Sir, – Brian O’Brien puts forward a thoughtful defence of Ireland’s Covid strategy, but a common reason for disregarding Sweden’s outcomes does not withstand much scrutiny (Letters, May 11th).
He suggests that Sweden’s outcomes were explicable by the fact that “about half” of Swedish households contain one person. The Swedes are not some obscure Amazonian tribe whose habits are alien to us. In Dublin, one can drive a Volvo to an Ikea while listening to Abba.
Sweden was largely open throughout the pandemic. Bars, restaurants, schools and workplaces continued to function. Many of these single-occupancy dwellers were spending their days in the very bars, cafes, offices and public transport that research has consistently identified as hotbeds of transmission. Sleeping on your own in your own house after a day out and about is not really relevant.
The difference between Ireland and Sweden on household composition is real, but it is nowhere near dramatic enough to bear the weight placed upon it.
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One can understand the appeal of the statistic. It offers the comfort of a simple demographic explanation as a justification for our contrasting approach. However, it is a mere heuristic that flatters to deceive. – Yours etc.
Reamonn O’Luan,
Churchtown,
Dublin 14.
