As winter peaks in several regions, the fog says for most of the day and amid this, residents of the United States, Canada and the UK have reported a mysterious, dense fog. The residents posted videos online and claim that the fog has a "burning chemical-like smell". With the social media being flooded with the videos, many are comparing this event with last year, when a thick fog affected over 70 million people in the US and Mexico.

What Happened Last Year?

Last year too, near January, a thick dense fog covered the skies of the US and parts of the mid-Atlantic, leaving over 70 million under fog alerts.

The impact right now

Right now, the fog is impacting several US states, including Texas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Florida, Minnesota, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota, and Oklahoma. Some of these states have also issued a fog alert.

Are there health impacts?

Reported in the Daily Mail, a Florida resident said, "Within about an hour, I kept sneezing over and over for three hours, and my eyes were really puffy." She also added feeling feverish and experiencing stomach cramps.

Many on TikTok shared the video of the dense fog, calling it "toxic". The people also shared: "The weirdest part is the taste and smell. It smells like after you set off a bunch of fireworks, and the air tastes toxic. It is super weird". Someone else on X, previously Twitter claimed that the air smells like burning plastic.

While there are speculations on chemical weapons, authorities are yet to confirm the source and the cause of this fog, that smells toxic, as claimed by people.

ALSO READ: Air Pollution Is Causing Health Issues Not Seen Before

Potential health risks

Pollution is related with many health risks, a thick fog during winter may not be a reason for concern. However, the residents claiming it to be toxic due to the smell or the adverse affects on their health may lead to it being a cause of concerns. Also, new research highlights a disturbing connection between long-term exposure to air pollution and a heightened danger of deadly blood clots, a condition which is underappreciated but also poses significant health risks. A study, published in Blood, examined how long-term exposure to some pollutants, including fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and nitric oxide, may heighten the chances of VTE hospitalizations.

The outcomes showed that the individuals who had exposure to pollutants in the higher quartile had:

• 43% increased risk of hospitalization for VTE associated with fine particulate matter.
• 2.8 times increased risk from nitrogen dioxide exposure.
• 2.3 times increased risk due to nitric oxide.

Another 2021 study titled Effect of Air Pollution on Obesity in Children: A systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, there is a connection between air pollution and weight gain through biological behavioral mechanism. The major pollutants causing obesity are nitrous oxides, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and particulate matter. These could lead to systematic inflammation and metabolic disturbances, which can lead to weight gain and obesity. The study mentions that fine particulate matter [PM2.5], when it enters our body, it influences the metabolism rates.

A different study published in the JAMA Network Open, stated that higher levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure can increase the risk of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

Two people have suffered burn injuries in Mumbai after a cluster of gas-filled balloons exploded and turned into a ball of fire inside a residential building’s lift earlier this week.

The incident occured at Anmol Towers, a residential building opposite a petrol pump in Mumbai's Goregaon West and police have registered a case against the balloon vendor, according to NDTV.

CCTV footage shows a woman entering the lift with a small trolley, followed by a man carrying several balloons packed in a large bag. Moments later, the balloons mysteriously caught fire, leading to the blast inside the elevator.

Despite flames briefly covering the CCTV camera, the woman and two men were seen running out of the elevator seconds later. In the end, the clip shows the elevator doors shutting as flames erupt at the centre of the lift.

It was unclear what type of gas was used to inflate the balloons. However, while many consumers assume decorative balloons are filled with helium, a non-combustible gas, authorities and safety experts suggest that it is highly possible that hydrogen was used instead.

Mumbai police have urged the public to exercise caution and warned balloon sellers against using flammable gases, particularly in residential buildings and enclosed areas.

Why Is Hydrogen Dangerous?

Hydrogen has a very wide range of flammability in air (4-75 percent by volume) and requires very low energy to ignite. It often causes explosions rather than just fires, especially in confined spaces.

In high concentrations in enclosed areas, hydrogen acts as a simple asphyxiant by displacing oxygen, which can lead to dizziness, unconsciousness, or death. Additionally, hydrogen fires burn with a nearly invisible, pale blue flame, making them almost impossible to detect with the naked eye during daylight.

Moreover, hydrogen gas also burns faster than most conventional fuels, increasing the risk of deflagration (subsonic) or detonation (supersonic).

On the other hand, as a noble gas, helium has a completely filled outer shell of electrons, meaning it does not react with other elements or catch fire in the presence of oxygen and heat.

Along with this, unlike hydrogen, which is also lighter than air but highly explosive, helium will not ignite even if exposed directly to a flame or spark and it can can act as a buffer and actually suppress flames by displacing oxygen in the immediate area.

What To Do If You Suffer From Burns?

For minor burns, immediately run cool (not cold) water over the area for 10–20 minutes, remove jewelery or tight clothing near the injured area and cover with a sterile bandage. A minor burn might need emergency care if it affects the eyes, mouth, hands or genitals.

However, for serious and large burns, protect the burned person from further harm and ensure that they are breathing. Loosely cover the area with gauze or a clean cloth and raise the burned area above heart level, if possible.

As you call emergency services, watch for symptoms of shock which include cool, clammy skin, weak pulse and shallow breathing.

Seek immediate care for burns, which:

• May be deep, involving all layers of the skin.
• May cause the skin to be dry and leathery.
• May appear charred or have patches of white, brown or black.
• Are larger than 3 inches (about 8 centimeters) in diameter.
• Cover the hands, feet, face, groin, buttocks or a major joint, or encircle an arm or a leg.
• Are accompanied by smoke inhalation.
• Begin swelling very quickly.

Globally, about 10 million people experience burns and about 180,000 die from them each year.

A woman with no travel history has died from Nipah virus in Bangladesh, the World Health Organization has confirmed.

The patient, aged between 40 and 50, developed a fever and headache-like symptoms consistent with the virus, followed by hypersalivation, disorientation and convulsion on 21 January.

The case was reported in the northern Naogaon district, Sharmin Sultana, senior scientific officer at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, later said.

She died on January 28 and was confirmed to be infected with the virus the day after. Although she had no travel history, she regularly consumed raw date palm sap, reports suggest.

The WHO said all 35 people who had contact with the now-deceased patient were being monitored and have tested negative for the virus. No new cases had been detected to date.

Since its emergence in 2001, Bangldesh has reported cases of Nipah virus in humans every year. In 2025, four laboratory-confirmed fatal cases were reported in the country.

What's Happening In India?

The Nipah virus outbreak began in West Bengal, India in January with two hospital nurses at AIIMS, Kolkata, testing positive for the infection and being quarantined, prompting widespread testing. Soon after, five cases, including a doctor and a staff member, were confirmed and over 100 people were quarantined.

However, one of the nurses, a 25-year-old unidentified man has now made a recovery and revealed his experience with the virus, claiming that despite irritation in the throat and uncertainty about what lay ahead, he had faith in his doctors and fellow nurses.

In an interview with the Metro, he said: “After I was taken off ventilation and regained consciousness, I came to know that I have Nipah. I still had the tube in my mouth, and there was irritation. Despite the irritation and my fear, I had faith in the doctors and nurses.

“I have suffered and I know the symptoms. I will tell people when they should get checked for the Nipah virus. I want to raise awareness about the virus and its symptoms.

“I am not sure how I came in contact with the deadly virus. Maybe it was while treating a patient. But I will continue to work as a nurse. I am waiting to rejoin the hospital,” he added.

The unidentified healthcare professional remains very weak physically and is undergoing physiotherapy to regain his strength. “I was bedridden for over a month. I am still very weak and have an unstable gait. So, I am undergoing physiotherapy,” he said.

The other nurse, a woman, remains in a coma but has been taken off ventilation support, a hospital official confirmed this week.

Nipah Virus: What Is It And What Are Its Symptoms?

According to WHO, Nipah virus is a zoonotic illness which means it is mostly transmitted from animals to humans through bats. However, it can also spread through fruits that have been contaminated by the saliva, urine or droppings of infected bats. Human-to-human transmission can also occur through close contact with an infected person or their bodily fluids.

The illness has a 75 percent fatality rate, and there are no vaccines to protect the public.

The virus was first identified in 1998 during an outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia and soon made its way to India and Bangladesh in 2001, with cases often involving family members or caregivers tending to the infected patient.

READ MORE: _{Nipah vs Bird Flu in India: Which Virus Poses A Greater Threat To Humans?}

Although the Nipah virus has caused only a few known outbreaks in Asia, it infects a wide range of animals and causes severe disease and death in people. Some of its common symptoms include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Breathing difficulties
• Cough and sore throat
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Muscle pain and severe weakness

Samples collected from the patient’s home and workplaces, including pets and partially eaten fruits dropped by bats, all tested negative for the virus, and the exact source of the infection could not be identified.

Wet Wipes Waring: 59 people have fallen ill, with one dead, after using non-alcoholic, non-sterile, infected wet wipes in UK. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued a warning, and said that there is still "an ongoing risk of infection associated with their use". The bacteria that is causing this infection is burkholderia stabilis or B. stabilis.

Wet Wipes Warning: Which Ones Not To Use

The UKHSA also in its warning included names of four different wet wipes and asked people to avoid using them.

• ValueAid Alcohol Free Cleaning Wipes
• Stereoplast Sterowipe Alcohol Free Cleansing Wipes
• Reliwipe Alcohol Free Cleansing Wipes
• Microsafe Moist Wipe Alcohol Free

Wet Wipes Warning: What Actually Happened?

The Pharmaceutical Journal noted that the UKHSA and MHRA published a joint statement that warned people that they should not use non-sterile, non-alcoholic wipes in their homes and first-aid kits.

After an outbreak investigation conducted by MHRA in 2025, four products were identified to be contaminated with Burkholderia stabilis. “There have been 59 confirmed cases of Burkholderia stabilis associated with some non-sterile alcohol-free wipe products — identified in an outbreak in the United Kingdom from January 2018 to 3 February 2026,” the statement said.

“A small number of cases continue to be detected. These have included some serious infections which have required hospital treatment and one death has been attributed to Burkholderia stabilis infection.”

UKHSA and MHRA is telling people to look out for wipes marked 'sterile' to be used on wounds or broken skin.

Wet Wipes Warning: What Is Burkholderia Stabilis?

UKHSA on its official website notes: 'Burkholderia are a type of bacteria found naturally in the environment, including in soil and water. Burkholderia stabilis is one species within this group. While many people never encounter problems with this type of bacteria, it can cause serious infections in certain circumstances, particularly among vulnerable individuals.'

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Wet Wipes Warning: Who Is At More Risk Of B. Stabilis Infection?

• Those with weakened immune systems – including people undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients, or those with conditions that affect immune function
• Individuals with other risk factors such as cystic fibrosis
• Patients at home with intravenous lines

Wet Wipes Warning: How Can Someone Get Infected By B. Stabilis?

The UKHSA notes: "The risk of acquiring infection is generally very low. Infections can occur through contact with contaminated products on broken or damaged skin, or through introduction of bacteria through medical devices such as intravenous lines."

Wet Wipes Warning: What Are The Common Symptoms Of B. Stabilis Infection?

• Symptoms of a wound infection can include redness, swelling, increased pain, warmth around a wound or or break in skin, and pus or other drainage from the wound / break in skin
• Symptoms of infection involving an intravenous line can include signs such as redness, swelling, or pain around the insertion site and / or fever and chills
• In more serious cases, symptoms associated with bloodstream infection (sepsis).