Virginia has reported its first death linked to vaping.
The death has been confirmed by the Virginia Department of Health and is the 16th person to die nationwide in connection to a mysterious lung illness linked to e-cigarettes.
The adult was from southwest Virginia, but no other details will be released due to patient confidentiality. Their death was first reported by Cone Health in Greensboro, North Carolina, on September 26.
30 other lung injury cases related to vaping have been reported in Virginia so far. And at least 805 cases, involving patients from 46 states have been reported by the Centers for Disease Control.
The cause of the mysterious illness is still unknown, but it’s been connected to many black market products that contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Health officials say all of the cases involved patients that have used e-cigarettes for weeks or months before symptoms started. Many of the patients nationwide have also used vaping products with THC, while some cases involve patients who only used products containing nicotine.
Anyone who’s concerned about the risks is cautioned to stop vaping while investigators search for the cause of the outbreak. People with symptoms (coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and fever) are encouraged to visit their local health department.