Panic certainly doesn't help, but the virus is not insignificant. As noted above, mortality among the elderly is substantial.

Mortality among the young and healthy is non-trivial. 0.5% mortality at PSA for instance would be 10 dead pilots.

The most important method to slow the spread of the disease (ie not totally overwhelm the health system with everyone getting it at the same time) is shutting down ways that people efficiently spread the disease. Air travel would be high on that list.