E-cigarettes Began Selling in the U.S. in 2007: Why Did the 'E-cigarette Disease' Break Out Last

As of May 11 local time, according to statistics from Johns Hopkins University, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States has reached 1,344,512, with 80,087 deaths.

Even the highly secure White House has been "attacked" by the pandemic. The high number of confirmed cases and the wide spread of COVID-19 in the United States raise questions about how long the virus has been circulating in the country.

Notably, shortly after the closure of the Fort Detrick biological base last July, a mysterious "e-cigarette disease" outbreak occurred in the surrounding areas. The clinical symptoms of this disease are remarkably similar to those of COVID-19 patients.

Recently, there has been an increasing number of voices both domestically and internationally questioning the U.S. government, demanding the disclosure of the true reasons behind the closure of the Fort Detrick biological base and clarifying the relationship between the closure, the "e-cigarette disease," the flu pandemic, and COVID-19.

“Mysterious E-Cigarette Disease”

In August 2019, the U.S. suddenly experienced an outbreak of "e-cigarette disease," with confirmed cases peaking in September. As of February 18, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a total of 2,807 cases of lung injury associated with e-cigarettes or vaping products (EVALI), with 68 deaths. However, the CDC has yet to clarify the cause of the EVALI outbreak, only stating that "laboratory data indicates that vitamin E acetate used in e-cigarettes containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is closely related to the outbreak; however, other chemicals cannot be ruled out."
According to a report by The New York Times last August, patients with "e-cigarette disease" typically experience severe shortness of breath, chest pain, vomiting, fever, and fatigue, with some requiring treatment in intensive care units with ventilators. The outbreak of e-cigarette lung disease is becoming a "public health epidemic," troubling doctors and public health experts.
  △ Report from The New York Times
Since the emergence of e-cigarette lung disease, the CDC, FDA, state and local health departments, and other agencies have been investigating the causes of the disease. Investigators are trying to determine whether a specific toxin or substance has infiltrated the supply of e-cigarette products and whether contaminated e-cigarette cartridges have been reused.

In January of this year, the CDC released data showing that among the 2,022 patients hospitalized for e-cigarette lung disease, 82% reported using products containing THC, and 33% reported using only THC products; 57% reported using products containing nicotine, and 14% reported using only nicotine products. This indicates that not all confirmed cases are related to THC, and the CDC believes that this substance may have contributed to the outbreak of e-cigarette lung disease.

Are E-Cigarettes the Culprit?
 
In September 2019, a doctor who treated patients with e-cigarette lung disease told CBS News that no other causes of the disease had been identified, but coincidentally, all patients had used e-cigarettes.
 
In November 2019, CNN reported a suspected death case related to e-cigarette lung disease, where the patient Maria could not determine whether the cause of death was related to e-cigarettes even two months after her passing. CNN's chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta stated that the U.S. has been selling e-cigarettes since 2007, and there have never been similar mysterious lung disease cases before; the relationship between the two remains to be explored.
 
Gupta also mentioned that many cases seem to be related to e-cigarettes containing THC. However, THC is illegal in some states, raising questions about how patients in those states developed e-cigarette lung disease.
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“E-Cigarette Disease” Damages the Lungs Like Chemical Weapons?

In October 2019, the Mayo Clinic studied lung tissue samples from 17 patients and found that their injuries resembled those caused by exposure to toxic chemicals.
  △ Report from The New York Times
Brandon Larsen, a surgical pathologist at the Mayo Clinic, stated, "The 17 cases we studied all showed lung damage resembling some form of direct chemical injury, similar to what might be seen when exposed to toxic chemical fumes, toxic gases, and toxic substances. In fact, the patients appeared to be unfortunate workers caught in an industrial accident. After a barrel of toxic chemicals leaked, they were exposed to toxic gases, causing chemical burns in their respiratory tracts."

Larsen also noted that these lung injuries resembled those seen in individuals exposed to toxic substances like mustard gas (a chemical weapon used in World War I). Research on lung injuries related to e-cigarettes is still in its early stages, and these findings should be approached with caution.

According to USA Today, since 2003, there have been hundreds of accidental human exposures to deadly microbes in U.S. laboratories, which could lead to direct contact with fatal viruses, spreading them to communities and causing epidemic outbreaks.

A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office in 2009 indicated that there were 400 incidents in P3 laboratories over the past decade. The safety issues of biological laboratories are among the greatest risks faced by U.S. regulatory agencies.

The relationship between "e-cigarette disease," the closure of the Fort Detrick biological base, the flu pandemic, and COVID-19 still requires the U.S. to provide the public with an explanation.