Vaping is implicated in four Ventura County patients who suffered severe respiratory distress; Santa Barbara County so far has no similar reports. The Ventura patients have been diagnosed with a pneumonia that did not respond to antibiotics, and their tests were negative for pathogens, said Dr. Robert Levin, head of Ventura’s Public Health department. They all had been vaping.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), five patients have died in the following states: California, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Oregon. As of September 6, the newly recognized lung disease has affected 450 people in 33 states and the Virgin Islands.
Dr. Levin noted that all patients reported diarrhea and vomiting and that their chest x-rays had a “ground glass” appearance — not usual symptoms of pneumonia. They were admitted to the hospital for respiratory support, and most improved with steroids. Three weeks ago, his department sent an alert to area physicians, explaining that the one factor identified so far among all patients was that they reported vaping nicotine, cannabis, or CBD oils.