World coronavirus infections near 500,000 as European health systems buckle

Worldwide infections from the new coronavirus were set to top half a million people on Thursday as both Italy and the U.S. appeared poised to surpass China.

The number of coronavirus infections closed in on a half-million worldwide Thursday, with both Italy and the U.S. on track to surpass China, and a record- shattering 3.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week in a stark demonstration of the damage to the world's biggest economy.

Health care systems in Europe and New York buckled under the strain, with Spain's death toll climbing to more than 4,000.
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