Swedish crown princess contracts COVID-19 amid surging infections

Swedish Crown Princess Victoria has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms, the Royal Court said on Saturday, adding that the heir to the throne was fully vaccinated.

Earlier this week her parents, the king and queen of Sweden, both also tested positive amid a mounting fourth wave of the virus, driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant, that has seen the country repeatedly report record daily case numbers.

The Royal Court said in a statement that the crown princess, who is 44 and has contracted the virus once before, was isolating at home with her family.

“The crown princess, who is fully vaccinated, is experiencing cold symptoms but is otherwise feeling well,” the court said. “Contact tracing has begun.”

While COVID infections have soared, hospitalisations have also risen sharply and put pressure on the healthcare system, but remain well below the peaks encountered in previous waves. Death have so far remained comparatively low.