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.

Nearly 200 residents of Piprauli village in Uttar Pradesh’s Budaun district received anti-rabies injections as a precaution after learning that the raita, a curd-based dish served at a funeral, had been prepared using milk from a buffalo that later died following a dog bite.

Rabies Scare In Uttar Pradesh: Nearly 200 Villagers Get Vaccinated

Almost 200 people from Piprauli village in Uttar Pradesh’s Budaun district were given rabies vaccines as a safety measure days after consuming raita made from the milk of a buffalo that had been bitten by a dog. Villagers said the funeral ceremony took place on December 23, where raita was served to attendees. It later came to light that the buffalo whose milk was used had been attacked by a dog a few days before the event, as per NDTV.

The buffalo died on December 26, which led to panic in the village amid fears of possible infection. Soon after, villagers visited the Ujhani Community Health Centre, where they were administered rabies vaccinations.

Rabies Scare In UP: CMO Dr Rameshwar Mishra Clarifies Risk Of Transmission

Chief Medical Officer Dr Rameshwar Mishra said on Sunday that authorities were informed about a buffalo in the village that had been bitten by a suspected rabid dog and later died after showing symptoms associated with rabies.

There were reports that villagers had consumed what was believed to be “infected” raita. As a precaution, everyone who may have been exposed was advised to get vaccinated.

“Prevention is better than cure. Anyone who had even the slightest doubt was given the anti-rabies shot. Usually, there is no risk after milk has been boiled, but vaccination was done to eliminate any possible danger,” Dr Mishra said, as per NDTV. The health department confirmed that no cases of illness have been reported in the village so far and that the situation remains stable.

The CMO added that all those who came for vaccination were given the injection without delay at the Ujhani Community Health Centre. To ensure smooth access, primary and community health centres remained open on both Saturday and Sunday.

What Is Rabies Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Vaccine?

Rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis, also known as PrEP, involves a series of injections taken before any potential exposure to the rabies virus, as per Cleveland Clinic. It is mainly advised for people at higher risk, including veterinarians, animal handlers, laboratory staff, and travellers visiting areas where rabies is common. While PrEP does not eliminate the need for treatment after a bite, it simplifies post-exposure care. Those who have received PrEP require fewer follow-up doses and do not need rabies immunoglobulin, which can be difficult to obtain during emergencies and can save valuable time.

How Can Rabies Pre Exposure Prophylaxis Vaccine Protect You?

According to Dr Deepa Aggarwal, MD, DNB, an allergy specialist with over 20 years of experience from LHMC and AIIMS Delhi, who shared insights on her Instagram account, the rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis vaccine helps prepare the immune system in advance.

It allows the body to build antibodies before any exposure occurs. If a vaccinated person is bitten later, they only need two booster shots and no immunoglobulin. This faster immune response reduces the chance of the virus reaching the brain, which is especially important for people at higher risk or in situations where medical care may be delayed.

Today, Delhi again woke up to a thick layer of smog, and the adjoining cities like Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Faridabad too woke up to zero-visibility fog on Monday. The air quality too dipped down to 'severe' category, with AQI registered at 400 plus on the index. While on Sunday, the AQI did show some improvement, as the city registered 'very poor' AQI, however, by the end of the day, the capital city was trapped under fog and pollution.

Delhi Struggling With Pollution And Cold Wave

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has also issued an orange alert for Delhi on 29 December, Monday. The maximum temperature is expected to be around 22 degree Celsius, while the minimum will be at 7 degree Celsius. Mornings would encounter heavily dense fog, while there is an expectation of marginal relief on December 30. Most of North India is also said to be worst hit, including states like Uttar Pradesh, where thick fog is predicted till December 31, Punjab and Haryana is expected to face cold wave through December 30, and Himachal and Uttarakhand could see rain and snowfall from December 30 onwards.

As per IMD, cold wave is a condition of air temperature which becomes fatal to human body when exposed. This happens during the winter seasons and the cold wave impact gets aggravated due to wind speed. Cold Wave is considered when minimum temperature of a station drops to 10 degree Celsius or less for plains and 0 degree Celsius for Hilly regions.

Read: Delhi Sees Some Relief From Toxic Air; GRAP IV Removed, 'Will Bring Down Pollution In 5 Years,' Says Nitin Gadkari

How Can Cold Waves Impact Your Health?

IMD says that cold wave could cause mild to severe hypothermia. The common symptoms include shivering, dizziness, drowsiness, irritability, confusion, slowed, slurred speech, and altered vision. This happens when body experiences a lowered core temperature below 34.4 degree Celsius.

Frostbite is another health hazard that can happen due to cold waves. It is freezing of body tissue, accompanied with hypothermia. When ice crystal form between the cells of the skin and grow by extracting fluid from the cells, the circulation is obstructed, causing additional damage to the tissue affected. It commonly affects hands, feet, ears, nose and cheeks. The common symptoms are redness in skin, or skin turning grey. Some may also experience tingling sensations, fingers turning numb yellowish, waxy, or grey color.

Chilblains could be caused due to exposure to cold, wet, and humid conditions. Repeated prolonged exposure of bare skin could lead to this development in just few hours. It could impact your ears, nose, cheeks, fingers, and toes. Common symptoms include skin turning pale and colorless, prickly sensations, red, swollen, hot, and itchy skin and blisters.

Dehydration could also happen due to lack of fluid intakes, which is common during extreme cold. This could lead to headaches, dizziness, dry mouth, stomach cramps, and increased heartbeat. IMD notes carbon monoxide poisoning or CMP, snow blindness, and trench foot are also common during cold seasons, and provides ways to prevent these from happening.

What Do These Alerts Mean?

Delhi is currently under Orange Alert for cold wave. What do these different alerts mean?

Green Alert: This means no action will be taken, as this is a normal day during winter season

Yellow Alert: This means 'be updated' and refers to cold wave alert where the conditions in isolated areas may persist for two days

Orange Alert: This means 'be prepared' and refers to severe cold wave conditions that could persist for two days. This could also mean that though the condition is not severe, but the conditions could persist for four days or more

Red Alert: This means 'take action' and refers to severe cold wave conditions that persists for more than two days, or total number of cold wave days exceeding six days

BBC Countryfile presenter Julia Bradbury, who was diagnosed with breast cancer during the lockdown, in 2021, underwent a single mastectomy back to remove her tumor. Now, 55, she has recently opened up about a big lifestyle change that she has made to ensure that her cancer does not come back.

She said that she has given up alcohol completely, which some people also find "infuriating". In an interview with The Times, she said that doctors had warned her that every drink she consumes which is above a certain limit could increase the chance of her cancer returning. She said "death looked me in the eyes".

Speaking to The Times, she said, "I get a lot of pushback on social media about this. People go, ‘I was healthy, I go to the gym, I got cancer, and now it’s metastasized, and I’ve got secondary cancer. So, are you blaming me for my illness? No. All I’m saying is, this is what I went through. It was a wake-up call, and it made me look at life differently. It made me prioritize my sleep, emotional health, and gave me more time for my loved ones. If I drink more than four units of alcohol a week, my risk of recurrence goes up by 28 per cent. But people find me giving up drinking infuriating.”

What Does Data Say About Alcohol And Cancer?

The National Cancer Institute, US, notes that there s strong scientific evidence that alcohol drinking can cause cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) in 1987 due to sufficient evidence that it causes cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, and liver in people. The National Toxicology Program has listed consumption of alcoholic beverages as a known human carcinogen in its Report on Carcinogens since the ninth edition, in 2000.

Epidemiologic studies have shown that people who drink alcohol are at higher risk of certain cancers than those who do not drink alcohol and that the more someone drinks, the higher the risk of these cancers. Even light drinkers can be at increased risk of some cancers.

In the US in 2019, alcohol consumption was responsible for about 5% or nearly 100,000—of the 1.8 million cancer cases. It also led to 4% or nearly 25,000 of the 600,000 US cancer deaths that year.

Read: Can Drinking Beer Cause Cancer? A New Study Says There Is No Safe Limits

Julia also notes that her poor health took a hit on her confidence as well as her bank balance. This is why she has taken a new approach to life, as reported by the Express. She said, "I am very, very fortunate, and overall, I am having a wonderful life."

“But I’ve had a cancer diagnosis, both my parents have had cancer, I’ve lost people along the way, I’ve had financial worries, I’ve had to reinvent myself, and I’m not 100 per cent happy all of the time - of course not. But you can get through things, you can overcome hardships, and I like to think that’s what I do," she said.

While she is now healthy, she continues to go on her routine check-ups every year. "I wasn’t close to death, but death looked me in the eyes. So I am more focused on my health than I ever have been. I don’t drink, I eat a healthy diet, and exercise every day. When I came home from my mastectomy, I promised I would spend time outside every day, and that is my mantra, however poor it might be in this winter.”