coronavirus

For Holiday Parties, CDC Says Using a ‘Window Fan' Is Advisable

The agency released its guidance on upcoming celebrations, including gathering outdoors and staying 6 feet apart

Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images

EDITOR'S NOTE: The CDC told NBC the Holiday Tips page underwent a technical update on Oct. 4, but the guidance that was posted on the site was from last year and "doesn’t reflect the CDC’s guidance ahead of this upcoming holiday season." The agency said the content it "is in the process of being updated by CDC to reflect current guidance ahead of this holiday season."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released recommendations Saturday for the upcoming holiday season, including the idea of using a window fan to keep air at an indoor party as fresh as possible.

The CDC appears to be suggesting that circulating air indoors can ward off the airborne coronavirus, or at least reduce its chances of spreading during home gatherings.

"If celebrating indoors, bring in fresh air by opening windows and doors, if possible," its holiday celebrations guidance states. "You can use a window fan in one of the open windows to blow air out of the window. This will pull fresh air in through the other open windows."

That said, even if the worst of summer's pandemic wave might have passed, the CDC would much rather Americans not gather indoors with loved ones or visitors this winter.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com.

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