Is it safe to open my windows right now?
If you're wondering whether you can safely open windows in your house? The answer is yes. In fact, it's encouraged.
With new information coming in all the time about the coronavirus, and some big, big questions that scientists are racing to answer, it can be hard to figure out what’s safe. A lot of people have asked us: Is it safe to open the windows in my house?
The answer is a resounding yes. In fact, you should.
Not only do the open windows provide a pleasant breeze and fresh air circulating through homes we’ve been stuck in for weeks, it’s good for our minds, said Dr. David C. Damsker, director of the Bucks County Health Department.
“Just listening to sounds of the birds and smelling the fresh air can lift your spirits,” Damsker said. Not to mention that the fresh air provides oxygen that keeps us alert and productive during this era of homeschooling and working from home.
» READ MORE: Can you go into your backyard during the coronavirus pandemic? Yes. (Just do it safely.)
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in addition to washing hands and disinfecting all high-touch surfaces like doorknobs, tables, and handrails, increasing ventilation in your home “by opening windows and adjusting air-conditioning” can be important ways to keep you healthy.
“The more clean air circulating through your home, the better,” Damsker said.
Remember, the main danger during the pandemic is person-to-person transmission. That’s why so much of the advice is about how it’s important to stay away from other people. We release microscopic droplets of saliva when we cough, sneeze, talk, inhale, and exhale.
Air itself does not seem to be a risk, since the virus doesn’t remain in the air except in very specific circumstances, such as some hospital activities.
» READ MORE: How to wear face masks in hot weather
With all of this fresh air moving in my home, do I have to wear a mask inside if my windows are open? Damsker says it’s not necessary to wear a mask inside, because you are not likely to catch the coronavirus from anyone walking outside.
Why? Because they would have to be less than six feet from your window, Damsker says, adding that the risk of transmission is higher if you’re closer to an infected person or if you’re around them for a longer period. And any viruses that people exhale while walking by your house are likely to get dispersed faster outside, especially if there is wind.
So when you are spring cleaning, open those windows and let in the rejuvenating, clean, fresh air. It will do your body and mind good.