Army moves virus patients to less crowded hospitals

France has registered a record number of 509 hospital deaths from the coronavirus in 24 hours, the chief of the health service said Wednesday.

Footage from the French Ministry showed images of ambulances carrying patients on stretchers being loaded into helicopters.

France has resorted to transferring patients in the Paris region and the east to areas of the country with unoccupied intensive care beds, using the fast train, aircraft and military transport to do so.

Since March 1, there have been 4,032 deaths in hospitals from the virus. That number does not include people who died outside a hospital setting.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could lead to death.