While Dr. Peter Sandman, one the country’s preeminent experts on health care and environmental risks, told Seattle Weekly earlier this month that he doesn’t seen any evidence of a nation stricken with Ebola panic, that’s not to say people aren’t paying attention to the virus.

Like, a lot of attention. As much attention, in fact, as it paid to the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

This according to the Pew Research Center, which said today that the Ebola story is one of the “most-followed events since 2010.” In fact, according to Pew’s website, “Americans are following the ongoing story at historically high rates. About half of U.S. adults (49%) followed Ebola news very closely last week. … In the past two years, the only news stories to exceed this level of attention were the Boston Marathon bombing (63%), the 2012 election (60%), the Newtown shooting (57%) and Hurricane Sandy (53%).”

Here’s a nifty graphic from Pew to illustrate:

While this certainly confirms what most people already know – that there’s lots of talk, concern, and interest about Ebola – it also backs up what Dr. Sandman told Seattle Weekly back on October 7. “What we are seeing is worried interest. It is not panic to go to Google to learn about Ebola. It is not panic to check closely to see if your child is having any kind of respiratory problem.” Sandman said at the time. “It is true when you have a scary risk like this, there is a tendency to overreact. But that is just an adjustment reaction. It clears the deck and gets one prepared to deal with the problem. And most people do adjust.

“I notice that a lot of these reporters will use the word panic in their stories, and I’ll say to them, ‘Do you personally know anyone who is panicking? Is there someone in your newsroom who is panicking?’ And their answer is no,” Sandman continued. “Panic is behaving in a way that is harmful. Panic is rushing to the doctor so fast that you run over your grandfather in the car. … Is anyone not going to the work because of this [Ebola outbreak]? Is anyone not going to the movies?”

The question becomes: Would the Ebola story be one of the “most-followed events since 2010” if the media wasn’t using the word “panic” as often?

Probably not.