Mysterious Fog in the US , Canada and UK: A dense, eerie fog with a "burning chemical-like smell" has spooked a good part of North America and parts of the United Kingdom and Canada. With social media amplifying all concerns, this phenomenon has sparked attention across all social media platforms. However, at the heart of this mysterious fog are a conjunction of natural events, social psychology, and environmental conditions that culminated in all the conspiracy theories and public health fears. Here's a closer look at the mysterious fog, its potential causes, and the societal response it has triggered.

Fog that Feeds Fear

The first reports of this "mysterious fog" came in from Florida where a resident said that they experienced respiratory symptoms, feverish warmth, and stomach cramps after contact with the fog. Similar stories started flooding social media, and within a day or two, a sinister force seemed to sweep across the United States, Canada, and parts of the UK. From Texas to Minnesota, people reported weird odors and health issues that they thought were linked to this bizarre atmospheric event.

Some witnesses were said to see "white particles" swirling through the air; theories ranged from a chemical attack or experimental weapon to drone-related chemical dispersals and references to historical military experiments, such as the infamous 1950s "Operation Sea-Spray."

Fuel to the fire were added when videos and posts, hundreds of thousands in number, began circulating on social media sites like TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) speculating on the origin of the fog. Hashtags like #ToxicFog went trending for days. Hysteria created a self-reinforcing loop in which every post spurred further scrutiny and fear.

Scientific Explanation of the Dense Mysterious Fog

1. What is Fog?

Fog is essentially a low-lying cloud formed when the air temperature cools to its dew point, causing water vapor to condense into tiny droplets or ice crystals. Several types of fog—advection fog, radiation fog, and valley fog—can form depending on conditions such as warm, moist air moving over cooler land or when temperatures plummet rapidly under clear skies.

2. Why the Chemical Smell?

Such chemical-like smell as reported during the occurrence of fog events is sometimes attributed to air pollution. It acts like a sponge, where it absorbs these pollutants, which include sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, among others, that emit from industries. This mixture, therefore, leads to a stench that could be mistaken as unnatural or even toxic.

Also Read: Health Concerns Rise As US, Canada, and UK Come Under The Blanket Of Thick, Dense, Toxic Fog

3. What are the Health Concerns?

High moisture levels from fog can significantly exacerbate symptoms related to respiration, but especially in already predisposed asthmatics and allergy patients. The connection of these symptoms with actual fever, stomach cramps, and puffy eyes is too remote. Experts assume that the irritating effects of entrapped pollutants trapped in fog tend to affect more the eyes and throat rather than the rest of the body affected by some report.

Psychological Effects of Mass Panic Caused by Social Media

Social media amplified a natural weather event into a health epidemic. It made the personal experience of individuals become a cause for fear and speculation, a domino effect.

According to psychologists, this is a concept of selective perception, wherein once people's attention is drawn to environmental anomalies, they begin to notice them. This mirrors earlier panics, such as the Seattle windshield pitting panic of 1954. Then, atomic bomb testing caused fear in many and started to have people looking at their windshields for small marks that they had not seen before. Likewise, postings on the strangeness of the fog probably increased public awareness and suspicion, with people looking to attach unrelated symptoms to the phenomenon.

The fog hysteria shares a commonality with other instances of mass panic, such as the "drone sightings" of recent years or the Cold War-era fears of biological warfare.

Also Read: Mysterious Fog Is Making Americans Sick

These events underscore how fear can cloud judgment, especially when amplified by social media and sensationalist headlines. While historical cases, such as "Operation Sea-Spray," offer concrete evidence of the existence of unethical experiments, the jump from a natural weather condition to theories of chemical attacks exemplifies a more modern trend of connecting unrelated dots, all wonderfully seeded in distrust and anxiety.

Despite the swirling rumors, meteorologists and scientists are in agreement that the mysterious fog is not as alarming as it seems. It is well known that fog traps and amplifies pollutants, especially in urban and industrial regions. Moreover, winter months are the most conducive for fog formation, so its recent prevalence is unsurprising.

On the other hand, environmentalists advise that the fog should wake everyone up to increased levels of pollution. The reported odors and health irritations could be just symptoms of far deeper systemic issues like industrial emissions and lack of control over air quality.

The authorities must be transparent in their communication to combat misinformation and allay public fears. Governments and environmental agencies must provide timely updates on weather phenomena, air quality, and health risks. Initiatives like real-time pollutant tracking and public education campaigns can help demystify natural occurrences while addressing valid environmental concerns.

The mysterious Canada fog is a compelling case study in how environmental events intersect with psychology and societal dynamics. While rooted in natural phenomena, the fog became a vessel for collective fears, amplified by modern technology and historical anxieties.

In this information era where communication occurs at an almost lightning pace, the fog becomes a metaphor that reminds everyone about scientific literacy, environmental responsibility, and an effective balance when considering public concern. Whether perceived as a marvel of nature or as a tale that serves to teach, it left a very powerful mark in people's minds.

A young Internal Medicine doctor from Chandigarh has highlighted shocking malpractices followed by a well-known private hospital.

In a widely shared video posted on social media platform Instagram, Dr Prabhleen Kaur alleged that all patients arriving at the hospital in the city are being forcibly kept in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) even when it is not required.

The doctor had joined the hospital, as it was paying well and was near her clinic. However, seeing the blatant scam, she resigned in just one day.

“I joined a very reputed hospital. I thought I would work there in the mornings and run OPD at my own clinic in the evenings. They were paying really well, no doubt about that,” the doctor said in the video.

The doctor alleged that the hospital “just needed a physician for the show”, while the entire handling of patients was being done by the owner, a gynecologist.

“But on my very first day, I realised that they only needed a physician in name. The hospital owner, who was a gynaecologist and not a physician, was managing all the patients herself. That means she would decide every patient should be admitted, and she would also decide that every admitted patient should be kept in the ICU – and kept there for as many days as possible,” Kaur said.

She further claimed that the goal at the said hospital was to make the patients remain admitted in the ICU for as long as possible. Kaur added she was deeply disturbed seeing this and refused to be part of a system that “harms patients for money.”

“It would have been my name, but their wrongdoing. So I resigned, because I cannot allow someone to use me as a front for unethical practices,” she said.

The doctor did not mention the name of the hospital. And HealthandMe could not independently verify the details and the authenticity of the post.

However, the incident reignites concerns over accountability, patient safety, and standards of care in the country.

The video went viral and the netizens found it concerning, and some also pointed out that such issues are common with many hospitals across the country.

"Unfortunately, most doctors are doing this unethical practice these days,” a user said.

“No surprise— the moment you enter a hospital, the first question is about insurance coverage. Feels like treatment comes second and billing comes first,” added another.

Some also lauded the doctor for resigning and sounding the alarm.

“Salute to your integrity. Rest of the Indians are just after making money,” said a user, while another noted: “Respect to this doctor for choosing her conscience over money".

Also read: NASA’s Artemis II Mission To Test Human Health in Deep Space

Other Such Incidents

This is not the first such incident of hospital malpractice in the country.

Days earlier, a doctor from Assam called out private hospitals for overcharging patients with inflated medicine prices and unnecessary lab tests.

Dr Priyam Bordoloi said that corporate hospital chains rely on “predatory” practices and become a “financial sinkhole” for patients.

Earlier in January this year, a viral video with allegations of gross medical negligence and institutional apathy at Dhubri Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) sparked public outrage.

The video showed a family accusing hospital staff of failing to provide basic care, delaying critical dialysis treatment, and obstructing an emergency transfer.

The incident involved a 74-year-old Fulchand Chowdhury, whose condition reportedly worsened due to lapses in ICU monitoring, sanitation, and patient safety.

The family claimed they were forced to care for him themselves and faced resistance when seeking transfer to a private facility.

Also read: Bob Harris: BBC Radio 2 Host Hospitalized For Prostate Cancer Treatment

Who Should Be Kept In The ICU?

In January 2024, India launched guidelines for hospitals on ICU admissions and directed that hospitals cannot admit critically ill patients to the ICU without the consent of the patient and family.

According to the latest guidelines, patients who are critically ill should not be admitted to an ICU if they do not give their consent.

"Critically ill patients should not be admitted to the ICU; if the patient or next-of-kin informed refusal to be admitted in ICU."

Nearly 60 years after humanity first set foot on the Moon, NASA has launched its historic Artemis II mission, marking the first crewed journey around the lunar surface.

The nearly 10-day flight was launched successfully on April 1 from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida at 6:24 p.m. EDT.

Four astronauts were launched to the surface of the Moon aboard Orion, which lifted off atop NASA's Space Launch System.

The Orion spacecraft flight carries NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

The crew aims to loop around the moon and return to Earth on a free-return trajectory, reaching roughly 4,700 miles (7,560 kilometers) beyond the moon's far side — farther than Apollo 8's historic lunar flyby and the most distant journey ever attempted by humans.

During the 10-day journey, the four astronauts will also perform several science experiments, along with scientists on Earth, to facilitate science investigations to inform future human spaceflight missions.

NASA stated that the Artemis II science operations will lay the foundation for safe and efficient human exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Health Research in Space

• Artemis Research for Crew Health and Readiness (ARCHeR)

The study will evaluate how crew members perform individually and as a team throughout the mission, including how easily they can move around within the confined space of their Orion spacecraft.

• A Virtual Astronaut Tissue Analog Response (AVATAR)

• The Immune Biomarkers

Scientists will analyze blood and saliva samples from Artemis II crew members to see how deep space changes the immune system.

• Artemis II Standard Measures

Crews are supplying a consistent set of health information to a data bank so that future researchers can learn more about astronaut health.

• Radiation Studies

Equipment will monitor radiation levels inside and outside the Orion capsule to help characterize the deep space environment.

“The findings are expected to provide vital insights for future missions to destinations beyond low Earth orbit, including Mars,” said Laurie Abadie, an aerospace engineer for the program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

“The lessons we learn from this crew will help us to more safely accomplish deep space missions and research,” she said.

Steven Platts, chief scientist for human research at NASA Johnson, explained the mission will need to protect against challenges, including exposure to higher radiation levels than on the International Space Station, since the crew will be farther from Earth.

“Together, these studies will allow scientists to better understand how the immune system performs in deep space, teach us more about astronauts’ overall well-being ahead of a Mars mission, and help scientists develop ways to ensure the health and success of crew members,” he said.

The emerging COVID-19 BA.3.2 variant, dubbed Cicada and detected in 23 countries, may not pose a significant global threat, claimed a study.

The 2025 study, published in the mBio journal, showed that the immune response of the BA 3.2 COVID variant from vaccines or prior infection is less effective than against the original strain. The antibody effectiveness is three times lower against the BA.3.2 variant. However, it does not mean that there is no protection at all.

“BA.3.2 showed intermediate neutralization, representing a 3-fold reduction compared to the ancestral strain,” said the researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, US.

“BA.3.2 occupied an intermediate but distinctly separate position,” they said, adding that the variant “shows substantial immune escape potential that threatens protection”.

In the study, the researchers used antigenic mapping to assess neutralizing antibody responses in 56 adults with varied exposure histories following KP.2 vaccination against emerging variants, including LP.8.1, LF.7.1, NB.1.8.1, XFG, and BA.3.2.

While KP.2 vaccination enhanced neutralization against homologous variants, substantial reductions in neutralizing activity were observed against emerging Omicron variants across all exposure groups.

Exposure history showed some influence on neutralization breadth, with self-reported vaccination-only participants exhibiting better cross-neutralization compared to individuals with hybrid immunity.

The findings highlight the ongoing challenge of maintaining vaccine effectiveness against evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants and argue for continuous updating of vaccines, the researchers said.

“Despite its extraordinary number of mutations, BA.3.2 is not able to overcome immunity from vaccination, finds study. Other variants were more capable of evading immunity. This indicates it is not a major real-world threat,” said Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, Ex-President of IMA Cochin and Convener of the Research Cell, Kerala, in a post on social media platform X. He was not part of the study.

What Is The BA.3.2 Variant?

BA.3.2 is a descendant of the Omicron BA.3 lineage. It is genetically distinct from the previously circulating JN.1 lineages (including LP.8.1 and XFG).

BA.3.2 comprises two major branches, BA.3.2.1 and BA.3.2.2. BA.3.2.2 also has substitutions like: K356T, A575S, R681H, and R1162P, the CDC report said.

What makes the BA.3.2 variant special is the “70 to 75 substitutions and deletions in the gene sequence of its spike protein”, according to the US CDC’s latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

“BA.3.2 represents a new lineage of SARS-CoV-2, genetically distinct from the JN.1 lineages (including LP.8.1 and XFG) that have circulated in the US since January 2024,” said the CDC researchers.

“BA.3.2 mutations in the spike protein have the potential to reduce protection from a previous infection or vaccination,” they added.

Cicada Variant: Increased Risks To Children

However, the new Cicada variant with around 75 genetic changes in its spike protein is likely to disproportionately affect children, as per an expert, who noted its presence in the UK.

“Some people have done analysis on this, suggesting it may be more prevalent among young children. Children get infections all the time, but this might be something to do with the fact that they have never been exposed to Covid vaccines," Prof Ravindra Gupta, of Cambridge University, who advised the UK government during the pandemic, was quoted as saying to The Mirror.

“So this is something we’re looking at in the lab to try and work out why. The problem with this is that it is an infection that spreads fast. Eventually, it ends up in someone vulnerable," he added.

Symptoms seem to be similar to those of other recent variants and include

sore throat,

cough,

congestion,

fatigue,

headache

fever.

According to the CDC, the Cicada variant is also likely to raise gastrointestinal issues such as nausea or diarrhea.