Anders Tegnell: A Look Back at Pandemic Days
Curious about what really happened amidst Sweden’s battle with COVID-19 as seen through an insider’s perspective? Meet Anders Tegnell! He’s the former state epidemiologist of Sweden and he’s just written a book narrating his thoughts and experiences about that tumultuous period.
A Swedish Hero in Wrinkled Blue
Imagine 2019’s end. Most of us hadn’t heard of Anders Tegnell. But that quickly changed as Sweden, like the rest of the world, had to confront the new virus that had emerged in China. Swiftly, Tegnell found himself hounded by journalists, both local and international, delivering daily briefings about infection status in Sweden.
“I’ve been pondering if it was something I or the Public Health Agency did to shift focus onto me as a person”.
His role was weighty, but maybe not as daunting as what happened in his personal life during the pandemic:
“The tipping point was when the threats started being directed at my family… Did [those] who sent these threats understand the immense fear and anxiety they caused?”
Grappling with the Unknown
Caught in a tug-of-war between critics who claimed Sweden hadn’t taken strict enough precautions and those who argued their personal freedoms were too restricted, Tegnell faced tough choices. Looking back, he believes his decisions, made collaboratively with the Public Health Agency, were the best for his country.
Professor Björn Olsen, one of Tegnell’s most vocal critics, believes this conflict was mainly kept alive by media scrutiny. Contrarily, both Tegnell and Olsen share the understanding that initial pandemic management was “terrible and sluggish” but got gradually better as time rolled by.
“It was very important that the children could attend school. You just have to look at the high school kids and the children in other countries.”
Africapandemic Evaluations
Presently, Tegnell is working with Africa CDC, a task prompted by how hard Africa was hit by the pandemic. Despite less susceptibility to the virus, the continent bore the brunt of the disease.
“It’s evident that the measures that were taken damaged these countries far more than the disease itself.”
But at home, how would Swedes have reacted to harsher restrictions? Tegnell believes in the country’s strong sense of solidarity explicitly demonstrated during this period.
Hindsight in a Pandemic
Will you see Tegnell’s book as a defense? He maintains that it isn’t intended to be, but that might be the inevitable outcome. Tegnell aims to make sure that we don’t forget the pandemic and the varied impacts it had on every one of us.
“I think there’s value in my experiences and voice being available in the future. Hopefully, it can help understand why things unfolded the way they did.”
So will you take a trip down memory lane with Anders Tegnell? His unique perspective is sure to reveal some exciting insights in our collective pandemic journey!
