Since the first sign of an outbreak, the reminders have come from government officials, health agencies and plenty of experts: There’s no reason to worry. Don’t panic. It’s under control.

News about a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship has stirred up plenty of unease, with quarantined passengers, urgent evacuations, and international alerts bringing back unsettling memories of the early days of COVID-19.

An epidemiologist from the World Health Organization said that the suspected hantavirus cluster aboard a cruise ship is not the beginning of another COVID-19 pandemic.

The emergence of the BA.3.2 strain comes amid broader uneasiness about COVID vaccination rates among seniors, who are especially susceptible to the virus.

Australia is heading into winter with respiratory virus numbers currently lower than last year, but leading health experts warn the country should not get complacent after the deadliest flu season this century.

CHICAGO -- Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Illinois' top doctor, broke down during Friday's daily briefing as she was reading some of the daily coronavirus numbers. "Today, we are reporting 3,874 new cases for a total of 364,033 confirmed cases since the start of this ...