Tegnell: More testing would better protect the elderly

So far, we have mainly tested those who are suspected of being sick in Sweden. More extensive testing would also mean testing those who have gone through the disease to see if they have immunity and can go back to work.

- With more extensive testing, we could above all protect the elderly even better than today. It would also ensure that there were more people who could work with the elderly because we would know who should stay at home and who has had the virus so that they can continue to work even if they are small in the future, says state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell at The Public Health Agency.

The moderates want to introduce mass testing to save the Swedish economy. The requirement will be presented to the government at Tuesday's party leader meeting.

Social Minister Lena Hallengren (S) says that the government is working to enable more people to be tested shortly and according to Swedish Radio, the government plans to ask the Public Health Authority to quickly develop a national strategy for expanding the sampling for covid-19.

Anders Tegnell says that the Public Health Authority has tested whether people can take virus tests on themselves by sticking a stick high up their nose against the throat and that this seems to work, but then people need to take care of the rest of the chain in order for the lab to produce test results. .

According to Tegnell, it is important that these mass tests do not steal resources from virus tests of sick patients and healthcare personnel that are the highest priority.

The economist Daniel Spiro at Uppsala University, together with other economics researchers, has submitted six proposals on how the economic damage can be reduced by the pandemic. Mass testing of everyone who is now forced to stay home from work is highest on the list.

Daniel Spiro is delighted that the economists' proposals have already been taken up by politicians this weekend and seem to have little impact.

- We need to get them back to work and ordinary economic life so that they buy and go out and eat, says economics researcher Daniel Spiro. If one million Swedes can go back to work a month in advance, it is worth between 0.5-2 per cent of GDP, which is in the order of SEK 50 billion. Although we cannot get this test tomorrow, it is good if we can get it in one month instead of two months. Every day we can save on this shutdown is worth a lot.

The six economics researchers suggest that the state should guarantee to buy a large amount of tests at a high price, because it will start the creativity of business according to Daniel Spiro.

One suggestion is that the state appoint a manager from the medtech industry to buy enough tests. Today, the National Board of Health and Welfare has that assignment. In order to get enough staff to perform all the tests, the home defense and volunteers would move in and relieve the care staff with simpler test tasks, the economists believe.

Economist Daniel Spiro and state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell are participating in the World of Science Fight against Corona tonight 30/3 at 20.00 in SVT2.