A Center for Disease Control (CDC) official told a news report that the number of cases of a deadly lung illness linked to vaping appears to be “leveling off or even declining.”

“It’s serious and potentially fatal, but it is preventable,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC’s principal deputy director. 

According to a CDC press release, as of October 22, 2019, there were 1,604 confirmed and probable lung injury cases associated with use of e-cigarette, or vaping, products were reported by 49 states (all except Alaska), the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands, 

In addition, 34 deaths have been confirmed in 24 states: Alabama, California (3), Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia (2), Illinois (2), Indiana (3), Kansas (2), Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota (3), Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oregon (2), Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. The median age of patients who have died is 49 years, ranging from 17 to 75 years old.

According to the CDC, the latest findings from an investigation into lung injuries associated with e-cigarette use, or vaping, suggest THC products play a role in the outbreak. Most of the people (77 percent) in this outbreak reported using THC-containing products, or both THC-containing products and nicotine-containing products, 36 percent reported exclusive use of THC-containing products; and 16 percent reported exclusive use of nicotine-containing products.