BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Google searches for hantavirus have spiked more than 1,000% in Alabama over the last five days, according to Google Trends, even as state health officials confirm there are no known cases here.
Clinical psychologist Dr. Josh Klapow said the reaction reflects a shift in how people respond to disease outbreaks after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We knew about infectious disease outbreaks. We knew about flu season. But COVID fundamentally touched everybody. Everybody got to experience what it was like to be in a pandemic,” Klapow said…