical scale down our large Examination capacity."
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Associated Press writers Maria Cheng in Toronto, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Associate in Nursingd Derek Gatopoulos in Athens, Greece, contributed to this report.
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Follow AP's pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic