Eight California EVALI cases reported during early COVID-19 pandemic in field report

A field report case series from California described 8 patients hospitalized with e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) reported to the California Department of Public Health in April 2020, during the early COVID-19 pandemic. The study reported an association between e-cigarette or vaping product use and lung injury. No comparator group was included in the analysis.

The main finding was the reporting of 8 EVALI cases. No specific outcome measures, effect sizes, or statistical comparisons were reported. Safety and tolerability data were not reported.

Key limitations include the case series design without a control group, which prevents assessment of causality or comparative risk. The small sample size from a single state limits generalizability. Funding sources and conflicts of interest were not reported.

For practice, this report serves as a surveillance update confirming EVALI cases occurred during the early pandemic period. It reinforces the need for clinicians to maintain awareness of EVALI and inquire about vaping history in patients presenting with respiratory symptoms, while recognizing this evidence is descriptive rather than causative.