Yellowhammer Times

There were 17 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Alabama in the week ending May 22, 2021, making up 1.6% of total deaths by all causes in Alabama, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 22, 2021, there were 1,059 deaths in the state. 25.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.1% were from cancer and 7.9% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.8% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	268	25.3
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	181	17.1
Alzheimer's disease	59	5.6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	55	5.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	48	4.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	46	4.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	38	3.6
Diabetes mellitus	22	2.1
Influenza and pneumonia	17	1.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	17	1.6

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	104	9.8