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MAPS: Which parts of Sweden have been worst affected by the coronavirus?

Catherine Edwards
Catherine Edwards - [email protected]
MAPS: Which parts of Sweden have been worst affected by the coronavirus?
People cool off at a swimming spot in Stockholm, the Swedish region that has seen most coronavirus cases but not when adjusted for population size. Photo: Lisa Arfwidson/SvD/TT

Everyone in Sweden has felt the effects of the coronavirus pandemic in some way, but the rate of infections and deaths varies across the country. Here's a close look at the numbers per region and municipality.

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National data on the spread of infection has been used to determine things like travel restrictions and domestic measures, but it's always worth remembering that different parts of Sweden have been affected to very different extents. 

Throughout the outbreak, regions have been affected differently at different times, for reasons including tourism, early spread, and later clusters, as well as changes in how testing is carried out.

The rate of total confirmed cases per 100,000 inhabitants ranges from 283 in Skåne to 1,317 in Jönköping, while the total number of coronavirus-linked deaths ranges from just six in Gotland to 2,386 in Stockholm.

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On the map below, the regions in the darkest colours have seen the highest number of cases per capita since the start of the outbreak, while the lighter coloured regions have had a relatively low infection rate.
 
You can hover over or tap on regions to see additional data on the total number of confirmed cases, total cases per 100,000 residents, cases requiring intensive care, and deaths (of people who previously tested positive for the coronavirus) since the start of the epidemic. 
 
All this information is based on Public Health Agency data and is therefore subject to limitations due to changes in how testing has been carried out over time and between regions. Regions which were worse hit during the earlier stages of the epidemic may see their cases under-represented since the testing rate has increased significantly since the start of summer.
 
While all regions have been asked by the agency to offer testing to all adults with symptoms, there will still be differences in who is tested due to healthcare capacity and whether or not the region is carrying out contact tracing, which may mean more asymptomatic cases are included for example.

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The capital region of Stockholm has seen the most confirmed cases of coronavirus, but its per capita rate of 999 confirmed cases per 100,000 residents is lower than three other regions: 1,317 in Jönköping, 1,108 in Västra Götaland, and 1,107 in Gävleborg.
 
The map below breaks the data down by municipality. This is based on the municipality where people are registered as resident, as opposed to the regional data which includes all tests taken in the region whether the individuals were registered there or not.

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As of mid-August, 22 of Sweden's 290 muncipalities had reported fewer than 15 cases since the start of the outbreak. A further 63 municipalities had more than 15 cases in total, but reported no new cases during the week ending August 9th, the most recent week for which data at this level is available.

In terms of total cases over the course of the epidemic, the ten worst affected municipalities were Stockholm, Gothenburg, Uppsala, Jönköping, Västerås, Örebro, Borås, Linköping, Huddinge, and Södertälje.

But when ranking municipalities by the incidence rate, that is the confirmed cases per 100,000 cases, only Gothenburg and Jönköping were in both lists. The top ten municipalities for total cases per capita were Gällivare, Munkfors, Töreboda, Gislaved, Bräcke, Tibro, Jönköping, Gnosjö, Gothenburg, and Söderhamn.

 
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