why do we stay inside when there’s poor air quality? Aren’t we breathing the same air inside?

Question

First, I’m not questioning the recommendation to stay indoors, or that poor air quality is bad for your health.

I don’t understand how staying inside is better, especially in homes (like mine) that don’t have central ventilation or air filters. My home isn’t air-tight, and I can’t recycle the air I’m breathing out – so there must be new air coming in from outside.

Can anyone explain *why* it’s safer to stay indoors? How is the air inside safer to breathe?

In: 2

Answer 1

In older homes, if things get bad enough it *doesn’t* help. Look into the [Great Smog of London](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Smog_of_London), for example — **thousands** of people died in just four days.