Sweden’s anti-lockdown coronavirus expert says he’s ‘willing to reconsider’ face masks

Anders Tegnell has repeatedly made international headlines since advising against a full lockdown of the Scandinavian country

He has so far argued against the WHO’s recommendation to use face masks, saying there’s ‘very little scientific evidence’ that they work

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People sunbathe in a park on Lake Malar in Stockholm on June 24. Sweden has never banned gatherings or enforced the use of face masks during the pandemic. Photo: Reuters

Published: 6:31pm, 25 Jun 2020Updated: 7:31pm, 25 Jun 2020

The scientist behind Sweden’s controversial Covid-19 strategy said he is willing to reconsider using face masks, after previously advising against them.

Anders Tegnell, Sweden’s state epidemiologist and the architect of its hands-off response to the coronavirus pandemic, said there are situations in which it might be advisable for people to cover their mouths and noses.

Face masks are “possibly” to be recommended for people using public transport, Tegnell said in an interview with Dagens Industri on Thursday. “We need to think about that more.” But masks “definitely won’t become an optimal solution in any way”, he said.

Tegnell has so far argued against the World Health Organisation’s recommendation to use face masks when social distancing as hard to do, with the justification that there’s “very little scientific evidence” they work.

Sweden’s state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell. Photo: AFP

The Swedish epidemiologist has repeatedly made international headlines since advising against a full lockdown.

On Wednesday, Tegnell once again spoke out against severe lockdowns as an appropriate response to the virus, calling imposing such severe restrictions despite the societal costs “madness”.

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