France sees declining hospitalizations but rising daily deaths as deconfinement looms on May 11. Meanwhile, the U.S. begins state-led reopenings, with caution in epicenter New York.
As of the evening of April 27, France reported 23,293 deaths among nearly 166,000 confirmed cases. Hospitals were treating 28,055 patients, including 4,608 in intensive care. The Directorate General of Health (DGS) noted 88,712 hospitalizations, with 45,513 patients discharged. These improving trends offer hope ahead of school reopenings during deconfinement.
A bright spot comes from a clinical trial by Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), as reported by France 24. The treatment, based on tocilizumab—typically used for rheumatoid arthritis—aims to limit COVID-19 contagion effects. Results showed treated patients required less respiratory support, with lower death rates over 14 days of monitoring.
President Donald Trump has delegated deconfinement responsibility to state governors. Progress varies: Rural Georgia has reopened a quarter of restaurants, museums, and cinemas. New York, the outbreak's U.S. epicenter, remains cautious despite recent challenges. Trump urges swift yet safe reopenings.
The U.S. totals exceed 988,000 cases and 56,000 deaths, with nearly 6 million tests conducted nationwide—including over 825,000 in New York. Trump again criticized China, stating COVID-19 should have been contained at the source.
Other nations face worsening outbreaks, including Brazil (67,446 cases / 4,603 deaths), Turkey (112,261 / 2,900), and Russia (87,147 / 794). Globally, cases surpass 3 million with over 210,000 deaths.
