Explained: Yellow dust, which North Korea has warned could be carrying Covid-19

News: North Korean authorities have urged citizens to remain indoors to avoid contact with a mysterious cloud of ‘yellow dust’ blowing in from China which they have warned could bring Covid-19 with it.

Facts:

• Yellow Dust (Asian Dust): It is a meteorological phenomenon during which sand from deserts in China and Mongolia are carried by high speed surface winds into both North and South Korea.
• The sand particles tend to mix with other toxic substances such as industrial pollutants as a result of which the ‘yellow dust’ is known to cause a number of respiratory ailments.