Re (a) the comparison doesn't hold much weight because despite their close geography and culture, there are major differences between Norway and Sweden. The most significant is that the elder care homes in Sweden are much higher density than in Norway. A huge portion of the reported deaths are from elder care facilities in most countries. No citation -- my knowledge comes from a study I worked on 7 years back. Anyone interested can easily verify on their own.

Re (b) No citation is needed. I answered this elsewhere, that depriving a human of their liberties, putting people under house arrest, is in itself a harm. Forcing your neighbour to stay in a box is an assault, and to commit that violence against another person requires the highest level of justification. As for the physical health and other measurable harms, those will be recognized over time. I'm quite sure that "deaths of despair" issue will eventually be covered in mainstream programming, if not already.

Lastly, the "rational" mind (which I never claimed to be) has to acknowledge the response of humans to fear-inducing stimulus, and other mechanisms that lead to Stockholm Syndrome type behaviours. By enforcing this "prayer" to the NHS, the state has induced the public to see their captor as their liberator. It is totally perverse, but is the air we breathe these days.

Thank you for the thoughtful response!