THERE is a fine balance to be found in the way the media reports the spread of swine flu. It is important not to alarm people – but it would also be wrong to underestimate the impact of the pandemic.

Health Secretary Andy Burnham announced yesterday that Britain could see more than 100,000 cases per day by the end of August.

That figure is put into context by the fact that there are now 7,447 confirmed cases in the UK.

There is no hiding from the fact that there is going to be a major impact on the country, with recently-retired medical staff having to be called in to help cope with the burden on the National Health Service.

There will be an inevitable economic effect due to the large numbers of people who will need to stay at home.

But it is important for people to remember that, although the number of cases is increasing rapidly, the virulence of virus is not.

It is a relatively mild flu, with deaths restricted to those suffering from other health problems, and Britain is better prepared than most countries to cope.

There is no need to panic.

Come on Andy

IT has taken the British people time to warm to Andy Murray, but he has finally won them round.

He might not be blessed with too much charm, but he has the fighting spirit and winning mentality that British tennis has been missing.

We wish him luck today as he plays Andy Roddick for a place in the Wimbledon final and the opportunity to become Britain’s first men’s champion for 73 years.