Vaper becomes the first patient in the US to get a double lung transplant amid the outbreak that has killed 40 and sickened more than 2,000
- An unnamed man has undergone a double lung transplant at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan
- He’s believed to be the first to need a double lung transplant among the slew of vaping-related illnesses that have been sweeping across the US
- 39 deaths in 24 states have been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but local reports bring the death toll to 40 people
- So far this year, 2,051 people in every state but Alaska have fallen ill with vaping-related illnesses
Doctors at a Michigan hospital say they have performed the first double lung transplant on a man whose lungs were irreversibly damaged from vaping.
No other details about the transplant were released by the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit on Monday.
The patient has reportedly asked his medical team to share photographs and an update to warn others about the dangers of vaping, which will be presented at a news conference on Tuesday.
It comes amid the slew of vaping-related lung illnesses that have sickened 2,051 Americans since March and have killed at least 40 in 24 states and the nation’s capitol.
Doctors at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan, have performed the first double lung transplant on a man amid the slew of vaping-related illnesses have sickened 2,051 and killed 40 (file image)
Most of the victims are male and under the age of 35, with the ages of those who died ranging from 17 to 75, according to the report.
There have been three deaths each confirmed in California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts and Minnesota and two deaths each in Kansas, Oregon and Tennessee.
Meanwhile, one death each has been confirmed in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington, DC.
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a breakthrough into the cause of a vaping illness outbreak, identifying a chemical compound as a ‘very strong culprit.’
Vitamin E acetate previously was found in liquid from electronic cigarettes and other vaping devices used by many who got sick and only recently has been used as a vaping fluid thickener.
According to the CDC, about 86 percent of people who’ve fallen ill reported vaping liquids containing THC, the main psychoactive component in marijuana.
By comparison, a mere 11 percent have reported exclusive use of nicotine-containing products.
Most of the illnesses have resulted from people vaping a combination of THC and nicotine, health officials say.
They add that teens and young people make up the majority of illnesses because flavored e-cigarettes were marketed towards them.
Amid pressure, e-cigarette company JUUL announced last week it will no longer sell flavored pods like creme brulee, cucumber, mango, mint and fruit anywhere.
Meanwhile, New York, Michigan, Montana, Rhode Island, Utah and Washington have enacted temporary bans on flavored e-cigarette products.
Massachusetts outdid them all when Governor Charlie Baker declared a public health emergency and enacted a ban all vaping products, flavored or non-flavored.
However, on Tuesday, a Superior Court judge ruled that the ban had to be lifted by next week for medical marijuana users
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