A MUM from Ilkley has called into a national radio phone-in programme for advice on coronavirus following her son's ski trip in Italy.

New advice from the government instructs anyone with flu-like symptoms who recently travelled to Northern Italy to self-isolate for two weeks.

The guidance also applies to anyone who recently returned from Italy's quarantined towns and affected regions - Lombardy and Veneto - even if they have no symptoms.

The caller, Joanne, told Radio 5 Live Breakfast's Rachel Burden that her son had showed 'signs of having a sniffle' after returning from a ski trip on Sunday.

An expert on the show stated that these could be mild symptoms.

Dr Connor Bamford, a PHD virologist at the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute Experimental Medicine, Queen's Unversity, Belfast, said: "It's very specific to these regions in northern Italy so if it was these specific towns or cities I would follow that advice. There's a chance but it's very very low."

Responding to a question about whether these could be mild symptoms, he said: "I think that's a common sign for a lot of different viruses. It's most likely to be a cold or a flu but these symptoms are also shared with the new coronavirus, except you're much more likely to have picked up a cold virus or flu virus."

When pressed on how she dealt with the situation, Joanne said she sent her son to school.

She told the radio show: "I have MS and I have medication which supresses my immune system so I really don't want to contract any kind of flu.

"He's at school at the moment. We hadn't heard the news before he went to school. He doesn't know anything about it."

When asked whether self-isolating would be an issue, Joanne explained: "Fortunately for me I work from home and have a bit of flexibility but then I've got to think about the impact with my health as well."

Health professionals on the show advised Joanne to call NHS line 111 and, as a precaution, try to keep her son at home.

Ilkley Grammar School told the Telegraph & Argus that it is calling parents who sent their children on the trip direct.

It is offering the same advice on the government website but has not sent students home to self-isolate.

A spokesperson for Ilkley Grammar School explained: "We're following government advice."

Another school in Huddersfield has taken precautions on by sending home 19 pupils and four members of staff who also went on a ski trip in Northern Italy.

Salendine Nook High School Academy returned from their trip via Milan airport on Saturday.

Read more about that here.

For advice on coronavirus, visit the Government website.