Dr. Amish Shah is a doctor and an Arizona state lawmaker impacted by the spread of coronavirus and he says he's dealing with an influx of patients after just finishing a 24-hour work shift.

He says he saw nearly 40 people come in and two of them showed coronavirus symptoms. Shah says this is just the beginning and this virus is a once in a lifetime event.

"Eventually I hope we will be able to take care of everybody but were looking at an illness and pandemic that will last many months," he explains.

Shah works with Dignity Health hospitals and when he isn't in legislative sessions representing the 24th district of Arizona, he's been in the emergency room non-stop seeing patients as coronavirus concerns continue.

He's now informed Democratic and Republican leadership of his decision to not attend the House of Representatives in 2020, but Shah hopes to participate by telephone conference if possible.

He does not want to potentially infect other elected officials who are over the age of 60. He says, "Some of our representatives and elected officials are also at risk if I work in the emergency department for about 24 hours, the chances of seeing a patient that has respiratory complaints is almost 100%."


Shah also advises that if you're under 60 and have mild symptoms to stay home and recover because putting yourself in a hospital he says could make your health worse.

LIVE MAP: This is where there are confirmed coronavirus cases in the US and around the world

FULL COVERAGE: fox10phoenix.com/coronavirus

Coronavirus (COVID-19)How it spreads, symptoms, prevention, treatment, FAQhttps://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus

Arizona COVID-19 ResponsePublic resources, FAQ, webinarshttps://www.azdhs.gov/coronavirus



