Also on Tuesday, President Obama declared a "major increase" in America's response to the deadly outbreak in West Africa, CNN reports.
"Men and women and children are just sitting, waiting to die right now," Obama said.
He added: "This is a daunting task, but here's what gives us hope. The world knows how to fight this disease. It's not a mystery.
"We know the science. We know how to prevent it from spreading. We know how to care for those who contract it. We know that if we take the proper steps, we can save lives. But we have to act fast."
To date, the virus has killed at least 2,400 people, and cases are growing exponentially, with 5,000 people infected, according to the World Health Organization.
While the disease has not yet spread outside Africa, officials say it's only a matter of time with an outbreak of this caliber.
President Barack Obama speaks at the CDC
Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP
PEOPLE spoke to experts at the Center for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health to get their perspective on the threat of Ebola to Americans.
What are the chances the Ebola virus will reach the U.S.?
Researchers say the chance of seeing an imported case in the U.S. is as high as 18 percent by the end of September (it was less than 5 percent at the start of the month). Restricting air travel "generates only a three- to four-week delay in the international spreading," according to a study published this month in PLOS Currents: Outbreaks.
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