Until last month, Sweden's official policy stated people without obvious symptoms are very unlikely to spread the virus. Some doctors who insisted on wearing a mask at work have been reprimanded or even fired. Swedish authorities actively discouraged people from wearing face masks, which they said would spread panic, are often worn the wrong way, and can provide a false sense of safety. Yet Sweden adopted strikingly different policies from those of other European countries, out of a desire to avoid disrupting daily life-and perhaps the hope that, by paying an immediate price in illness, the country could achieve 'herd immunity' and put the pandemic behind it. And the government did take some strict measures in late March, including bans on gatherings of more than 50 people and on nursing home visits. Although stores and restaurants remained open, many Swedes stayed home, at rates similar to their European neighbors, surveys and mobile phone data suggest. The country did not ignore the threat entirely. The contrast evoked both admiration and alarm in other countries, with journalists and experts debating whether the strategy was brilliant-or whether Tegnell, its main architect, had lost the plot. While cities worldwide turned into ghost towns, Swedes could be seen chatting in cafés and working out at the gym. The government never ordered a 'shutdown' and kept day care centers and primary schools open. Sweden's approach to the coronavirus pandemic is out of step with much of the world. It is very dangerous to try to believe that masks are a silver bullet.' 'Countries that have masks are not doing the best right now. Although questions remained, 'use of face masks in the community could be considered,' it said, 'especially when visiting busy, closed spaces.' Tegnell still disagrees. On 8 April, ECDC published its recommendations anyway, in line with an emerging scientific consensus. How much people without symptoms contribute to spread was a 'question that remains unanswered,' he wrote, and the advice 'would also imply that the spread is airborne, which would seriously harm further communication and trust among the population and health care workers.' 'We would like to warn against the publication of this advice,' Tegnell wrote. On 5 April, Anders Tegnell, chief epidemiologist for the Swedish public health authority, sent an email to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) expressing concern about proposed new advice that face masks worn in public could slow the spread of the pandemic coronavirus.

Science's COVID-19 reporting is supported by the Pulitzer Center and the Heising-Simons Foundation.

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