A fifth patient has died from the vaping-linked mystery lung condition that has swept the US.
As of September 6, 2019, over 450 possible cases of lung illness associated with the use of e-cigarette products have been reported to the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) from 33 states and the US Virgin Islands.
The CDC have confirmed five deaths in California, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Oregon.
Products containing cannabinoids are being tested in a bid to find out what is causing an epidemic of vaping-related lung illnesses sweeping the US.
Dr David Christiani of the Harvard School of Public Health wrote in The New England Journal of Medicine: “There is clearly an epidemic that begs for an urgent response.”
“There is clearly an epidemic that begs for an urgent response”
Dr David Christiani
Products containing THC and CBD have been linked to the hundreds of patients reporting health problems after vaping.
The CDC announced that health officials are looking for older cases based on CDC’s current case definition. States are in the process of classifying current possible cases as well as older cases.
A statement from Centers for Disease Control (CDC) director Robert R Redfield read: “More information is needed to better understand whether there’s a relationship between any specific products or substances and the reported illnesses.
“At this time, there does not appear to be one product involved in all of the cases, although THC and cannabinoids use has been reported in many cases.
“At this time, the specific substances within the e-cigarette products that cause illness are not known and could involve a variety of substances.”
Last week New York health officials announced they are investigating a potential link between vitamin E oil in e-cigarette liquid and 34 cases of lung illness.
