Misleading information in the media, and especially social media, could further fuel public anxiety, as was the case with Ebola in 2014.
In addition, the public health measures required, such as isolation procedures, healthcare workers suited up in personal protective equipment, and rigorous investigations and contact tracing, are all reminiscent of interventions an authoritarian police-state might use for some crime. This 'germ panic' is further heightened by the off-putting visible disfigurements caused by the infection, even if only temporarily.
