VAPING ILLNESS HITS FRESNO

The number of people that are becoming ill and dying due to vaping has increased nationwide.

Collin Hansen is a Fresno State biology student. He spent a week in Belize with his girlfriend and returned home with what he thought was a virus.

“The symptoms that I had like a fever, I had headaches, I had no appetite, I completely was dehydrated,” said Hansen. 

As each day passed, he wasn’t feeling any better.

After four days of having the same symptoms, he collapsed in his apartment. Hansen called the ambulance and was admitted into Saint Agnes Medical Center. 

He told the doctors that he just returned from a trip and they immediately thought he had a virus. 

“They put me in the isolation room and the E.R. doc came in and he was like we’re gonna do a spinal tap on you and that was probably one of the main things that saved me originally,” said Hansen.

Hansen was diagnosed with Atypical Pneumonia after four days of ineffective IV antibiotics.

He was the first person to be treated for this disease at Saint Agnes. He has lost 15 pounds and still has lung issues. He wants to warn people about the dangers of vaping.

“Just that it wouldn’t happen to me and so it could happen to anyone, like I said…healthy person it could happen to anyone…so I would just urge people to take it easy off of vape pens,” said Hansen.