THERE’S no doubt that the last few days of international headlines about growing fears over coronavirus have made the risks seem closer to home than ever.

What began as a handful of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan City – in China’s Hubei Province – is now being treated as a major health emergency.

Reports in Italy have doubled within a few days and the country now has the largest number of cases in Europe, at more than 160.

In the regions of Lombardy and Veneto, a lock-down is in place in several towns, affecting about 50,000 people. There is concern that unless the outbreak of the virus is contained within Italy, there could be more rapid spread in other European countries.

This week also brought the news that the expertise available at Newcastle’s RVI are once again being put to good use to help those affected.

At the moment, Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health say they are confident about containing an outbreak here, though the head of the NHS, Sir Simon Stevens, has warned it is likely more people will have to stay at home in the future.

The Siddle family from Prudhoe are among those who know more than most about the seriousness of the situation.

Although they are now safely home, Jeff Siddle, his wife Sindy and their young daughter Jasmine saw their holiday to visit family in China turn into a nightmare when they were caught up in the chaos of travel restrictions imposed by the Chinese authorities and then thrust into two weeks of quarantine on their return to the UK.

Advice for residents is the same as for winter colds and flu – regular hand-washing; coughing or sneezing into tissues; and staying at home if unwell.

While heeding the advice, we must gain some perspective from the fact that flu kills an estimated 600 people each year in the UK. We all have little choice but keep calm and carry on.