In 2020, Sweden was disparaged for discarding lockdown mania and was called a nation of “science deniers” and “merchants of death.” Sweden kept open schools, workplaces, and cafés, encouraging Swedes to make their own decisions about staying home and wearing masks.

Anders Tegnell, Sweden’s chief epidemiologist, declared that lockdowns would fail in keeping the virus out indefinitely.

The chart below shows the amazing results.

Sweden has admitted it didn’t do enough to protect its elderly nursing home residents, but even in 2020, there was no excess mortality in Sweden among those below the age of 75.  During the first three years of the pandemic, Sweden ranked lowest in all of Europe, including Scandinavia, in excess mortality.

“Sweden’s approach had benefits not immediately visible,” says Tegnell, “from lower levels of domestic violence, continued medical care for cancer patients and others and none of the child development issues seen in countries that chose lockdowns.”

In the hundreds of anniversary articles marking COVID’s arrival this month, there has been almost total silence about the data showing that Sweden’s open society policy was what the rest of the world should have done.

When the next pandemic hits — as it inevitably will — we must remember just how wrong experts were about Sweden and not allow ourselves to succumb to propaganda.