Could the Swedish lifestyle help fight coronavirus?

Swedes are used to living alone, following rules and championing innovation. How much will these social norms help during the coronavirus crisis?

While people around the world are climbing the walls due to coronavirus lockdowns and social distancing, 21-year-old Swede Cajsa Wiking is unfazed by the prospect of spending time alone in her one-bedroom apartment in Uppsala.

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“We are pretty good at staying home and aren't very social compared to other cultures...so that makes it easier for us,” she says. “I’m doing things like organising my closet, working out at home and I’m also reading more.”

More than half of all Swedish homes are, like Wiking’s, made up of one resident, the highest proportion in Europe, according to Eurostat figures. The most common age to move out from your parents’ place is between 18 and 19, compared to an EU average of 26.

Some experts believe that these living patterns might help stem the spread of coronavirus; in current hotspots for infections including Italy and Spain, it is – by contrast – much more common for large families to congregate under one roof.

“If you have a household with several generations, of course you are going to have a quick spread,” says Björn Olsen, a professor of infectious diseases at Uppsala University. “We have a lot of single people living in Stockholm, in the big cities in Sweden, and that could sort of slow the pace a little bit.”

Other commentators have pointed out the way many Swedes already behave when they’re outside in public spaces: it’s the norm to avoid sitting close to others on public transport and unusual to strike up small talk with strangers in shops or cafes.

“As for social distancing, Swedes already have that down and naturally gave each other tons of physical space way before the coronavirus pandemic hit,” says Lola Akinmade Åkerström, an author on Swedish culture.

Swedes are also used to “staying at home at the slightest inkling of a headache”, she adds, a sign that those with mild coronavirus symptoms are perhaps more likely to hunker down. This is partly because employers tend to encourage staff to take time off if they have coughs or colds to avoid sickness spreading within companies, while Sweden offers generous sick pay compared to many countries.

(Credit: Getty Images)