NEW YORK (AP) – Americans are bracing for what the nation’s top doctor warns would be “the hardest and saddest week” of their lives due to an expected wave of coronavirus deaths to come. Britain assumed the unwelcome mantle of deadliest coronavirus hot spot in Europe after a record 24-hour jump in deaths that surpassed even hard-hit Italy’s. Its own prime minister, Boris Johnson, was hospitalized, 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19 in what his office described as a “precautionary step.” There were glimmers of hope, though, for some hard-hit areas as the number of people dying appeared to be slowing in New York City, Spain and Italy. Leaders still cautioned that those gains could be reversed if strict lockdowns weren’t followed.