The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has provided an update on the outbreak of vaping-related lung disease that has now killed 34 Americans and sickened more than 1,600.
In its latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report issued Monday, Oct. 28, the CDC noted that those stricken by e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) appear to be mostly white men under the age of 35. THC use was also common among those affected, the agency added.
“It is evident from today’s report that these lung injuries are disproportionately affecting young people,” Director Robert Redfield, MD, said in a statement. “As CDC receives additional data, a more defined picture of those impacted is taking shape. These new insights can help bring us a step closer to identifying the cause or causes of this outbreak.”
The CDC said this is the first such report to describe the characteristics of EVALI victims. It noted that about 86% of individuals reported using THC-containing products, while 64% said they used nicotine-based products. About 79% of those affected are under age 35; men represented about 70% of the population; and 78% were non-Hispanic whites.
Until the agency identifies the exact cause of these lung injuries, the CDC urged consumers to avoid any type of vaping product, particularly those from the black market.
The CDC previously released specific tips for radiologists involved in treating EVALI, as did the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.