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Obama: Ebola Risk Is 'Relatively Low' For 'Ordinary Folks'

October 16, 2014

On Thursday, President Obama assured Americans that their risk of developing Ebola is "relatively low."

Obama addressed the press following a meeting Thursday with the Ebola response team. He said it is a "very difficult disease to catch" and that the risk of developing the disease is "relatively low" for "ordinary folks."

The president said he understood Americans’ concern after learning of two health care workers that contracted Ebola after treating Thomas Eric Duncan at a Dallas hospital. He underscored the importance of making sure health care workers, especially nurses, feel "confident" about treating an Ebola patient.

"We’re taking this seriously," Obama told reporters. "But this is really hard to catch."

The Ebola response team meeting at the White House came after lawmakers grilled officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Capitol Hill earlier in the day.