[FoxInSocks]

The hospitalized individuals "complained of nausea and dizziness"

Well, it could have been a lot worse. Chlorine gas reacts with water and produces hydrochloric acid, which burns skin and lung tissues and can also lead to pulmonary edema.

[Squeako]

My experience with chlorine gas has been an "Oh s**t, I'm gonna die!" kind of thing. Chlorine is not something that causes a little nausea and lightheadedness, but sheer panic and somewhat violent burning choking as the body tries to expel it.

My understanding is that, unlike phosgene, chlorine does not cause pulmonary edema for the very reasons you mentioned; turning into hydrochloride acid and burning the mucus membranes. Consequently it doesn't pass the bronchial passages into the lungs like phosgene and doesn't cause latent pulmonary edema.

But chlorine would be one torturous way to die that's for sure.