WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC said that 1,888 cases of lung injury related to vaping were reported from 49 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands as of October 29, 2019. The figure represents an increase of 284 cases from the prior week.
The CDC also said that thirty seven deaths have been confirmed in 24 states. The age of the deceased patients ranged from 17 to 75 years of age, with the median age being 53 years.
The CDC's investigation, which involves more than 1,300 patients, showed that 70 percent of patients with lung injuries are male, and 79 percent of those patients are under 35 years of age. The median age of patients is 24 years, and their ages range from 13 to 75 years.
While the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or FDA have not identified the cause of the lung injuries in these cases, the only commonality among all cases is that patients reported the use of e-cigarette, or vaping products.
According to the CDC, all patients have reported a history of using e-cigarette, or vaping, products.
Most of the samples tested by the FDA showed the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, and most patients reported a history of using THC-containing products. THC is the compound in marijuana that causes a high.
The agency noted that the latest national and state data suggested products containing THC, particularly those obtained off the street or from informal sources are linked to most of the cases and played a major role in the outbreak.
According to the CDC data, about 86 percent of patients reported using THC-containing products. Only 11 percent reported exclusive use of nicotine-containing products.
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