Inga-Lill Bengtsson: Inga-Lill Bengtsson: ”For my part I have booked a concert – in November”
Let me say it right from the start, without the efforts of my colleagues Sofyan Aswad and Moira Uggla there would have been no newspaper in February. In January the whole responsibility landed on Sofyan. He rose to the occasion, and did an excellent job of leading the work. Along with Moira Uggla, who translated into English and has a sharp eye for the Swedish language. The result was impressive.
The corona virus began to spread last spring. At that time doctors did not know how to treat the patients. The question of a vaccine lay several years in the future. Now there is the threat of a third wave of the virus. But this year we live in the hope that the vaccine will soon be here. The oldest and most vulnerable have already been vaccinated. Fewer elderly people are dying. And doctors know much more about how to deal with the infection.
But all the same... In Sweden more than 13,000 people, of whom 1581 were from Skåne, have died of covid-19. According to statistics from 3rd March 155 people in Skåne are receiving hospital care, with 32 in intensive care.
The first case of covid-19 was discovered in Skåne on 2nd March 2020, when a student went to a hospital. He was not seriously ill, and recovered in a couple of weeks.
– At that point nobody had any idea of what was to come. Nobody knew how many would be affected, says regional director Alf Jönsson, Read more on page 5.
”Albin, aged 20, died of the illness”Inga-Lill Bengtsson
We long to get back to school and to work as usual, go to a restaurant, a concert, the cinema, the theatre. Not to mention meeting friends, both close by and further afield. For my part I have booked a concert – in November.
”It is impossible without your help and mine. That is why a drive to find volunteers is such a good thing”Inga-Lill Bengtsson
Fortunately there are digital solutions. Just think if the virus had struck a few years ago. We would have had to make do with phoning one another. Now we can at least see each other, stream films and series, listen to audio books.
In my mother's unit in a care home there are ten residents. Five fell seriously ill, three of them died of covid-19. Several members of the staff fell ill.
Albin, aged 20, died of the illness. Read about him on page 4.
”Sweden and EU are hoping that there will be a vaccination passport by June”Inga-Lill Bengtsson
We must continue our efforts to increase inclusion. This cannot be done simply by saying that new arrivals must become integrated, they must learn Swedish, they must find a place in society. It is impossible without your help and mine. That is why a drive to find volunteers is such a good thing. Read more on page 6.
Moira Uggla came to Sweden in the '60's. At that time many women were housewives. Read her chronicle on page 14.
Finally: IFK is in the race for a medal in the Swedish handball championships, KDFF starts its outdoor football season and is aiming for a medal in the Women's League. And Zlatan Ibrahimović, aged 39, is back in the national football team. Just imagine that. Sweden and EU are hoping that there will be a vaccination passport by June. Then we can start to get out and about again.
Go out and enjoy the spring, go for a walk every day. Keep your distance. It isn't any harder than that.