Yellowhammer Times

There were 16 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Alabama in the week ending June 26, making up 1.5 percent of total deaths by all causes in Alabama, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 26, there were 1,057 deaths in the state. 26 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 15.3 percent were from cancer and 6 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 6.7 percent of deaths were from Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Studies show doctors and medical examiners may underreport Alzheimer's disease and dementia-related conditions as the underlying cause of death on death certificates, according to the National Institute on Aging.

Once infected, older adults with dementia are likely to develop a more severe and dangerous illness. The diseases which make an older adult more vulnerable to COVID-19 are age-associated chronic conditions, according to the Bright Focus Foundation.

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	275	26
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	162	15.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	68	6.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	63	6
Diabetes mellitus	36	3.4
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	35	3.3
Alzheimer's disease	30	2.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	28	2.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	20	1.9
Influenza and pneumonia	16	1.5

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	71	6.7