The director of the World Health Organization is calling the covid-19 pandemic the “defining global health crisis of our time.”

Western Pennsylvania municipalities are entering their first week of widespread school closures and restrictions on bars, restaurants, entertainment venues, and other businesses in an effort to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“It is absolutely imperative that we as a whole practice social distancing,” said Dr. Arvind Venkat, an Allegheny Health Network emergency physician. “What happened in Italy and what happened in China was a spike in illness since you had a complete mismatch. No one can handle that. So, that’s the nightmare we need to avoid.”

In an interview with the Trib, Venkat — also president of the Pennsylvania College of Emergency Physicians — talked about the most telling covid-19 symptoms, what people should do if they are quarantined at home, hospital readiness and what he fears the most.

Watch a video interview with Venkat here:

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