Man living in Italy amid coronavirus outbreak speaks to FOX 35

LAKE MARY, Fla. - More than 12,000 people are ill with the coronavirus in Italy, while the death toll is more than 800.

FOX 35’s Amanda McKenzie spoke with one Italian citizen under lockdown about what he wants others around the world to know.

Alessandro Scaglione is living in Milan, now teaching from home in the middle of Italy’s coronavirus outbreak.

“We are afraid,” he said. “We are scared.”

Scaglione said his wife’s uncle is a doctor who treated some of the first coronavirus patients.

“He got infected with the virus,” he said. “Fortunately, now he’s OK. He’s at home in quarantine. He was in the hospital for two weeks to get cured.”

The virus quickly spread infecting thousands.

“A lot of people underestimated it,” he said.

Now, hospitals are overwhelmed with coronavirus patients.

“We were not prepared,” Scaglione said. “We were really not prepared.”

The government has placed Italy on lockdown, ordering businesses to shut down, demanding everyone to stay home.

“The police is controlling the towns to see if someone is going out,” Scaglione said.

He said the only time citizens are allowed to go out is to shop at food stores and pharmacies, but like his pictures show, many supermarket shelves are empty.

“It’s like a ghost town,” he said.

Now, he and others are urging the rest of the world to listen and learn from how the virus spread in Italy.

“Try to avoid contact in any way,” Scaglione said. “No handshaking. No kisses on the cheek.”

Experts said the outbreak could get worse before it gets better.