Data is showing that Sweden got their coronavirus approach 'badly wrong', according to Professor Luke O'Neill.
The professor of biochemistry at Trinity College Dublin says the Irish health system 'couldn't have coped' if we took the same approach as Sweden.
Unlike most other countries - including its Nordic neighbours - the Swedish government didn't implement a sweeping lockdown to try to curb the virus spreading.
Most school children - except for those in the final years of secondary school - have continued going to school, while shops, restaurants and bars have remained open.
The country has now recorded more than 56,000 cases of the virus and over 5,000 deaths.
Speaking about the Swedish situation The Pat Kenny Show, Prof O'Neill said that "sadly for them, they got it badly wrong".
He explained: "Sweden didn't close [most of] its schools, it allowed gatherings of up to 50 people, it did recommend 'stay home' but it wasn't a stringent thing... unlike the other Nordic countries where they imposed a much more strict lockdown.
"They were aiming for this herd immunity thing... they were hoping to get to 65% of people having been infected, by keeping it a bit looser. Guess what the number is? 6.1%... it didn't work at all.
"Of those infected, 7% of those are dying in Sweden... all those numbers have told us it's a much more severe disease than the Swedes anticipated."
Compelling: deadly virus (0.5-1.5% deaths), lockdown was essential-‘Lockdowns don’t hurt the economy. The coronavirus does’. Maintain test/trace/isolate, masks, hygiene, soc distancing and travel curbs, will avoid deaths esp in nurs homes and in vulnerable. Herd immunity unlikely https://t.co/sOYe2jJ18k
— Luke O'Neill (@laoneill111) June 19, 2020
He noted that Sweden last week had more cases than 21 other EU countries combined.
He explained: "They did manage to flatten the curve a bit - the measures did work a little bit. The health service did cope, of course.
"If we'd just done what they'd done, our health service couldn't have coped, because we wouldn't have had quite as an elaborate a health service as them."
One of the arguments put forward against large-scale lockdowns is around the economic damage potentially caused.
However, Prof O'Neill said Sweden has even suffered from an economic perspective.
He explained: "Because every other country went into lockdown and they didn't, they were isolated economically and their country is no better than anyone else.
"Even worse, they're projecting their tourism industry will be gone from Sweden for the foreseeable future - and that was a big source of income."
