Yellowhammer Times

There were 15 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Alabama in the week ending Jan. 22, making up 2.1 percent of total deaths by all causes in Alabama, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Jan. 22, there were 722 deaths in the state. 22.2 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 14.3 percent were from cancer and 38.9 percent were from COVID-19.

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	160	22.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	148	20.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	133	18.4
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	103	14.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	37	5.1
Alzheimer's disease	35	4.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	27	3.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	16	2.2
Diabetes mellitus	16	2.2
Influenza and pneumonia	15	2.1