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.

China has become the world’s first country to approve a monoclonal antibody drug called Libevitug to treat hepatitis D — a severe, chronic liver disease.

The drug, which was rolled out at a Beijing hospital recently, was granted conditional approval by China's National Medical Products Administration in January 2026 following priority review, Science and Technology Daily reported.

Libevitug is a monoclonal antibody developed by a team from Tsinghua University and the Beijing-based biopharmaceutical company Huahui Health.

It works by blocking hepatitis B and D viruses from entering liver cells.

Clinical trials on Libevitug demonstrated significant efficacy in virological response and normalization of liver function, with particularly notable benefits for patients with cirrhosis.

What Is Hepatitis D? What Are The Key Symptoms?

Hepatitis D, or HDV, is different from the others—it can't infect the liver by itself. It only exists in those already infected with hepatitis B, employing the outer shell of the HBV virus to replicate.

When HBV and HDV infect the liver concurrently (a co-infection) or if HDV is contracted later on superimposition of pre-existing HBV (a superinfection), the immune system is twice assaulted. The liver has to cope with more intense inflammation, resulting in more rapid fibrosis progression and a much increased risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

In individuals with co-infection, liver injury is more severe, and complications arise years sooner than in HBV mono-infection. There are no specific therapies for HDV currently, and its management relies mostly on the control of hepatitis B.

It is also possible to prevent HBV infection and thereby hepatitis D by vaccination. Antiviral therapy and close follow-up can likewise decrease the chances of serious HDV complications in those already infected with HBV.

Simultaneous infection with HBV and HDV can lead to mild-to-severe hepatitis, with signs and symptoms typically appearing 3–7 weeks after initial infection and include:

• fever,
• fatigue,
• loss of appetite,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• dark urine,
• pale-colored stools,
• jaundice (yellow eyes)
• fulminant hepatitis.

Also read: Hepatitis On Rise In India: What Is Causing It?

How Does Libevitug Work?

Of the over 254 million chronic hepatitis B carriers worldwide, approximately 5 percent are co-infected with the hepatitis D virus, and patients with co-infection have long lacked effective targeted therapies.

Clinical trials for the drug began in 2018, with an international multi-center study launched in 2023 among patients with chronic co-infection.

The drug previously received "Breakthrough Therapy Designation" from both the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of the China NMPA and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Also read: Hepatitis A To E: How Each Virus Affects Your Liver?

"Libevitug demonstrates outstanding clinical efficacy and significantly improves liver stiffness, with particularly remarkable efficacy in patients with HBV/HDV-related cirrhosis," stated Professor Niu Junqi, principal investigator of the Libevitug trial from the First Hospital of Jilin University.

"This drug aligns with the core objectives of China's Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Viral Hepatitis (2025–2030), which aims to improve diagnosis and treatment rates for viral hepatitis and reduce the incidence of liver cancer and mortality," Junqi added.

Junqi noted that Libevitug is expected to effectively lower the risk of disease progression to advanced severe diseases such as liver cancer, drive the diagnosis and treatment of HDV in China, as well as advance the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health problem by 2030.

Amid the growing burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), India’s Union Ayush Ministry has launched yoga protocols that will target vulnerable groups with diabetes, high blood pressure, and asthma.

The “Yoga Protocol for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and Target Groups” is a significant push towards reshaping the country’s healthcare narrative from treatment to prevention, PTI reported.

NCDs such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular ailments, chronic respiratory conditions, and mental health disorders are increasing significantly in the country. These also account for about 60 percent of all deaths in the country, signaling a clear need to focus on preventing the lifestyle-driven illnesses.

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Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush, noted that prevention of these conditions is important for the better health of the nation, and yoga is India’s answer to the rising burden of lifestyle diseases.

“Through these evidence-based protocols, we are empowering every citizen to take charge of their own health and well-being in a simple, accessible, and sustainable manner. By integrating yoga into daily life, we aim to shift the focus from illness to wellness, reducing long-term healthcare pressures,” he said.

“This initiative reflects our commitment to building a healthier nation through holistic, preventive, and people-centric approaches rooted in India’s rich traditional knowledge,” the minister added.

What Are The Protocols?

It is part of the Yoga Mahotsav 2026, launched earlier this month by Union Ayush Minister Prataprao Jadhav, developed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The protocols are designed as structured, evidence-based modules that integrate Yogic practices into daily life in a simple, accessible, and scalable manner.

The initiative has specific yoga interventions curated for major health conditions such as:

• diabetes — improving metabolic balance and glycemic control;
• hypertension — calming the nervous system and regulating blood pressure;
• bronchial asthma — strengthening respiratory capacity and improving lung function
• emotional well-being — breathing and meditation aimed at reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.

Further, it includes

• playful yoga modules for young children
• mental health-focused routines for adolescents,
• mobility-enhancing practices for the elderly
• specialized guidelines for women and pregnant mothers.

Yoga 365

The Ministry of Ayush has also launched Yoga 365 — a nationwide campaign to make yoga an integral part of citizens' daily lives — that goes beyond the International Day of Yoga (IDY), marked annually on June 21 worldwide.

According to the National Sample Survey (NSS), awareness of traditional systems like yoga stands at 95 percent in rural India and 96 percent in urban India.

The NSS also found that in around 1.1 crore households in rural India and around 1.4 crore households in urban India, at least one household member regularly practices yoga.

The Yoga 365 campaign aims to

• mobilize communities through mission-mode outreach,
• promote behavior change,
• integrate yoga into diverse spaces—from schools and offices to neighborhood groups and digital platforms.

The Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, under the Ministry of Ayush, has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the wellness platform Habuild to offer free daily online yoga sessions.

The COVID-19 BA.3.2 strain, nicknamed Cicada Variant, is spreading rapidly in the US, raising the possibility of becoming the dominant strain in the country, according to experts.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in its latest report, has raised concerns about BA.3.2 — a highly mutated variant of COVID.

BA.3.2 has already been reported in at least 23 countries, including 25 states in America, as per the report. It has also been detected in 132 wastewater samples from Massachusetts.

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The 25 states include California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming.

"Cicada can become the dominant strain in the US,” Dr. Robert H. Hopkins Jr., medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, told USA TODAY.

While it is not certain, it can also "drive a US summer surge.”

The CDC warned that a new variant "with substantial capacity to evade immunity from previous infections or vaccines could be associated with seasonal increases in COVID-19 activity.”

In the US, COVID-19 is still linked to roughly 300 to 500 deaths per week, according to recent data based on provisional estimates from the CDC.

Brandon Dionne, an associate clinical professor of pharmacy and health systems sciences at Northeastern University, stated that the virus may evolve and increase the possibility of more severe disease.

“It’s something we definitely want to monitor,” Dionne said. “It could, over time, become the dominant strain in the US, but it’s not yet there," he said.

Also read: COVID Variant BA.3.2 Spreads To 23 Countries: Is The Variant Under Monitoring A Cause Of Worry?

What Is The Cicada COVID Variant?

Cicada was first identified in a respiratory sample in South Africa in November 2024.

It is a descendant of the Omicron BA.3 lineage, and 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 World Health Organization (WHO) has designated BA.3.2 as a Variant Under Monitoring (VUM). It means the variant may not be that dangerous yet, but it may have concerning mutations.

The CDC’s latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report explains that Cicada has “70 to 75 substitutions and deletions in the gene sequence of its spike protein”.

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Will Current COVID Vaccines Work?

The variant is particularly concerning as it provides no immune protection to people with previous infection or even vaccination.

“The number of mutations from JN.1 viruses makes it less likely that the current vaccines will be highly effective against Cicada, but we need more data to better answer this question,” Dr. Hopkins Jr. said.

However, according to the WHO, current COVID vaccines are expected to continue protecting against severe disease. Moreover, the WHO said BA.3.2 doesn’t seem to be making people sicker so far and hasn’t resulted in increased hospitalizations and deaths.

Common symptoms of Cicada variant include:

• Cough
• Fever or chills
• Sore throat
• Congestion
• Shortness of breath
• Loss of smell or taste
• Fatigue
• Headache.