Simon Cowell will make son Eric wear mask to Disneyland over coronavirus fears

Simon Cowell is so worried about the threat of coronavirus that he and his son Eric will wear surgical masks on an upcoming holiday.

The X Factor star, 60, admitted that he is “terrified” about the illness and will “100 per cent” make six-year-old Eric cover up with a protective mask when they travel to Paris.

“I am terrified about it,” he told talkRADIO yesterday, adding: “I have worn masks for ages. When I cycle around town, I wear a mask.

“But I am taking Eric to Disneyland Paris next weekend and I’m almost certain that when we’re on the train we will be 100 per cent be wearing masks.”

He said that he will also be armed with “loads of hand sanitiser” on the trip and revealed that he “wouldn’t want to be on a cruise ship right now,” in reference to the Princess Diamond cruise ship docked in Japan.

More than 450 passengers on board have so far tested positive for the virus, including British tourists David and Sally Abel. The Foreign Office has confirmed in a statement that it is “working to organise” a flight home for British nationals on the ship.

“Those people stuck on that cruise ship, why they haven’t taken them off and put them in a proper hospital is unbelievable,” Cowell said.

“I have seen movies about this kind of stuff before and you know, with so many people travelling around the world it was always going to happen one day,” he continued.

“We’re seeing it right in front of our eyes now. It does worry me.”

The pneumonia-like strain of coronavirus, which has since been named Covid-19, was first detected in China at the end of 2019.

The World Health Organisation then declared a Public Health Emergency in January.

The number of people infected globally currently stands at over 72,000, according to China’s National Health Commission. 1,868 people have died of the illness in mainland China.

Nine people in the UK have so far been treated for the virus, eight of whom have since been discharged from hospital after twice testing negative.

Symptoms include fever, coughs, runny nose, chest tightness, shortness of breath, headaches and chills.