U.S. and Europe head in opposite coronavirus directions

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While the U.S. continues to set records for new coronavirus cases, European countries have managed to turn their own terrifying spikes around.

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America's surge lagged two to three weeks behind Europe's, with a similarly worrying trajectory. However, responses in U.S. states have been uneven and generally less severe than in most European countries.

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The fact that countries like Italy were able to bend the curve so quickly with partial lockdowns is encouraging, says Stephen Kissler, a researcher at Harvard who models the spread of diseases, including COVID-19.

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Reality check: Europe is far from out of the woods. Deaths and hospitalizations lag behind spikes in cases, and those numbers are falling much later and less sharply.

Italy recorded a record-high death toll on Thursday, three weeks after case numbers peaked.

And while the trajectory on cases is positive, public health experts fear a swift reversal if countries open up too quickly.

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