A suspected tainted black market vape cart seized in New York. (Courtesy of New York State Department of Health)
As of Thursday, Oct. 3, the CDC has
1080 confirmed and probable cases in 48 states of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome possibly associated with a recently inhaled drug aerosol (commonly known as vaping). As many as 18 patients may have died from the condition. The deaths occurred in Illinois, Oregon (2), Indiana, California (2), Minnesota, Kansas (2), Missouri, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, Alabama, Virginia, and Delaware. Here’s what you need to know.
Sickened lungs show up as cloudy on the left X-ray, and clear after treatment of one suspected VAPI patient in Utah. (Courtesy University of Utah)
An oil-laden immune cell extracted from a VAPI patient in Utah (left). On the right, a normal macrophage. (Courtesy Andrew Hansen, Jordan Valley Medical Center)
Leafly originally published this story Sept. 6. We updated it again Oct. 3 at 2:45 p.m. PST.
David Downs
David Downs directs news and lifestyle coverage as the California Bureau Chief for Leafly.com. He’s written for WIRED, Rolling Stone and Billboard, and is the former cannabis editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, as well as the author of several cannabis books including 'Marijuana Harvest' by Ed Rosenthal and David Downs. He co-hosts The Hash podcast. TW: @davidrdowns | IG @daviddowns