![Dr. Amy Edwards of University Hospitals says using fans for air flow is probably OK, but try to avoid having fans blowing on one individual. [Magnetic Mcc / Shutterstock]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cb0c810/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x2002+0+0/resize/840x560!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F5%2F19%2Fcoronavirus%20and%20fans.jpg)
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Brittany from Pioneer, Ohio, asks: "Should we allow our employees to use fans during this pandemic?"
University Hospitals’ Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Amy Edwards says fans and air conditioners do increase the amount that air moves.
While that may seem like it could increase exposure, Edwards says it might actually dilute the virus over a larger volume of air, making it difficult to catch the virus.
She says she likes the idea of promoting air flow rather than restricting it, with caveats. People shouldn’t cough, breathe, or sneeze directly into fans, and they should make sure the fans are used to circulate air, rather than just blowing on one individual.
