President Barack Obama used his weekly video address to talk about his administration's response to the Ebola virus.
"This is a serious disease, but we can't give in to hysteria or fear — because that only makes it harder to get people the accurate information they need," he said. "We have to be guided by the science. We have to remember the basic facts."
Obama reminded Americans that the U.S. is not facing an "'outbreak' or an 'epidemic,'" like West Africa, but rather several isolated cases. He also reiterated that Ebola is not transmitted via the air, but through contact with an infected person's bodily fluids.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"I've met and hugged some of the doctors and nurses who've treated Ebola patients," he said. "And I'm fine."
The address comes a day after Obama named Ron Klain the administration's "Ebola czar."
You can watch his full remarks in the video, below. --Sarah Eberspacher
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.