COVID-19: Should school and business closings be mandatory? Canada: yes, Sweden: No!

COVID-19: Should school and business closings be mandatory? Canada: yes, Sweden: no! Unlike Canada, the Swedish strategy was liberal. They recommended that high schools & universities switch to online education (but not #mandatory#closures of #schools and #businesses)(CBCNews).

Data (OurWorldinData, 01-01 - 04-06) on the daily positive cases and deaths in Sweden compared to its neighboring countries, Denmark, Finland and Norway (Figure shows the frequencies).

The detection of cases began simultaneously in 4 countries in early March & has gradually increased. Deaths reported 2 weeks late in mid-March & continued to grow. The regression lines for cases & deaths were similar in 4 countries. Therefore, Sweden was not different from its neighboring countries, which calls into question the compulsory school & business closures.

--- What about the following days when they reach the peak of the curve? Although the real result remains to be seen, similar regression lines predict no difference in prevalence, which is the novel finding of this study.

Let's hope that Swedish and Canadian HA has designed a dynamic strategy that could be modified as soon as the evidence shifted. -Taking to account that life matters, livelihood also maters.

Subject to limitation. Reza Afshari