Ebola, despite its terrifying symptoms and media attention, is less dangerous than viruses like COVID-19 because it kills too quickly to spread widely. In contrast, diseases with milder, easily overlooked symptoms that spread easily through modern travel networks, like COVID-19, present a greater pandemic risk. The fear surrounding Ebola is largely driven by media sensationalism and historical context, obscuring the more insidious threat of less visible, highly transmissible pathogens.

• Ebola, first identified 50 years ago, causes rapid, severe illness and death, but its deadliness limits its spread because infected individuals cannot transmit it for long.
• The media’s focus on Ebola’s horrific symptoms, coupled with public sympathy for affected African populations, has amplified fear of the virus.
• Less sensational viruses, like the one causing COVID-19, are often more dangerous due to their ability to spread silently with mild initial symptoms, facilitated by global travel.
• COVID-19’s danger stemmed from its initial underestimation and high transmissibility, allowing it to spread widely before being recognized as a major threat.
• While Ebola outbreaks are concerning, the true pandemic risk lies in viruses that spread easily and are difficult to detect in their early stages, as illustrated by COVID-19.