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What is the difference between Ebola and COVID-19?
Short answer
Ebola is far deadlier (about 50% fatality versus around 1%) but much less contagious: it is not airborne and people are only contagious once ill.
Active outbreaks
3
Cases this year
13,565
Deaths this year
2,755
COVID-19 spreads through droplets and aerosols, including from people without symptoms, which let it spread worldwide. Ebola usually stays within families, health workers and funerals.
Both diseases originally came from animals. Vaccines exist for both, though the Ebola vaccine only covers the Zaire strain.
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