How Can I Be Sure I Removed a Virus from My PC?

You could also humor yourself into calmness—listen for a cough or sneeze; it's a clear sign the virus is still there. But seriously, take it easy, you've done a lot already!

You mentioned you formatted the drive using a bootable USB. That’s a solid step. Just make sure the USB wasn’t created on the infected PC. If you deleted all partitions and started fresh, that’s a good sign too. Make sure to keep your system updated and regularly scan for malware afterward.

It sounds like you're doing the right things. Since you mentioned that you haven't had any login attempts on your accounts after changing your passwords, that's encouraging. Just keep an eye on things for a couple of weeks. If anything feels off, consider getting a reputable antivirus program to scan for any still-hidden threats.

I know this is stressful, but try not to worry too much. If you wiped everything and installed a new OS, the virus is likely gone. Just ensure you're cautious about what you download in the future and check your accounts for any unauthorized access.

If you reformatted your PC and did a clean install of the operating system, you should be okay. The kernel is part of the OS, and since you removed the old one and installed a new version, the virus shouldn’t be lingering. Just to be safe, change your passwords for any accounts you used on that PC, especially email and anything sensitive, and enable two-factor authentication if you can.