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In an address, President Barack Obama urged West Africans to wear gloves and masks when caring for Ebola patients. He also discouraged the traditional burial practice of directly touching the body of someone who died of Ebola. 

"You can respect your traditions and honor your loved ones without risking the lives of the living," Obama said in a brief video message to residents of hard-hit Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria. The video was posted on the White House website. "Stopping this disease won't be easy but we know how to do it."

The recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa has killed more than 1,500 people. 

Obama also mentioned that the first step to slowing the disease is to know the facts. He then delivered a tutorial on how Ebola is and isn't spread. 

Obama added that the disease doesn't spread through the air, like the flu, or through such casual contact as sitting next to someone on the bus. He said anyone who feels sick should get help immediately, as nearly half of patients can recover provided they seek prompt medical treatment.