Yale School of Medicine Dean Dr. Robert Alpern sent the following message to the schools community members on March 7:

As you may be aware, on Tuesday, Feb. 28, four members of the Yale School of Medicine community became ill after drinking from a single-service, pod style coffee machine located at an office area at 333 Cedar St. and were monitored at Yale New Haven Hospital. All have returned to work. Yale Police, the New Haven Fire Department, the State Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, and the Yale Environmental Health and Safety team responded and initiated an investigation.

I am writing to update you on their progress and our continued efforts. Today we learned that an independent laboratory test on items removed from the area indicated the presence of sodium azide, a substance commonly found in laboratories and used as a preservative. The single-serve coffee machine was not connected to a water source and the area was evaluated and declared to be safe by Yale Environmental Health and Safety. The Yale Police Department is continuing its investigation, in collaboration with local, state, and federal law enforcement.

At the same time, we are reviewing security and safety procedures with our public safety team. Out of an abundance of caution, you should be aware that the symptoms of exposure to sodium azide are dizziness, headache, nausea and vomiting, rapid breathing, and rapid heart rate.

In the event you experience these symptoms, please contact Yale Health Acute Care at (203) 432-0123.

Anyone with any information regarding this incident, should contact the Yale Police Department at (203) 432-4400. We will keep you updated but caution that gathering complete information will take some time. As always, the safety and security of the Yale community is our utmost priority.

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Investigation continues into illness linked to coffee machine at medical school - Yale News