Hand sanitizer has become a scarce commodity around the world, including Denmark. People have started to hoard this anti-bacterial gel to the extent that stores and even hospitals are running out. However, one manager of a grocery store had a genius way to stop hoarders.

Store manager Rasmus Vejbæk-Zerr, who works at the Rotunda in Hellerup (a suburb of Copenhagen) decided to do something about it.

He put up a sign near the hand sanitizers that read:

1 bottle: DKK 40 (about $5.75 USD)

2 bottles: DKK 1,000 per bottle (about $143 USD)

Rasmus explains his reasoning: “There are many customers – especially older customers, who really need hand sanitizer. The problem is, [we usually run out].“

Before the new “policy” went into place, customers usually bought up five to six bottles of sanitizer. Such a large amount of purchases in such a short time often lead to empty shelves, as the store restocks hand sanitizers every five to six days — if the shipment is on time. 

Rasmus notes that, so far, there have been no desperate (nor wealthy) enough customers who have bought more than one bottle. 

“In these surreal times, I like to add some humor into it, because then people listen better. 

It’s not a matter of money, but rather that you [really need to think about it].“

Countries around the world are scrambling to find a cure for the deadly coronavirus. However, Iceland is taking a different approach.

The small island country of 350,000-some citizens is testing a large percent of its population — even if a person doesn’t show any symptoms of COVID-19.

Iceland’s government recently noted that it tested a higher proportion of its citizens than anywhere else in the world.

“Iceland’s population puts it in the unique position of having very high testing capabilities with help from the Icelandic medical research company deCode Genetics,” said Iceland’s chief epidemiologist, Thorolfur Guðnason, in an interview. 

So far, the number of individuals tested for coronavirus by the country’s health system is 3,787, which roughly translates to 10,405 per million. In comparison, South Korea has tested about 5,203; 2478 in Italy; and 764 in the UK.

Of those 3,787 individuals tested, a total of 218 positive cases have been identified at the moment. Almost half of those infected contracted the virus while traveling to high-risk areas in Europe, such as the Italian Alps.

“Early results indicate that a low proportion of the general population has contracted the virus and that about half of those who tested positive are non-symptomatic. The other half displays very moderate cold-like symptoms,” Guðnason continued. “This data can also become a valuable resource for scientific studies of the virus in the future.”

Although testing on such a massive scale is unlikely to be feasible across larger countries, it can provide insight to better fight the coronavirus. For example, the magazine Science found that for every confirmed case of the virus, there are likely 5 to 10 other people who have undetected infections. Due to this, the World Health Organization has urged countries to test more suspected cases. 

“You cannot fight the fire blindfolded, and we cannot stop this pandemic if we don’t know who is infected,” director-general of WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said this week. “We have a simple message for all countries: Test, test, test. Test every suspected case.”

Yesterday, H.R.H Queen Margrethe II of Denmark addressed her people in televised speech from Fredensborg Castle, urging the Danes to take the situation at hand seriously. 

“A child can lose their grandmother. A daughter her father. A wife, her husband. Friends will suddenly not be there anymore,” she said as she urged everyone to stay at home and not associate in large groups.

The queen also extended her warmest gratitude to emergency responders, healthcare professionals, retail personnel and drivers that are an essential part of keeping the functions of society running as normal as possible. 

You can see the full speech in Danish here with subtitles. 

In her speech, the Queen stood firmly in support of the strict measures put in place by the Danish government and PM.

“I also want to give a warm thank you to the government organizations for taking the heavy responsibility that is theirs”. 

Please find the most up-to-date information about how Sweden is handling COVID-19 here: https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/

In a surprising turn of events, Sweden has stopped counting the number of infected people with coronavirus. The decision comes after the Swedish Public Health Authority changed its strategy in relation to the pandemic that is spreading across the world.

At a press conference this past weekend, state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell noted that the domestic infection rate is increasing slowly but steadily. “It could be the tip of the iceberg. It is more widespread in Sweden than we had originally thought,” he says.

At the moment, there are more than 1,000 infected people across Sweden. However, according to Tegnell, “We will no longer discuss whether we have 458 or 562 cases. But instead how large parts of Sweden are affected and how hard they have been hit.” 

In the Stockholm region, the new strategy has already been used. Samples will now focus on those who have already been admitted to the hospital or belong to a high-risk group. “High risk” groups include those over 60 years old, have a long-term medical condition (such as heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, cancer or high blood pressure), or have a weak immune system (immunosuppressed).

Others who suspect they are infected will not be tested. Soon all regions in Sweden will follow suit.

After news broke, former state epidemiologist, Annika Linde, noted “We have not dealt with such a large outbreak in modern times and, therefore, do not know what is right and wrong. The public health authority has chosen the strategy that is perhaps the most sustainable in the long term… “

She continued with an interesting decision: “I believe that the strategy of the Public Health Authority is that we should achieve herd immunity, that as many people as possible should be infected and thereby become immune, without being seriously ill.”

Herd immunity is what happens when a sufficiently large proportion of the population, usually around sixty percent or more, becomes immune to a virus through vaccine or infection. After this, the spread of the infection will subside spontaneously. 

On the other hand, Annika Linde’s successor, current state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell, doesn’t agree with her idea:

“No, at least not that it should happen as quickly as possible. [We] must be calm, slow and controlled so that the healthcare system can manage [the coronavirus], we should not rush.”

Do you agree with Sweden’s decision? Let us know in the comments below!

In one of many efforts to contain the coronavirus, the Danish government has decided to halt naturalization ceremonies across the country. The ceremonies have been particularly affected because of the final step to receiving Danish citizenship, by shaking hands during the ceremony. In fact, it’s a legal requirement.

The government says the handshake is an important part of Danish culture and values, and those who refuse cannot be Danish.

“If you don’t shake hands, you don’t understand what it means to be Danish, because in Denmark we have equality and that is something generations before us fought to achieve,” said Immigration Minister Inger Stojberg. 

However, this may all change due to coronavirus. 

Health authorities across the world are recommending that people avoid shaking hands to help contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The halt has already gone into effect in a few cities across the country, such as Ringsted, a city of 35,000 on the Danish island of Zealand, which had to postpone their naturalization ceremony on Friday.  

Fourteen people were expected to become Danish citizens in Ringsted, noted mayor Henrik Hvidesten said in an interview. “Some were unhappy, and we were very sorry. It was a day they had been looking forward to.”

Crafty Danes responded to the news by offering their own alternatives, such as the leader of the Danish Social-Liberal Party Sofie Carsten Nielsen, who suggested that people replace the handshake with the Namaste gesture. 

“Of course, this is a sad situation for those who now have to wait to become Danish citizens,” Mattias Tesfaye, the country’s immigration and integration minister said. “But we take the health authorities’ recommendation seriously. In this situation, we as a society must show unity to limit the spread of infection.”