How to deal with pollution

Residents, especially the elderly and young children, should minimize the length and intensity of outdoor activities and should wear a mask on smoggy days, said Zeng Xiaopeng, deputy director of the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

When returning home, people should wash their faces and rinse out their mouths. They should also remove and store their coats to reduce contamination indoors, he said.

Residents should close their windows and minimize activities that pollute indoor air, such as cooking and smoking, he said, adding that air purifiers can be left on to reduce the density of harmful particles indoors.