90-Second Read: COVID is shaping Americans' reaction to Ebola and Hantavirus

Some Americans seem to be extra-alarmed about Ebola and Hantavirus in the wake of COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic is shaping how many Americans are reacting to Ebola and Hantavirus. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption Global health emergencies are back in the headlines, with recent outbreaks of Hantavirus on a cruise ship and Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

That experience is coloring how some people are thinking about Ebola and Hantavirus, public health and infectious disease experts say. Despite Ebola currently spreading in parts of eastern Africa, infectious disease experts told NPR that the average American should not be concerned about Ebola or Hantavirus becoming a repeat of COVID-19. Here's what to know about how Ebola and Hantavirus differ from COVID-19, as well as what people should keep in mind when reading alarming headlines or scrolling through social media.

Ebola … with the combination of Hantavirus at the same time, it's just like, it's too much. Similarly, public health officials say the risk to the general public from Hantavirus is very low. But public health experts say they don't expect another pandemic this time.