The high levels of deadly pollutants in Beijing have forced parents to confine their children at home. The levels are 40 times higher than the WHO recommended limit in all major Chinese cities.
The situation is such that schools are forced to use air filtration systems and all outdoor activities are restricted. Some international schools have even domed fields to reduce the effects of pollutants, according to New York Times.
The smog in Beijing and Shanghai sometimes forces the cities to shut down their airports. The quality of air in Beijing is 16 times worse than New York City.
John Pomfret , a Washington Post writer based in Beijing for a long time, was forced to moved to Los Angeles after his son started suffering from asthma attacks and chronic chest infections. He jokingly answered queries about his move to Los Angeles as , "for the air."
The US embassy in Beijing regularly updates its Twitter followers by releasing data on pollution in the Chinese capital.
The citizens of Beijing, especially parents, are looking for alternatives; a shift to other cities, locales or even migration. Those who can afford it, move to cleaner environs as often as possible.
"I've been here for six years and I've never seen anxiety levels the way they are now," said Dr. Richard Saint Cyr to New York Times. He is a doctor at Beijing United Family Hospital. "Even for me, I've never been as anxious as I am now. It has been extraordinarily bad," he added.
A pollution data revealed by the Chinese Government states that the ongoing year has seen a 30 percent rise in air pollution so far, compared to 2012.
"Particle pollution can be very dangerous to breathe. Breathing particle pollution may trigger illness, hospitalization and premature death...," writes the Lung Association.
The Lung Association states that even short spikes could be dangerous: "Deaths can occur on the very day that particle levels are high, or within one to two months afterward."
