45005
  • Log in
The Daily Sceptic
No Result
View All Result
  • Articles
  • About
  • Archive
    • ARCHIVE
    • NEWS ROUND-UPS
  • Forum
  • Donate
  • Newsletter
The Daily Sceptic
No Result
View All Result

Finland: The Covid Success Story No-One is Talking About

by Dr Oliver Robinson
8 March 2021 10:26 PM

by Dr. Oliver Robinson

Finland has not implemented a lockdown at any point during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, compared with its neighbour Sweden, which has been in the constant media spotlight for its lack of lockdowns, Finland’s avoidance of them has gone largely unacknowledged.

The measures that Finland has imposed have not come close to the OECD definition of a lockdown (i.e., stay at home order plus school closures of non-essential business/venue closures). Finland has never implemented a stay-at-home order, or a limit on household mixing or any restriction on travel within the country, just non-binding guidance. So, what interventions did the Finnish Government make? From March to May 2020, schools were closed, public meetings were limited to 10 people, borders were shut and citizens returning from abroad were put into quarantine. Guidance was given to people with symptoms to stay at home, and over-70s were requested to avoid social contact unless essential (this last measure is notably similar to the Great Barrington Declaration’s proposed approach of ‘focused protection’). On June 1st, the number of people allowed to meet was increased to 50 and public indoor places were opened gradually. Since then, various selective international travel restrictions have been imposed.

According to the Blavatnik School of Government’s COVID-19 Response Tracker, Finland’s response to COVID-19 was marginally stricter than Sweden from March to early April 2020, then the same level of strictness from April to May, then less strict than Sweden, something which remains true to this day. You can check for yourself here.

So how has Finland done in terms of health outcomes during the pandemic? Exceptionally well. In terms of mortality, Finland has the second lowest Covid deaths per million in the whole of Europe. Its excess deaths statistics have never increased above of the normal range, as you can see in the below graph, which covers the beginning of 2020 to February 2021. England is shown as a comparison.

(Euromomo)

What’s the explanation? Is it down to low population density? Unlikely. Finland may be a large country with a small population, but over 85% of its population lives in towns and cities, where opportunity for viral transmission is the same as in more urban areas. Furthermore, somewhat surprisingly, research shows no relationship between Covid mortality rates and population density.

How about obesity? Are Finns unusually thin? No. The obesity level is average for European countries at 22% (same as Belgium).

One factor that helped Finland may be the early border closures and border quarantine for the first few months, which research shows can be effective in the early stages of this pandemic. But this is a long way from the Zero Covid approach of New Zealand or Australia. Finland’s borders have been open to the majority of countries since May 2020.

Another factor could be Finland’s intensive focus on building public health into all aspects of Finnish life. For example, Vitamin D deficiency is a predictor of COVID-19 disease, and Finland has mandatory fortification of milk and margarine with Vitamin D. Or another more tenuous suggestion is that Finns are prolific users of saunas, and there’s some research evidence that saunas boost the immune function.

Whatever the reason, one thing is for sure: Finland is an important case study in showing that success in managing the COVID-19 pandemic is NOT a function of strict lockdowns. Finland shows that if you manage your borders properly, keep people healthy, active and social connected, and give them clear information not panic-inducing propaganda, a pandemic need not turn into a catastrophe.

Dr Oliver Robinson is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Greenwich.

Tags: FinlandSweden

Donate

We depend on your donations to keep this site going. Please give what you can.

Donate Today

Comment on this Article

You’ll need to set up an account to comment if you don’t already have one. We ask for a minimum donation of £5 if you'd like to make a comment or post in our Forums.

Sign Up
Previous Post

Can We Trust the Government Ever Again?

Next Post

Government’s Long, Slow Walk to Freedom is Costing Billions and Makes No Sense

NEWSLETTER

View today’s newsletter

To receive our latest news in the form of a daily email, enter your details here:

DONATE

PODCAST

Nick Dixon and Toby Young Talk About the Davos Elites’ Prolific Use of Prostitutes, Clarkson’s Fightback and the Government’s Bizarre Plan to Ban Discouraging Teens From Becoming Trans

by Will Jones
24 January 2023
1

LISTED ARTICLES

  • Most Read
  • Most Commented
  • Editors Picks

Pfizer Doing Gain-of-Function Research to Mutate Covid and Make More Vaccines, Says Pfizer Executive in Explosive Undercover Video

26 January 2023
by Will Jones

U.K. Becomes Latest Country to Ban Covid Boosters for Under-50s

25 January 2023
by Will Jones

The Link Between the Massive Drop in Birth Rates and mRNA Vaccines is Undeniable

24 January 2023
by Dr Sven Román and Dr Jonathan Gilthorpe

Andrew Bridgen Sues Matt Hancock for £100,000 Over Anti-Semitic Smear in Vaccine Row

26 January 2023
by Will Jones

You Can’t Make It Up

26 January 2023
by Noah Carl

The Disastrous Covid Vaccines Risk Tarring All Vaccines With the Same Brush

62

Pfizer Doing Gain-of-Function Research to Mutate Covid and Make More Vaccines, Says Pfizer Executive in Explosive Undercover Video

40

Andrew Bridgen Sues Matt Hancock for £100,000 Over Anti-Semitic Smear in Vaccine Row

29

News Round-Up

27

Deaths Running 26% Above Pre-Pandemic Levels – and the Vaccines Remain a Leading Suspect

19

Deaths Running 26% Above Pre-Pandemic Levels – and the Vaccines Remain a Leading Suspect

27 January 2023
by Will Jones

You Can’t Make It Up

26 January 2023
by Noah Carl

Alps Were Up to 7°C Warmer in the Recent Past, Dramatic New Evidence Shows

26 January 2023
by Chris Morrison

The Disastrous Covid Vaccines Risk Tarring All Vaccines With the Same Brush

26 January 2023
by Dr Angus Dalgleish

How Much Is Britain Spending on Energy Subsidies?

25 January 2023
by Philip Pilkington

POSTS BY DATE

March 2021
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  
« Feb   Apr »

SOCIAL LINKS

Free Speech Union
  • Home
  • About us
  • Donate
  • Privacy Policy

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

RSS

Subscribe to our newsletter

© Skeptics Ltd.

No Result
View All Result
  • Articles
  • About
  • Archive
    • ARCHIVE
    • NEWS ROUND-UPS
  • Forum
  • Donate
  • Newsletter

© Skeptics Ltd.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Please note: To be able to comment on our articles you'll need to be a registered donor

Already have an account?
Please click here to login Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In